Excerpt: Secrets in the Woods by Susan D. Levitte
- Archaeolibrarian
- 5 hours ago
- 2 min read
Book details:
Book Title: Secrets in the Woods
Series: n/a
Author Name: Susan D. Levitte
Publication Date: October 18th, 2025
Publisher: Historium Press
Pages: 269
Genre: Historical Fiction
Any Triggers: Corporal punishment, spousal abuse, deaths by natural disaster, death in childbirth.
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On October 8, 1871, fire turned night into a living hell.
While Chicago's blaze claimed the headlines, a fiercer and more devastating inferno swept across Wisconsin's Green Bay peninsula-obliterating farms, forests, and families in its path.
Here, among immigrant settlers carving new lives from the wilderness, survival came down to split-second choices: to run, to hide, to fight the flames. Mothers shielded children with their bodies, fathers vanished into smoke, and neighbors faced the firestorm with nothing but faith and will.
Inspired by forgotten accounts and newspaper fragments, Secrets in the Woods brings to life the untold human drama of one of America's most harrowing nights-a story of resilience, loss, and the fragile hope that rises from the ashes.
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As we rode out of the town on the wagon, I noticed that the road ahead was made of logs side-by-side, rattling our teeth and making it nearly impossible to speak. The further away from the houses, the closer to the road the monstrous trees came. I had never seen trees so large or green in my life. The invasive smell of pine nearly erased the odor of smoke.
It was dim and the trunks played tricks on my eyes, making me think I was seeing people or animals walking through the woods while we rode past. When I would look again more carefully there was no one there. It felt like someone was pushing with their palm on my chest. I noticed that Magdaline was very quiet, in fact everyone on the wagon was quiet by the time we were fully swallowed into the green cathedral.
Susan was born and raised as the fifth generation to live on the family land in Northeast North Dakota (nearly Canada). She moved to Wisconsin in 1997, living in Door and Manitowoc County and now resides in the pastoral Kewaunee County. Married to Quentin, they share their home with Olive and Penny, their silly Labrador retrievers, and Gil, their ever-lazy cat.
As a devoted reader of historical fiction and nonfiction, she brings her passion for history and desire to educate readers into her work. With twenty-five years of experience in global advertising and marketing, she holds a master’s degree in communications and currently contributes her expertise to the Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport.
Author Links:
Website: https://1871fireproject.com/
Author’s Page at Historium Press: https://www.historiumpress.com/susan-levitte
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ads2art/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ads2art/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Susan-D-Levitte/author/B0FTZXPBZZ
Tour hosted by: The Coffee Pot Book Club
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