Thank you to the author and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book.

Dr Jess Venner creates a vibrant and vivid reconstruction of the lives of several figures on the last days of Pompeii, using archaeological evidence and written sources to provide accurate details of their lives. These figures include a recently freed slave, a affluent woman, a freed woman and her family, a politician, an innkeeper, and a business man. Through them, the last days of Pompeii are brought (back) to life.

I found the author's evidence for an eruption date in October extremely compelling. It makes more sense than the conventional date given, especially considering the types of clothing that people were wearing and the complicated way that the Roman calender worked.

I really liked the little details that worked to flesh out the different narratives, especially the inclusion of graffitti. The baths, gladitorial games, market place, and multi-cultural aspects of Pompeii were really brought to life in this book. I especially liked the inclusion of different ethnicities, particularly the North African Traders, and the clear influences from Greece on Rome's architecture and culture.

The events after the eruption were really well explained, whilst also highlighting the harrowing nature, and the loss of life. I appreciated the inclusion of slaves as, although there is little evidence for their lives, it really showed the different social aspects that made up Pompeii society.

All the sources used by the author were really well documented and expanded on.

This was another victim of my "I have no work, therefore I have no money and have to cancel some pre-orders" spree, and so I was so excited to be sent an a-arc.

I have climbed Mount Vesuvius (back when I could walk and wasn't in a wheelchair) and have been to Pompeii - although I became very unwell halfway through and spent the second half of the tour sightseeing in the Pompeii bathrooms. But it was interesting just the same. I wish I'd gone to Herculaneum too, which was also a victim of the eruption, but you could only do the trip to Vesuvius with Pompeii and I really wanted to do Vesuvius. I think I need to go back to Pompeii on a day where I'm not poorly.

The introduction itself was enough for me to know this would be a special book. The passion Jess has for learning, education, history, and wanting to share the stories of 'forgotten' people is so moving. I love learning and she really hit the nail on the head when it comes to the importance of learning. It was such an inspiring opening.

I was always a bit of a history buff (and to this day I regret not continuing with it in my studies) and I am very interesting in the ancient world and so this was endlessly fascinating to me. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for future books to satisfy my nerdy cravings.

It's fascinating because she's written a non-fiction and a fiction in one. The opening sets up at the factual, historical side. And then each chapter is about a person or persons living in Pompeii at that time. She has used evidence to back her stories up, but there are imagined elements that help put all those pieces together, and I found that such an interesting and remarkable method to tell these stories.

Each story is its own story, but they're also linked which I liked, because this is what a community would have done. It helps add the humanity to it. Some stories I liked more than others, which isn't surprising when it comes to short stories, but overall they all bring something special to the book.

While this is a book about Pompeii, I appreciate her words about Herculaneum. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe actually about 80-90% of Pompeii citizens were able to evacuate before the crux of the eruption, but only about 10% of Herculaneums did. So why don't they get the historical attention?

What I wasn't expecting from a book advertised as a non-fiction was it to be so moving. I mean, I know what happened to the people of Pompeii and Herculaneum, it's nothing new. But it's true, we only know them as numbers of dead people. We forget they were real people with friends, families, jobs, children, pets etc. and so the bits she writes about the moment of impact is so moving that I found myself with watery eyes at times. I wanted to step in and save these fictional people almost 2,000 years old.

As a self-confessed member of the nerd species, I loved it, and I highly recommend it to nerds and non-nerds alike. I am generally not someone who buys a physical copy of a book if I'd read it on the Kindle, but this may be an exception.

This was a fantastic book, following the everyday lives of seven people the day before, and day of, Vesuvius’ eruption. The characters come from a variety of different pathways including a slave, business owners, politicians and innkeepers providing a wide scope of different daily realities to discuss in the book. The book is set out in almost a story kind of way, showing us how the people in the book felt and lived their lives in Pompeii. (Very reminiscent of the style of the 24 hours in ancient history series), Venner combined imagined realities with what we can garner through archaeological excavations and research to create a complex idea of Pompeii as a city and the lives of people who lived there in a way that made the people in the past feel so very real. I was surprised by how much the book made me feel, the writing was brilliant and clever and did a good job of balancing historical fact with what we can piece together,. The idea of a nonfiction and historical fiction book in one worked really well and I will be keen to read more of Venners work.

What a fantastic example of the power of non-fiction storytelling!

I'm fascinated by Pompeii, and even more so since reading The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper. This takes a closer look at the history behind those stories, and the final days of the people who lived in Pompeii, irrespective of social class. I thought Dr Venner brought an intelligent and insightful perspective which demonstrated her understanding of ancient societies, including its distinctions from our own sensibilities. There was a great focus on the harsh truth of Pompeiian life, and the dichotomy of its cruel systems of slavery, and the city's enduring intrigue for people in the modern day.

Non-fiction can sometimes be a difficult genre for me - I use it more for study than entertainment! But this brings the stories to life in a way that blurs the boundaries between the genres, making it both interesting and highly informative. Dr Venner brings these histories to life. I can't wait to see what she writes next!

Books with a similar vibe - Mythica by Emily Hauser, Mythos by Stephen Fry, The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker, and The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper.