Title: In Clouds of Fire: A Story of Community
Author: Elaine Stienon
Publisher: AuthorHouse
ISBN: 1-4184-5738-8
Pages: 448
Genre: Fiction/Historical Fiction
Reviewed by: CC Thomas
Pacific Book Review
Elaine Stienon’s In Clouds of Fire: A Story of Community is one of those rare historical fiction novels that take account of actual historical figures and paints them in real colors for modern-day readers to enjoy. Stienon’s book looks at the then newly-formed Mormon religion, its founder Joseph Smith, and the other men and women who embraced the philosopher’s teachings in the New West during the early 1800s. While most of the characters are nameless surrogates for the original founding members of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints, Joseph Smith and his young family figure heavily in the early part of the book. Particularly interesting are the chapters featuring Emma, the prophet’s wife, as she explains their courtship, marriage, early years, Joseph’s misgivings about his new religion, the founding of the church, and the effect this event had on their family life. Stienon weaves in fact and fiction, painting Smith in a realistic light, such as when he was dragged from his home and tarred. Reading about the death of his young adopted son during the event brought the Smith husband and wife into sharper focus as a real man and woman, not just mythical religious figures.
Joseph Smith has always been a fascinating historical figure, and his early years as a visionary even more so. However, Smith’s story is more of a background storyline and is used to show how his decisions influenced his followers. The story opens on an early setting of Mormonism, in Kirtland, Ohio. There, Elizabeth Brighton Manning is a missionary who has traveled to the far reaches of the west to halt the spread of this “deluded” religion. Manning considers her own faith to be right and any other idea to be ridiculous. She is traveling with her niece, Hannah, who is much more open-minded to the new religious ideas, and certainly much friendlier.
The main plot centers on Hannah, and a young Mormon man, Dan. They fall in love and Dan asks for her hand in marriage. Dan goes to Missouri to save money, so he can ask Hannah to marry him. A Shaker, Nathaniel, overhears Dan’s love confession and starts questioning his own religion and beliefs. He tries to leave with his beloved, but she can’t handle the change. The chapters on the early Shaker religion are just as interesting and readers can’t help but compare these two religions, and other religious ideologies. While some of the storyline is a tale of romance, heavier thoughts bubble just below the surface.
When Hannah discovers that Dan has been writing her letters that her aunt intercepted and burned, she gets baptized and heads out west to marry Dan. On the way to Dan, Hannah’s path intersects Nathaniel’s. As both head towards their future, they are unsure of many things, the surety of love and faith amongst their greatest struggles.
Elaine Stienon’s In Clouds of Fire is a solidly good read. The characters are realistic and, even though their lives are vastly different than modern-day ones, the reader will feel a connection to each one. When considering that many of the events in this story actually happened, it brings a richer and more enjoyable experience to the read. One certainly doesn’t have to be a Mormon, or even religious in any way, to appreciate this book.
