{"product_id":"9780385496858","title":"The Circus Fire","description":"\u003cb\u003eThe acclaimed author of \u003ci\u003eEmily, Alone \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eHenry, Himself\u003c\/i\u003e brings all his narrative gifts to  bear on this gripping account of tragedy and heroism—the great Hartford circus fire  of 1944.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt was a midsummer afternoon, halfway through a Ringling Brothers Barnum  and Bailey Circus performance, when the big top caught fire. The tent had been waterproofed with a mixture  of paraffin and gasoline; in seconds it was burning out of control. More than  8,000 people were trapped inside, and the ensuing disaster would eventually take 167 lives. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSteward O'Nan brings all his narrative gifts to bear on this gripping account of the great Hartford circus fire of 1944. Drawing on interviews with hundreds of survivors,  O'Nan skillfully re-creates the horrific events and illuminates the psychological  oddities of human behavior under stress: the mad scramble for the exits; the perilous effort to maneuver animals out of danger; the hero  who tossed dozens of children to safety before being trampled to death. Brilliantly  constructed and exceptionally moving, \u003cb\u003eThe Circus Fire\u003c\/b\u003e is history at its most compelling.","brand":"Stewart O'Nan","offers":[{"title":"Paperback \/ softback Trade paperback (US)","offer_id":48035664363732,"sku":"9780385496858","price":31.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1000\/9208\/files\/BNCImageAPI_5994fa69-6b9b-4ac5-97b4-3d6f30afd0f8.jpg?v=1780367522","url":"https:\/\/penguinshop.ca\/products\/9780385496858","provider":"Penguin Shop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}