It Happened at the Fair: A Novel

by Deeanne Gist

A transporting historical novel about a promising young inventor, his struggle with loss, and the attractive teacher who changes his life, all set against the razzle-dazzle of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.

Gambling everything-including the family farm-Cullen McNamara travels to the 1893 Chicago World's Fair with his most recent invention. But the noise in the fair's Machinery Hall makes it impossible to communicate with potential buyers. In an act of desperation, he hires Della Wentworth, a teacher of the deaf, to tutor him in the art of lip-reading.

The young teacher is reluctant to participate, and Cullen has trouble keeping his mind on his lessons while intently watching her lips. Like the newly invented Ferris wheel, he is caught in a whirl between his girl back home, his dreams as an inventor, and his unexpected attraction to his new tutor. Can he keep his feet on the ground, or will he be carried away?

• ISBN10: 1451692374
• ISBN13: 9781451692372
• Publish Date: 30 April 2013
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 14 December 2015
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Imprint: Howard Books
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 432
• Language: English

Reviews

[cherryblossommj]

Almost without fail, when it comes to Dee’s books I know it’s going to be a great story and straight to the permanent keeper shelf. She is one of those authors where you’d love to have both a physical and digital copy on hand to read it whenever and wherever. Right off the bat I was a fan of Cullen’s and so annoyed and turned off by Wanda that I did not know what to expect. Surely this could not be! Yet off to the fair we go, unsure, uncertain and a little concerned. But wait… isn’t that exactly what he was feeling? How does she do that!? It’s another example of an author grabbing your attention and emotions and placing you firmly in the time (1893) and craftily creating a world that comes to life right off the page.

Tangent here. I’m a genealogist and I love history. Christian Historical Fiction is my genre (hence: www.ChristianHistoricalFiction.com). One of the best parts about researching history for genealogy (family history) is seeing the remnants of buildings and life once lived. Being able to see pictures is just magical, for lack of a better word. This book is the epitome of why I love to read historical fiction. Bringing the characters and place to life and all throughout this novel we have picture after picture of location and people at the Chicago World’s Fair. It’s amazing to imagine and Dee really brings it to life.

Years ago when I was first getting into Christian Historical Fiction, I discovered Carol Cox and her Fair to Remember series based on the World’s Fair. Reading this one and seeing what I can see makes me want to go back and read it again. Then of course there is also another new one in the Avenue of Dreams Series by Olivia Newport. Reading them altogether and bringing a world alive! Oh and if you want to involve a younger child in the reading, you can pick up American Rebirth, a 4-in-1 collection that contains the story Emily Makes a Difference:A Time of Progress and Problems based also during, you guessed it, the Chicago World’s Fair. What a fascinating setting and what’s amazing with the amount of people that attended it’s entirely possible that stories such as these occurred and more!

[bc:Ticket to Tomorrow|960014|Ticket to Tomorrow (Fair to Remember #1)|Carol Cox|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1179823663l/960014._SY75_.jpg|944917][bc:Fair Game|935502|Fair Game (A Fair to Remember #2)|Carol Cox|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1179601645l/935502._SY75_.jpg|920486][bc:A Bride So Fair (Fair to Remember #3)|1975896|A Bride So Fair (A Fair to Remember #3)|Carol Cox|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1266943257l/1975896._SY75_.jpg|1979209][bc:The Pursuit of Lucy Banning|12933801|The Pursuit of Lucy Banning (Avenue of Dreams, #1)|Olivia Newport|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347331225l/12933801._SY75_.jpg|18089780][bc:The Dilemma of Charlotte Farrow|14059909|The Dilemma of Charlotte Farrow (Avenue of Dreams, #2)|Olivia Newport|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1340918005l/14059909._SY75_.jpg|19696413][bc:The Invention of Sarah Cummings|17384588|The Invention of Sarah Cummings (Avenue of Dreams, #3)|Olivia Newport|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1375062706l/17384588._SY75_.jpg|23983784][bc:American Rebirth: Civil War, National Recovery, and Prosperity|12751403|American Rebirth Civil War, National Recovery, and Prosperity (Sisters in Time, #13-16)|Norma Jean Lutz|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328735247l/12751403._SX50_.jpg|17892136][bc:Emily Makes a Difference: A Time of Progress and Problems|1959634|Emily Makes a Difference A Time of Progress and Problems|JoAnn A. Grote|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1344204023l/1959634._SX50_.jpg|1962669]