On October 8, 1871, one of history's most devastating fires ripped through Chicago. It killed hundreds, destroyed 17,000 buildings and left 100,000 homeless. But the Great Chicago Fire burned more than a city; in those horrible hours, the hopes and dreams of thousands went to ash as well. Like millions of fellow Irishmen, Firefighter Sean Collins brought his family to America in search of a better life. Rather than the idyllic New World they dreamed of, they found poverty, crowded tenements, crime and deep-rooted prejudice. Dreams in Ash is an immigrant's tale. It's a story of struggle in a hostile world; of love lost and love found, of heroes and cowards, of hope and cynicism, and kindness and greed. With the first spark in the O'Leary barn, the best and worst of Chicago will be tested. Follow as Sean Collins fights to save his city from an epic fire while his family simply fights to survive. When the smoke clears, nothing will ever be the same; not for Chicago, not for the Collins family.