About This Book
Reach for this book when your teenager is processing a sudden tragedy or needs a safe way to explore the weight of historical loss and community resilience. Through a series of haunting, spare poems, Paul B. Janeczko reconstructs the 1944 Hartford circus fire from the perspectives of spectators, performers, and first responders. It is a masterful study of how one beautiful afternoon turned into a defining moment of shared grief and bravery. Parents will find this an excellent bridge for discussing accountability, the fragility of life, and how empathy connects us to the past. While the subject matter is intense, the verse format provides a rhythmic distance that allows adolescents to engage with difficult emotions without feeling overwhelmed by graphic detail.
