On October 8, 1871, fire turned night into a living hell.

 

If you love historical fiction that shines a light on forgotten moments in history and the ordinary people who lived through extraordinary events, then this is a book well worth adding to your TBR list.

✔️ Inspired by real historical events

✔️ A lesser-known American tragedy

✔️ Richly atmospheric and immersive

✔️ Stories of courage, loss, and survival

✔️ A powerful reminder of human resilience

Check out the blurb:

On October 8, 1871, fire turned night into a living hell. 

While Chicago's blaze claimed the headlines, a fiercer and more devastating inferno swept across Wisconsin's Green Bay peninsula-obliterating farms, forests, and families in its path.

Here, among immigrant settlers carving new lives from the wilderness, survival came down to split-second choices: to run, to hide, to fight the flames. Mothers shielded children with their bodies, fathers vanished into smoke, and neighbors faced the firestorm with nothing but faith and will.

Inspired by forgotten accounts and newspaper fragments, Secrets in the Woods brings to life the untold human drama of one of America's most harrowing nights-a story of resilience, loss, and the fragile hope that rises from the ashes.

If you enjoy historical fiction that uncovers overlooked history and focuses on the strength of ordinary people in the face of unimaginable disaster, this is a book that deserves your attention.

Secrets in the Woods is available on Kindle, paperback, and hardback — buy here.

Susan D Levitte was born and raised as the fifth generation to live on the family land in Northeast North Dakota (nearly Canada). She moved to Wisconsin in 1997, living in Door and Manitowoc County and now resides in the pastoral Kewaunee County. Married to Quentin, they share their home with Olive and Penny, their silly Labrador retrievers, and Gil, their ever-lazy cat. As a devoted reader of historical fiction and nonfiction, she brings her passion for history and desire to educate readers into her work. With twenty-five years of experience in global advertising and marketing, she holds a master’s degree in communications and currently contributes her expertise to the Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport.