"Veiled in Smoke" by Jocelyn Green

Jocelyn Green takes us back to a warm and dry autumn in Chicago in 1871, and introduces us to the Townsend family. There's artist Meg and bookstore clerk Sylvie, and their father Stephen, who suffers from what we would recognize today as PTSD from his service in the Civil War.

Then one October night a fire breaks out and burns a great deal of the city, including the Townsends' home and business. As if that loss wasn't great enough, legal troubles and injuries hound them, forcing them to rely on others as well as the mercy of the city.

Can they ever reclaim their lives and rebuild what was lost? Or will greater tragedy follow all that has come before?

If you've read Jocelyn Green's other books, you know her stories are deep dives into history. She thoroughly immerses you in the sights, sounds, and emotions of the time period. I read this book slowly, as it was a little intense in its presentation of issues relating to family, mental health, murder, fraud, injury, etc. Also the larger-than-usual number of point of view characters kept me from getting invested in all of them quickly, though I appreciated what each one brought to the table. 

I would recommend this for fans of historical fiction, as long as they are aware that this is a heavy story. It's a good one, but be prepared to encounter the difficult topics.

I received my copy of the book from the publisher. All thoughts in this review are my own.