The Lightning Keeper CD [Abridged, Audiobook] [Audio CD]

Starling Lawrence (Author), Terence Aselford (Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 28, 2006

This is the story of an unlikely love at the dawn of the electric age in America. In 1914, Toma Pekocevic is a penniless immigrant in New York recently escaped from the bloody politics of the Balkans that has claimed most of his family. He is also a gifted inventor who designs a revolutionary water turbine while working with Harriet Bigelow, scion of a proud Connecticut iron-making dynasty now fallen on hard times. Their attraction is immediate and overwhelming, but every circumstance is against them. Toma's invention is all he has after losing Harriet to a wealthy politician, but he is determined to win her back, setting the stage for a confrontation that could change not only his life but the course of scientific progress.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sparks fly in Lawrence's blend of romance and historical fiction, set against the struggle to harness electricity in the early 20th century. The editor-in-chief of W.W. Norton picks up where his earlier novel, Montenegro, left off: Toma Pekocevic lands in Naples, on his way from the political strife in the Balkans to America. In Italy, Toma meets Harriet Bigelow, the young heiress to a once prominent iron-making dynasty. A brief magnetic encounter leaves both adolescents changed—and charged—forever. Six years later, in 1914, the pair meet again by chance in New York. Determined to help Harriet save the Bigelow Iron Company from financial ruin, Toma invents a machine capable of revolutionizing electricity. But an accident forces Toma to choose between his passion for Harriet and his love for his war-torn homeland, now at the epicenter of WWI. Harriet too must choose between her love for the lonely immigrant and a wealthy suitor who could aid her family but whose affection leaves her cold. Meanwhile, General Electric has expressed interest in Toma's idea—and will stop at nothing to control the possibilities of power. Skillfully intertwining fact and fiction, Lawrence generates an electric history of ideas, kindled by the flames of capital and passion. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Bookmarks Magazine

Starling Lawrence, editor in chief of W. W. Norton, has written a sprawling, old-fashioned novel with lessons for us all about the "miracles" of technology, personal progress, competition, and happiness. It is also about love, an inventor's mind, the battle between small businesses and corporations, and the electrification of America. Gorgeous language, rich period details, and an elegant plot impressed critics; clearly, Lawrence did his research, even if he offers up some dense passages. Photographs and the inclusion of historic figures round out the compelling story. In sum, The Lightning Keeper "draws us in and allows us to live briefly, magically, marvelously in the world as it once was" (Chicago Tribune).<BR>Copyright © 2004 Phillips & Nelson Media, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: HarperAudio; Abridged edition (March 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060872551
• ISBN-13: 978-0060872557
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,830,050 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A nice mix of love story and history, March 29, 2006

By 

Andrew W. Johns "ResQgeek" (Alexandria, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Lightning Keeper: A Novel (Hardcover)

Set against the backdrop of the First World War, this is a wonderful story about the struggle for technological progress and of ill-fated love. Our lovers are frustrated by their perceptions of their roles in society, and struggle to resolve their feelings for each other without betraying their responsibilities. Alongside this bittersweet story, we are also treated to the struggle to create the modern electric power grid. The technical details are clearly described, and the author does a good job of describing the obstacles and the visions of the engineers that brought electricity to America. He also does a good job in showing the role of patents in this process. This is a wonderful book that paints a vivid portrait of the early part of the previous century and the people who lived then.

(This review is based on a pre-publication Advanced Reading Edition.)

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars LENNY, April 14, 2010

By 

LENNY "LENNY" (CONNECTICUT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lightning Keeper: A Novel (P.S.) (Paperback)

WELL--I THOUGHT THAT THIS BOOK WAS DECENT. IT TOOK ME FOREVER TO GET THRU IT, THOUGH.
I TRIED TO FIGURE OUT---WHY??? THE ONLY THING THAT I COULD COME UP WITH IS--THAT I WAS
UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE AUTHOR'S WRITING STYLE / PACE --WHATEVER. I DID NOT FIND THE
STORY BORING--QUITE INTERESTING, IN FACT. I ALSO READ AN ADVANCED EDITION.