Spotlight: "It Happened at the Fair"

"It Happened at the Fair"
by Deanne Gist

Publisher: Howard Books
Source: received from publisher
Release Date: April 9, 2013

The following description is from goodreads.com:

A transporting historical novel about a promising young inventor, his struggle with loss, and the attractive teacher who changes his life, all set against the razzle-dazzle of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.

Gambling everything, including the family farm, Cullen McNamara travels to the 1893 Chicago World's Fair with his most recent invention. But the noise in the Fair’s Machinery Palace makes it impossible to communicate with potential buyers. In an act of desperation, he hires Della Wentworth, a teacher of the deaf, to tutor him in the art of lip-reading.


The young teacher is reluctant to participate, and Cullen has trouble keeping his mind on his lessons while intently watching her lips. Like the newly invented Ferris Wheel, he is caught in a whirl between his girl back home, his dreams as an inventor, and his unexpected attraction to his new tutor. Can he keep his feet on the ground, or will he be carried away?

Author Bio (from the publicist)

With over half-a-million sales in trade, Deeanne Gist has rocketed up bestseller lists and garnered rave reviews with her very fun, very original historical and contemporary novels. Add to this three RITA nominations, two consecutive Christy Awards, and a growing loyal fan base, and you’ve got one recipe for success. Deeanne has a background in education and journalism and a degree from Texas A&M. Her credits include People, Parents, and Parenting. She lives in Houston, Texas with her husband of twenty-nine years and has four grown children.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publicist/publisher in exchange for a blog post.