The story is set in 19th Century Chicago, taking place just before and after The Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The author describes this fire with gripping detail right from the get go, and the reader is drawn immediately into the story, and characters. The heroine, Molly Knox, is the owner of the 57th Illinois Watch Company, left to her by her deceased father. It employs a rag tag crew of disabled veterans, assembled together by her late father, who fought alongside them during the Civil War. Molly sees this shop she invested heart into, go up in flames, while alongside Zack Kazmarek, the lawyer of Hartman's, the 57's biggest inventory buyer. Yet she is a determined woman and her journey to rebuild her father's company is complicated by a budding romance with Zack.
Zack and Molly are an amusing pair. He seems steely in business, and sometimes outright ruthless. But in his personal life, and especially in his interactions with Molly, he is a funny, hotheaded, young man. On the other hand Molly is a strange mix of order and passion. She wears her hair in tight braids and she has the meticulous mind required to assemble tiny machinations of a pocket watch tick. However, she is also fiercly concerned in making sure the company and it employees, survive. Zack is both puzzled by her and grealty attracted to her. He likes her unruly hair wild and free. Molly isn't always sure what to do with him. They are brought closer by experiencing the fire together, but their differing personalities threaten to keep them a part. Their romance is challenged by dishonstey, stubbornness, persumption, miscommunication, and even a more stable suitor. However, I found myself rooting for their relationship to make it.
Camden wonderfully develops Molly's character. One gets a keen sense of who she is, consistently. However, Zack is a bit one dimensional. The reader could have benefited from more scenes featuring him learning who he is, and seeing more than just his impetuosity and brisk, business like manner. Also, it seems the rash, hoted head macho- man is a common trope, particularly in this genre. I would have prefered to see a more nuanced and unique character.
Finally, the biggest flaw of the novel was the "absence" of God. He took a loooong back seat in most of the characters lives. Aside from the characters saying a few prayers here and there, one does not find the depth of relationship with Christ in any character's life. There are Christian themes present, such as faith,
but the novel would have been even better if the character's relationship with God had been explored in greater detail. We're in need of more books that present a dynamic and vivid presentation of the Lord with his people.
Note: I recieved a free copy of this book from Bethany House Publisher in exchange for my honest review.
