What If Mrs. O’Leary Finally Got To Tell Her Own Story?

The Chicago City Council cleared her name in 1997, but the narrative of the O’Leary cow starting the Great Chicago Fire is hard to shake. 

“Mrs. O’Leary didn’t start the fire. But someone did” – that’s the takeaway from a new work of historical fiction that explores Mrs. O’Leary’s perspective, and who might be responsible for the blaze. 

In the Loop sits down with the author ahead of the 155th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire, and hears a bit of the audiobook. 

GUEST: Melissa Birks, author of the Mrs. O’Leary audiobook

For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.