THOMAS EDISON AND THE PURGATORY EQUATION

One of America’s greatest tinkerers learns that not all inventions are good ideas.

If an author is going to write a speculative novel, why not start with a folk hero like Thomas Alva Edison, who contributed so much to modern life? Church’s tale begins in 1887, when Edison is inspired to create an unusual invention after attending—with Mark Twain—a séance by the psychic Madame Blavatsky. The story then jumps ahead to 1918 during World War I. Edison has asked his assistant, John Dawkins, to direct a movie in New Jersey featuring Ziegfeld star Emily Auburn and music by her young accompanist, George Gershwin. The production is attacked by Germans on a military mission. Edison tells John that the Germans are “spies” who want “to sabotage my greatest invention.” The Germans later destroy Edison’s resurrector, a device that communicates with the dead. Seeking to escape the Germans, Edison and his party flee to his secret lab in a Seminole village in Florida, where he keeps a second copy of the resurrector. They are captured by a U-boat while attempting to outrun the Germans on Edison’s electric launch. They are taken to Germany, where they discover that a spy inside Edison’s company has built a deficient version of the resurrector, which the inventor is now expected to fix. The group must find a way to escape and warn some newly arrived American troops of a planned German ambush. Like Emily, Church delightfully sings in this rip-roaring novel. He artfully weaves together real-life characters like Edison and Gershwin with fictional ones, including John and Emily, to create a gripping adventure. The author utilizes Edison’s longtime passion for creating a machine that talks with the dead, placing it at the heart of this story. Lending an authenticity to the backdrop of the caper are Edison’s inventions, both successes and failures. With the exception of the wily inventor, the main characters undergo transformations during the turmoil. Church has even introduced a romance between John and Emily, which becomes the primary motivation for both players. The German officers are predictably venal but distinctive. Following a tragic twist, the book’s conclusion still points toward a hopeful future.

This rollicking romp seamlessly blends characters, history, and adventure into an enjoyable read.