Lauren Belfer immerses the reader in the turn of the century city of Buffalo. It is an exciting time where change and industrialization is worshiped. It is a time for women as well as men. Their position in society is changing. they are becoming increasingly educated and able to impact through social change. It is a time to come to America and walk the streets of gold. Immigrants from eastern Europe flock to this country and cause upheavals of their own. It is the time for the worker. Industries are targeted by labor unions and strikes are common.In Buffalo it is a great time to make a buck. The power plant at nearby Niagara Falls is being built. Opportunities abound for new business and industry. Buffalo displays all the strife that accompanied the social change of the Progressive era. Lauren Belfer has done a tremendous amount of research about the time and place. She is able to bring this society to life in her book and takes a close look at the movers and shakers of the time. Caught in the middle of it all and desperately trying to make her way and not upset the apple cart is the narrator and heroine, headmistress Louisa Barrett. Louisa Barrett wants to do the right thing and feels strongly that she is helping to shape a generation of young women into the profound thinkers of the future. In reality Louisa is frozen with fear of the effect of action. In many ways she is a puppet on a string.The story is part mystery, part romance, part psychological study and part historical time piece. In it written with tons of detail about the time and place. If the reader appreciates this most likely this is a book for you. If other elements are more appealing the book may be found wanting.
Much political and economic intrigue among the kingpins of turn-of-the-century Buffalo society centering around a single headmistress with a secret and the family she is closest to. I was drawn in and had to know what happened, so I read it in three days! The attitudes of those in power presented in this will jar many of us, though sadly are also reflected in our world to this day. Fascinating look at Buffalo and turn-of-the-century history involving societal values, civil rights movements, historic buildings, power generation at Niagara Falls and the Pan-American Exhibition. I felt Louisa, the protagonist's, behavior toward the girl Grace as presented in the beginning didn't gel with her later attitude and behavior. Some of the historical facts are jarringly thrown in though most are skillfully woven in. Otherwise the writing is smooth and descriptive. Since it's told from the perspective of the headmistress who is very careful of her position, all the conversations involved much calculation--tiring how much effort she put into figuring out what to do and say. Not a perfect book, but an intriguing, emotional read that didn't end the way I wanted it to though ended in a way that fit the whole.
I'm not a big reader of historical fiction for adults, but this book piqued my interest in concept. In execution, however, I felt like this story was missing something. The characters were semi-compelling, the setting was vivid and there are secrets enough for everyone. But I wasn't surprised by anything that was happening as it was revealed. The main character spent so much time speculating over what might be behind whatever the latest events were that by the time the answer was revealed, it just wasn't satisfying. Many passages felt overwritten, as well, to provide the historical information.The writing was good, and I would like to dip into the author's next work to see if it's any better. But this was overall a too-long, disappointing read.
—Pam
I enjoyed this book very much. The city is Buffalo and the history is not that we'll known to thos of us not from around Buffalo. I knew a president was assisted here and where, but I did not know about the history of electricity at Niagara Falls. It was a good story and gave good background in the history of the early 1900's in that place. Just the picture of traveling in winter on a sleigh with sleigh bells amidst the snow made me think about how much nicer some things were in the past than the cars and traffic jams of the present. Times change and it is nice to read about life in a different time and place. The story held my interest as well. It is 500 pages but took just days to read. I gave it 5 stars for it is not another cookie cutter story that I see so much lately. It isn't great literature perhaps, but a nice combination of mystery with some romance in a historic setting.
—Gloria
Loved this historical novel set in Buffalo at the turn of the 20th century. The author mentions real places, real buildings, etc. and weaves local history into a mystery. At the time there was a lot of wealth in the city, it was still a major port, the power plant was new, beautiful buildings were being built, they hosted the 1901 PanAmerican Exhibition, and during that, President McKinley was shot. Fascinating. Story really kept my interest all the way through. Written from the viewpoint of the a woman who is the headmistress of a girls' private school in the city (the real school, the Buffalo Seminary, still exists). Not great literature, but skillful, and simply a "good read."
—Elyse Hayes
