Though I attended a school with a buffalo as its mascot, I never tried to learn much about them till recently. Purchasing this book was part of my effort to learn more, and the book was useful for that. The book is very readable, and a very interesting overview of the buffalo. Unfortunately, it dates from the 1970s, and knowledge has moved on since then. The most obvious example of this is coverage of "Blue Babe"--A frozen buffalo from several thousand years ago which was discovered after this book was published. I'm sure there are other places where our understanding of buffalo and their place in the scheme of the prairie has changed, but I'm not expert enough to identify them. I really like the book, but would like to see it updated to reflect new findings.

This full-scale study of the buffalo splendidly memorializes the magnificent beast that once roamed from Alaska to the Carolinas. Illustrated with maps, drawings, paintings and photographs, this informative account begins with the genesis of the buffalo in the Ice Age and traces his evolution, natural history, patterns of behavior, and relationships with three cultures.

You may consider this review biased since I am the brother of the author (who is now deceased). However, I found the book great fun to read and the technical aspects of the material are beyond reproach. In 1984, Tom McHugh wrote:

"Some reviewers have called my book, The Time of the Buffalo, the definitive work on the subject. The book actually had its beginnings in my doctoral thesis, a study of social behavior in buffalo. For the book, I expanded my thesis to include the effect of the buffalo on the life of ancient hunters, the Plains Indians, the American frontier. Photographs of buffalo behavior that I originally made for the thesis eventually led to my being chosen as director of photography for Walt Disney's Academy Award-winning feature, 'The Vanishing Prairie.'"

Thomas Perry is a terrific writer, and I greatly enjoyed the first two entries in his Jane Whitefield series, but SHADOW WOMAN was a disappointment to me. The book suffers from long stretches of tedium and some serious lapses in plausibility. The two villains, supposedly ultracompetent supercriminals, seem amateurishly inept at times, and the good guys' narrow escapes often owe more to luck than skill. An awful lot of time is spent on Jane's marital problems, which might have been more interesting if we could figure out why she married this guy in the first place. Readers unfamiliar with the Jane Whitefield series would be better off reading VANISHING ACT and DANCE FOR THE DEAD, both of which are solid, five-star thrillers that show Perry at the top of his game.

Jane Whitefield is a refreshing new face in the world of mystery. She calls herself a guide, and Thomas Perry 'guides' us deeper into her character with every book. A must read!

In the first few pages, Jane disables a very large bad guy in an elevator. He grabs her ankle as she exits (He's 'lying down.'). She says to him, "Think about it. Do you really want me alone with you in that elevator?" He lets go.

I'm in love.

Nobody outsmarts, outfights, or outlasts bad guys like Seneca adventurer Jane Whitefield. The first three books in Perry's wonderful series--Vanishing Act, Dance for the Dead, and this one--are the only books that can stand comparison to Tony Hillerman's "Navajo mysteries." And in some ways, Perry is the better writer. Don't miss these books.

Montana. Rancher with alcoholic wife. Environmentalists. Wolves.
Billionaire with a dream to turn replace failing ranches
with a vast buffalo-covered prairie.

All the ingredients for a great and stirring novel, right? Maybe
so, but Richard Wheeler's _The Buffalo Commons_ isn't it.

I really *wanted* to like it, honest. Unfortunately, there's
something to dislike on almost every page.

The title is stolen from a real-life proposal by Professors Frank and
Deborah Popper. But if you hoped to learn something about that proposal,
you won't find much here: the Poppers aren't even mentioned once.

Instead you find insipid characters that are given to saying things
like "Alcoholism is a demon each person fights alone, even when there
are friends and counselors around" and "It's an instinct I have that
leaps beyond my very limited powers of thought."

The portrayal of native Americans borders on racism, with the main
Indian character described as having "some primordial way of
recognizing other peoples".

But the worst aspect of the book is its nasty slant on the Buffalo
Commons controversy. It's so one-sided it could have come directly out
of a Rush Limbaugh radio program. In Wheeler's portrayal, the
ranchers are all noble and long-suffering, while the environmentalists
are all evil, soulless hypocrites --- even more so if they happen to
work for the government. We learn that the Environmental Protection
Agency has a "penchant for abusing citizens" (p. 193) and "the
protection of civil rights of citizens" is of little concern to Greens
(p. 302). Wheeler's kindly old Professor Kazin says things like "The
very concept of wilderness touted by the Sierra Club and the Greens is
essentially racist" (p. 29) and "The government's bought most of the
university environmental sciences departments in the country".
Vegetarians by their very nature are suspect; one character is only
redeemed when he "[takes] beef into his mouth"!

The author hasn't done his homework very carefully, either. He
mistakenly calls the Wood Bison or wood buffalo (Bison bison
athabascae) the "woods buffalo", and he gets the name of Canada's Wood
Buffalo National Park wrong. The decline in the Wood Bison population
in the park isn't, as claimed by one character in the book, "all
because of wolf depredation". As Mark Bradley, the conservation
biologist for the Park told me, the decline isn't fully understood,
but is certainly due to many factors, including the cessation of winter
feeding.

The lowest point in the book was when one of the characters buys "a
Skye's West novel, and thus spent the day amiably." Guess who the
author of the "Skye's West" series is? That's right, Richard Wheeler.
This self-congratulatory ploy is par for the course.

If you're interested in the Buffalo Commons proposal, avoid this
cynical propaganda exercise, and pick up a copy of Anne Matthews'
splendid nonfiction book, _Where the Buffalo Roam_, instead.

What can I add to the praise from readers and professional reviewers? Mostly that I was surprised that this story could be so gripping when there is almost no violence, no profanity or uncouthness, just lots of drama. These are real people, undergoing changes that could be happening today. The last time I encountered a book that read like non-fiction but had the kick of a good story was "House" by Tracy Kidder. Most slick novels will roll out of your consciousness like yesterday's newspaper, but the effects of this one will stay with me for a long time to come.

Oh yes, if you've ever been to Montana, this book will greet you like an old friend. If you've never been there, you'll find out why you should go--now.

As a homesick former Montanan, I loved this book. Wheeler does such a great job of an even-handed presentation of the pros and cons of ranchers versus restorers. I sort of resented the "feds' being cast as the villains, since I know many of them and they are sincere, caring people who want the best for the land and its inhabitants, but I am also aware that the individuals who work for the agencies are often the victims themselves of political agendas. Kind of an old-fashioned novel--heros were flawed, but good-villains were BAD--made it fun to read.Wheeler obviously had done his homework--lots of fascinating information presented in a readable, entertaining manner. Well worth the read,

Strangely enough, after finishing this book, I realized that what kept me reading was more my interest in the outcome of Alfred's life (the foster child) and his relationship with Paul & Emily Hebert (his neighbors), than in the main characters themselves, Laura & Terry Sheldon.
I found them to be very superficial and cold. The author seems to only scratch the surface, of these foster parents, emotions and feelings. Something is missing, Laura is bland & colourless and her husband Terry is self centered & arrogant. I could not feel, (even in the end, them seemed fake) compassion and/or empathy towards this duo, no matter how hard I tried.
All the depth and emotion of this story revolves around the genuine loving attachment that slowly progresses between the Heberts & Alfred and also their mutual affection for each other & a horse named Mesa.
I enjoyed that each chapter began with a little more insight into the history of the United States Calvary. I applaud Chris Bohjalian for introducing the reader to the story of the Buffalo soldiers in such an innovative style.( It merited the third *)
After reading ''Midwives'' by the same author, which surpasses by far ''The Buffalo Soldier'', I must admit being somewhat deceived.

Chris Bohjalian has captured the essence of his characters, once again. In THE BUFFALO SOLDIER, a story about grief, marital strife, friendship and neighbors, and the sad past of a little boy trying to survive in the foster care system, Bohjalian manages to pull the reader into the stream of the story easily.

The death of their twin girls has naturally changed Laura and Terry and even two years later we watch as they both continue to deal with their grief, albeit in very different ways. Terry, the cop, and Laura, the animal shelter supervisor, are going to react differently to this tragedy and it's interesting how their job choices reflect their reactions. Bohjalian does this in a very realistic way. Terry wants to be able to control his life, take charge, make things right. This is a very accurate portrayal for a dedicated law enforcement officer. Laura brings another child in their life, Alfred, an African American boy. Not only is this a challenge because his years in foster care have left him distrustful of most everyone, but they are living in Vermont where there are very few other African Americans.

Just as it is Laura's nature to want to help others, protect and love those who don't have someone to care for them, it is Terry's nature to want life to feel more normal, even though he knows it never can.

I was a little disturbed with the ending. It ends well but there were a few questions left unanswered for me. Perhaps Bohjalian is thinking of a sequel in the years to come. Or maybe we can fill in the blanks ourselves.

At any rate, this is another good story by Chris Bohjalian as he continues to make interesting stories from unusual circumstances come alive.

Chris Bohjalian proved in his wonderful novel, "Midwives," that he has a deep understanding of the courage that ordinary people need to survive in a complex and often tragic world. He also showed an uncanny ability to write from both a male and a female perspective. In his latest novel, "The Buffalo Soldier," Bohjalian once again beautifully explores how human relationships are tested by the pressures of life.

The setting is rural Vermont. Bohjalian focuses on a troubled couple, Laura and Terry Sheldon, whose nine-year-old twin daughters die tragically in a flash flood. The Sheldons are grief-stricken and their sorrow spills over into their marriage, threatening to tear it apart. Laura and Terry decide to take in a ten-year-old foster child named Alfred, who is African-American. Alfred is a gentle boy, but he is hesitant to bond with anyone, since he has been moved around regularly from one home to another over the years.

Bohjalian brilliantly describes the ever-changing dynamics in Laura's and Terry's relationship. The introduction of a child into their empty household may be an opportunity for the couple to heal, but Laura seems to relate to the boy while Terry holds back. Fortunately, Alfred is befriended by a wonderful and warm neighbor, Paul Hebert. Paul introduces Alfred to the history of the famed Buffalo soldiers, an African-American regiment that fought in the late 1800's. He also teaches Alfred how to care for and ride a horse. It is heart-warming to watch this reserved child blossom as he begins to form new friendships and as he learns more about himself and his heritage.

Bohjalian switches perspective from one chapter to the next, and he allows us to attain an intimate knowledge of what each character thinks and feels. By the end of the novel, I was deeply invested in the outcome. Occasionally, the dialogue is a bit stilted and there are a few scenes that border on the melodramatic. Overall, however, "The Buffalo Soldier" is a touching reminder that although human beings are fragile, they are also resilient. Loving someone deeply makes us vulnerable to loss, but if we are to achieve a meaningful life, it is a risk worth taking.

The book is narrated by Sura, a 13 year old boys who is in hamstock, a juvenile detetion center. The book had some great lessons about life such as that friendship will never die and you should never give it up. It has alot of painful things such as when Sura found the squirrel tail buried in the ground, because it belonged to Coly Jo's, his friend. It also had some action such as when Sura was shadowing the guard and he almost got caught by the gaurd. The story was kind of hard to understand because of all of the slang invovled. It had alot of funny parts in the story too, such as when Sura was talking about Nurse Rushing and how Sura was making fun of Boo, Hodge, and Dean Petty. This book had alot of profanity and some were funny and others weren't. This book had alot of depressing moments too, like when Coly Jo was put in the stink hole. Coly Jo was a great friend to Sura. I really enjoyed this story and I would recommend this book to any teenager to read.

The Buffalo Tree is about kids who were sent to juvenile hall (Hamstock). There was a kid Sura who was 13 years old and Coly Jo who was 12 years old. This book taught me a lot about juvenile detention centers. There you are treated with no respect. There are no doors on the rooms that they sleep in. There are many slang words you need to learn. The problem in this book is trying to stay alive which is hard because no one cares for you. There were a lot of instances of intimidation especially to inmates. Coly Jo was sent to the stink hole. It is where you go for doing something very bad while you are there. It is a small dark room,there is one bed and a bucket for a toilet. Coly Jowas Sura's roommate. Sura was planing to run away with Coly Jo until something interfered. This was a very powerful book about kids getting in trouble.

When twelve-year-old Sura got caught clipping hoodies, they slapped with a six-month sentence in Hamstock, a juvenile detention center. Most juvenile detention centers keep you until you've reformed. At Hamstock, they keep you until they feel like letting you go.

This book, written in the language of the street, details Sura serving time at the center with his patch mate and best friend Coly Jo, who got sent up for breaking into people's homes to watch them sleep. As Sura somehow breaks through the mire and rises to the top, Coly Jo is beaten down both physically and emotionally. At the end Sura is set free, and has learned to appreciate life at home with his mother, though I doubt he'll be there for long.

An excellent novel, once you learn to decipher the street slang. Not that the slang is bad; it adds to the credibility of the story and I learned lots of new words.

"Caught between two worlds__________ (fill in the blank; (in this case it's 'Charging Elk')) tries to survive in a foreign environment." How many times have we seen that plot line?

In this case it's Oglala Charging Elk, who travels to Europe with the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show. He gets left behind in Marseille; knowing neither French language nor culture; this is the story of how he survives. ...doesn't sound like much of a story? Well it is! Stories don't survive without story tellers and in this case, it is the masterful telling of "The Heartsong of Charging Elk" by James Welch.

I found the story itself interesting. It was the various perspectives Welch shares with us that made this book far above average for me. As a young man, Charging Elk leaves behind in the Dakotas, a world that is changing. He joins the Wild West show, a world of stereotypes and fantasy. Another, completely foreign world of turn-of-the-century France becomes the world he ultimately has to deal with, with little human help. To make matters more complex his own worlds of his memories and his dreams fight to help or hinder his adjustment to a foreign (and decidedly hostile) environment.

Through a great use of narrative and description Welch unfolds the story from vastly different perspectives. I really enjoyed 'hearing' Charging Elk describe the surroundings from his perspective, for me it was logical, even as it was at times, unexpected. Through bureaucrats, officials, and other characters I found distinctions between the Indian and non-Indian perspectives, but also between French and American, as well as between classes.

This telling of the story is not back and white (or red, if you will). It takes the next step to make a number of different perspectives rich and varied rather than right or wrong. It's a difficult task to do that as well as Welch does in this effort.

Charging Elk exists in four worlds; it is the collision and interaction of those worlds that made this such and intreaguing read for me. While I found some unevenness in the plot, it was the sureness and evenhandedness of the portraying of those different perspectives that led me to say this is the first book by James Welch I've read; it will not be the last!

Think of those old photos of Sioux Indians sitting stone-faced in Venetian gondolas or posing with Queen Victoria. What were those men thinking, warriors who until only very few years before had been riding full-tilt across the plains? In "the Heartsong of Charging Elk," James Welch imagines what it must have been like for a Sioux to travel across Europe with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show.

Traveling with the show was pretty fun. Charging Elk and the other young men get to show off their riding skills, chase buffalo again, and shoot up a mock homestead. When they show was over, they went home to the tipis they traveled with - just like they'd done on the plains - joked, gambled, ate, and had a good time. The strange world around them was not much of a marvel or a curiosity, and very few whites made an impression (Queen Victoria was the exception. The Indians all liked her and called her Grandmother England.) Very few spoke any English, let alone French or Italian.

In Marseilles, Charging Elk becomes ill and was taken to the hospital. Wit no idea that arrangements had been made for him to rejoin the show in Rome, he leaves the hospital and disappears into the city.

He might as well be on Mars. He has no idea what people around him are doing. He cannot speak to anyone. The French are as bewildered by him as he is by them. But he knows that what he wants is to go home. Throughout the novel, Welch weaves Charging Elk's Sioux dream life through his days in working-class Marseilles. Will he fall in love? Make friends? Make a home in France, or find his way back to Red Cloud Agency?

Welch avoids the obvious ploy of making Charging Elk more noble than the so-called civilized French. He is no paragon, nor are the French universally beastly. How they get along is a paen to the adaptability of the human race.

Actually,the book is so good I'm really giving it 10 stars. By now you get the premise...a stranger in a strange land and strange, strange it is if you're Lakota. Charging Elk can't help but fall into deep and deeper trouble with the scant resources available to him. The French government just won't give up on different ways to make Charging Elk's life hard and harder....shades of Jean Valjean. The book is so well written, time flys as you read. The plot is really well thought out,tight and believeable. I really thought I could feel what Charging Elk felt. About half way through the book I started to think that Welch was really writing a parable about American Indians. Maybe the book is about what Indians in America felt after they had to enter the resevation. Maybe this is how they saw the crazy policies of the BIF for the next 100 years. At the end maybe Welch suggests to Native Americans a possible solution to gain a satisfing life in a new world to them. But then again, maybe not. It's a [great] book however you read it or read into it.

The authors, James A. Belasco and Ralph C. Stayer, introduce their book as the "coming together of theory and practice". Dr. Belasco, a Ph. D. and professor at San Diego State University, describes his passion for teaching and research. Dr. Belasco is also a consultant and speaker in the ten to thirty thousand dollar range. In addition to teaching, Dr. Belasco owns and operates several businesses from software to specialty chemicals. Ralph C. Stayer operates a family owned sausage and food manufacturing / distribution business. Mr. Stayer was featured in a Tom Peters video, which launched his consulting career. Both authors speak of their similar beliefs and experiences in which "we became I"; henceforth the basis in which they wrote this book, and presented the topic in the first person.

Belasco and Stayer begin with discussing the need to change the readers leadership paradigm, "Out with the Old, In with the New". They analogize the old leadership style to a herd of Buffalo, with the leader as the head Buffalo and the followers as the herd. The comparison to the Buffalo herd is that they will not act independently without the guidance of the leading Buffalo, therefor the followers will stand idle and be slaughtered if the chief buffalo is killed first. The new and recommended leadership paradigm is analogized to a flock of geese, which has many leaders flying together in a "V" formation, all knowing where each other is going and endorsing the flock. The authors press onward with the "systematic method I developed for transforming buffalo into geese", the Leading the Journey (LTJ) leadership system. The system is based on the following principles:

Transfer ownership

Create the environment for ownership where each person wants to be responsible

Coach the development of personal capabilities

Learn faster and encourage others to do the same

The route the authors first take is a self-analysis of the culture derived from the leader actions, interactions and personal leadership s! tyle. "What am I doing or not doing, as a leader, that prevents them from assuming responsibility and performing at the new level?" Dr. Belasco and Mr. Stayer believe that all people will rise to the challenge, when it is their challenge. In transferring ownership, the authors present that "I am the Problem" in accepting the followers' responsibilities, similar to the Harvard Business Review article "Who's got the Monkey".

Intellectual capitalism is the term they define as the new order of business. The authors rarely use the term culture, yet they clearly describe that leaders must paint a clear picture of great performance for the organization and each individual. Leaders, through discussion, must focus individuals on the few factors that create great performance. In this environment, leaders must align organizational systems and structures to send a clear message as to what is necessary for this great performance to occur. Tapping into followers "Intellectual Capitalism" is great performance for the leader.

"Coaches help people see beyond where they are now." As a coach you help people raise their expectations, to constantly raise the bar towards great performance.

The authors address learning only as a display of experiences, and are negligent on providing any concrete methods such as continuing education or trade group forums.

This leads me to where I believe this book lets you down. While Dr. Belasco talked about his passion for research, however the book provides no theory based, research backed model of leadership. Most of the presentations are reflections of personal experiences by the authors as they relate to their own businesses or consulting jobs they have rendered. The substance of the book tangents off to some very good sales techniques, but does not contribute to supporting their "Lead the Journey" model. At one point in the book, they list seven pages of job classification for Johnsonville's sausage factory, while trying to parallel how the proper compensation syste! m sets the tone for goal orientation and alignment to great performance.

On the positive note, Flight of the Buffalo does attain some very insightful issues that relate to organizational culture. The authors discuss that "Actions must reflect the vision. I learned that the leader must live the vision, or no one else will." "Everything must contribute to creating the picture." "People wanted to see if I really did walk my customer-orientated talk."

To summarize the authors intended direction in the statement: "More than a thousand people work in my company, none of whom I control, but all of whom I have influence on through my leadership as set by the cultural orientation which I set as the Lead goose."

Too many personal reflections, lack of focus towards the topic, and no supportive documentation, dilute a good book with a good topic: Organizational culture.

Reading Jim Belasco is an exciting voyage to the very core of business. His common-sense leadership lessons have changed the way I lead. He presents an entirely new way to look at people, and teaches you through his inspiring pages how to transform your company into a more dynamic, accountable, enjoyable and profitable, 'live' organization. I have had the rare opportunity of attending a live Jim Belasco seminar, and can say he is not only an outstanding business author, but maybe the most powerful leadership speaker in America. Go ahead and order this great book (an all Jim Belasco's titles). It's a great reading and a terrific, smart use of your time.

The authors really "feel the pain" of the small business owner whose employees just don't seem to accept ownership and concern of the major issues in their areas. Excellent examples are provided of real life business circumstances that most any owner/manager can relate to. The ideas and theory provided is down-to-earth and can apply to most any company. It is also a very motivating book for getting re-focused on your employees, their needs, and motivations.

Others have reviewed the comedic style of the author and compared it to Catch-22, et alia. That's fine: It's an okay style, sometimes amusing, sometimes distracting.

But the book couldn't decide what it wanted to be. O'Connor seems to have waffled on whether he was writing a realistic book about the military's dark underbelly, or writing a Douglas Adams-esque preposterous farce. Ultimately, it's a book written set in amongst the military by someone with zero apparent military experience, who skimped on research.

Still, even if those who know the military will be distracted by the implausibility of important plot elements...if you ACCEPT the fantasy in the same way that one might accept the premise of a swords-and-sorcery novel, THEN it becomes a funny read. It's all a matter of suspension of disbelief.

Robert O'Connor was my English professor at the State University of New York at Oswego. I was his student when Buffalo Soldiers was released. I picked up a copy and I could not put it down. It was amazing to read this book when you know the man. As a teacher, he is straight as an arrow and proper, but this book is raw and exciting. He challenged us to think and create chaos and rhetoric in our writing. He wet my appetite to write as a teacher and even more so after reading his book. I still have the autographed copy on the bookshelf in my apartment in New York City. Do yourself a favor and read it, you won't be disappointed.

I have read this book five or so times over the last ten years. It is brilliant. Each time I read it, I appreciate Professor O'Connor's observations about the world and the wildly original way the story is told (military speak is used to describe all aspects of life.) The events are atypical enough to thoroughly entertain. However, the issues Elwood grapples with--institutional betrayal, a dog-eat-dog world, meanness, loneliness, etc--are issues that all readers should be able to identify with.

Hopefully, the many excellent reviews combined with the book being made into a film will encourage Professor O'Connor to write additional novels. I have been anxiously waiting for a second novel but none has been forthcoming. In conclusion, this is the finest book I have ever read.

One of my favorites of the series -- I must say the plot twisted and turned and I admit, took me at every step! Gorgeously constructed, as all his Jane series are...I am an avid mystery thriller reader and have read hundreds of authors...Thomas Perry and this series stands out as the best I've read. You have to read this book, you'll find it fascinating, I guarantee it.

The first Jane Whitefield novel, *Vanishing Act*, offers a unique protagonist, a brilliant premise, non-stop action, and a conclusion that will have you treading softly the next time you go looking for Bambi. Perry is a superb craftsman, whose novels are always literate, challenging, and thoughtful. He seems to have lost interest in Jane after six novels, three of which attempt to retire her. Too bad. Even though he is right, that sustaining a character through decades is hard work and perhaps not even very interesting, she is missed.

Read *Vanishing Act*, *Shadow Woman*, and *Dance for the Dead*. These are the must-haves of the series. Perry manages to create a believable Seneca world while maintaining a respectful distance, and his intricate plotting sustains each book. Read for the plot, read for the Indians: either way, you'll be happy.

A great book! A good, old-fashioned, page-turner with a twist: Jane Whitefield. Whitefield is a woman who helps people in trouble disappear to better and safer lives. She maneuvers through a world of crime and deception with stealth, cunning, and strength. Whitefield is also half Seneca and her Native American upbringing plays an intricate role in her life and is crucial to her survival. Perry has done a fantastic job. I hope there's more Jane Whitefield to come!

I found this book a very frustrating and ultimately disappointing read. Within the first few chapters there is a death that is suspected of being a murder. A reasonable person might think the solving of the mystery surrounding this character's demise might be a central plot element. Wrong. The novel also covers social mores and class structure - i.e. one's "place" in Victorian society as determined by sex, race and relative wealth, conditions for blacks and especially black women in turn of the century America, development of electric power and the ramifications of its development for society and industry, the Buffalo Pan-American exhibition, the assassination of President McKinley. You name it, it's in there. A smorgasbord that somehow misses being a feast. Potential plot elements are picked up and just as quickly dropped like so many hot potatos. Characters do illogical and improbable things - our heroine, the self-possessed headmistress of a girl's school, bearing Grover Cleveland's love child? Since we meet her as a savvy and mature woman it's hard to conceive of her as that young and dumb. Characters romantically involved one minute who hadn't previously so much as held hands then acting like virtual strangers upon the rising of the sun. I found myself soldiering on to the bitter end just to see how Ms. Belfer was going to wrap it all up. When I read the last word I pitched the book across the room glad to be able to get on with my life. Advice to Ms. Belfer: Try again but next time don't be so ambitious. Advice to potential readers: If you really want to read this get it at the library.

The star of Lauren Belfer's debut novel, "City of Light," is Buffalo, New York. When you think of exciting cities, perhaps Buffalo doesn't spring to mind immediately. However, Belfer's "City of Light" was an entirely different place in the early part of the twentieth century than it is today. At that time, Buffalo was a hub of industry, a major port city, and a place of social ferment. The very rich threw lavish parties and politicians who aspired to high office were careful to cultivate Buffalo's elite and influential citizens.

Although the novel is full of carefully researched historical tidbits, there is also a fictional story in "City of Light." Louisa Barrett is an unmarried woman in her thirties. She is the headmistress of the Macaulay School where proper young ladies receive an enlightened education. Louisa is a strong-willed individual with a shadowy past that she keeps carefully hidden. She is also a devoted godmother to Grace Sinclair, who is one of her students in the Macaulay school.

Grace's late mother, Margaret, was Louisa's closest friend. Grace's father, Tom, is a controversial figure who uses Niagara Falls to generate electricity, and there are those who resent Sinclair's exploitation of nature to make huge profits for both himself and the titans of industry. Is Tom Sinclair a megalomaniac or a visionary? Is hydroelectric power the wave of the future or a selfish use of nature for man's enrichment? These are some of the issues that Belfer raises.

Belfer weaves many other historical strands into this 500 plus page novel. She discusses the plight of African-Americans and women at the turn of the century. She shows how industrialization was a two-edged sword. The Robber Barons got rich, but the poor lived in squalor and they were sometimes maimed or lost their lives working in unsafe factories and industrial plants.

For a first novel, "City of Light" is an astonishing accomplishment. Belfer creates a vivid and colorful world that engulfs the reader in a kaleidoscope of images. Louisa Barrett is a strong central character. She is smart, beautiful and vulnerable. Louisa has a strong sense of self-worth as well as an instinct for survival in an often cutthroat world. There are many other fascinating characters that Belfer beautifully depicts in "City of Light." Maria Love is a self-important society matron whose charitable deeds always come with strings attached. Grover Cleveland uses his ties to Buffalo as a stepping stone to the Presidency of the United States. However, Cleveland's womanizing comes back to haunt him more than once.

As fascinating as "City of Light" is, it has some minor flaws. The narrative occasionally gets bogged down in melodrama, and it is a little too long. However, Belfer's "City of Light" is, in many ways, a marvelous achievement. The author has created a self-contained world that comes to brilliant life and her elegant prose is a joy to read. Belfer is definitely a writer to watch and I await her next novel with great anticipation.

I read this book in two days and wasn't disappointed with a single word. Louisa Barrett is the headmistress of a private school for girls in 1901 Buffalo, NY. She runs with an elite crowd of millionaires who have socially accepted her despite her rather humble origins. Louisa becomes involved in intrigue surrounding the death of a man involved in the construction of a controversial electrical power plant which would be powered by the waters of the beautiful Niagra Falls. Her involvement endangers everything she has worked carefully to achieve in both social and professional realms. Another thread in the plot is Louisa's concern for Grace, the daughter of Louisa's deceased best friend -- concern for Grace's safety and concern that Grace's true identity will be exposed. The early push for Civil Rights, labor unions and social reform is addressed, as is political corruption on the federal level.

Many suspense novels today are mind candy. City of Light offers much more. Belfer provides detailed historical information regarding the early development and practicality of electricity and the environmental issues surrounding use of natural resources -- an issue of tremendous relevance still today. Louisa is an intelligent woman in a time when women were more valued for their weaknesses than their strengths.

Belfer's prose is very comfortable and readable. This book will keep you guessing and thinking.