Louisa Barrett, the headmistress of a prestigious girls school in Buffalo in 1901 is a forward-looking, independent young woman. But the secret of her illegitimate daughter - which connects her to the highest echelons of US government - continually underlines the fragility of her respected position within the city s patriarchal society, and overshadows her budding relationship with two suitors. Both are involved in the clash between capitalists and conservationists over use of the Niagara Falls to generate electricity, which turns ugly when two key figures in the hydroelectric business drown in separate incidents. Inexorably, Louisa is drawn into the deadly brew, which comes to a head in startling, dramatic and moving climax. With fascinating period detail and an unerring, richly complex recreation of an entire society, City of Light is a superb, scintillating debut.