Published in 2001,
Fire in Beulah, Rilla Askew’s second novel, is preceded by a collection of stories,
Strange Business(1992), and the novel
The Mercy Seat(1998).
Fire in Beulahwas a recipient of the American Book Award, and it continues to be a relevant text read due to a skillful combination of history and fiction. The novel was one of the first fictional accounts drawing on the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. Askew followed this work with the novels
Harpsong(2007),
Kind ofKin(2013), and a collection of essays,
Most American(2017). To date, all of her works offer a clear understanding of various social concerns blended with historical insight, voiced in penetrating narration and credible characterization.
Fire in Beulah blends history and fiction and is set in early twentieth century
1995 words
Citation: Hada, Ken. "Fire in Beulah". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 26 March 2021 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=40100, accessed 21 November 2024.]