The novel starts on a warm and windy Sunday. Robinet sets the imagery quickly as she describes the howling wind haunting the city of Chicago. Dogs tuck in their tails and cats pace the streets with raised fur. Hallelujah, an eleven-year-old fidgety orphan, wants her adoptive mother, Miss Tilly, to explain why Hallelujah must carry a heavy pot of potatoes and cabbage to their Irish immigrant neighbors. Hallelujah does not want information, for she knows the answer. She wants Miss Tilly to sympathize with her so that she can get what she wants—an adventure.

Familiar scenes create the story and add credibility: Robinet presents a detailed map of Chicago in the introduction. The map illustrates the burned sections of Chicago and includes street names and points of interest, such as the Courthouse. Bold arrows mark Hallelujah's path during the great fire. As the story unfolds, readers...