In the basement of a residence at a small liberal arts university in rural New Brunswick, while war rages overseas, a fire breaks out in the middle of the night. The town is sleeping. A novel of devastating beauty, based on the true story of the December 1941 fire that destroyed the men’s residence at Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick, killing four students, and bringing the horrors of war startlingly close to home. Told at a blistering pace and in multiple points of view, this stunning work of historical fiction explores themes of trauma, love, and humanity in the face of tragedy.