The Persistence of Vision

A riveting story of love, betrayal, and redemption, with a twist you won't see coming.
Months before the horrific fire that destroyed the Walt Theater on opening night in the summer of 1908, the chain reaction that led to the disaster was already in motion.
Henry Bartolet, the construction manager on the project, is desperate to save his crumbling marriage. Thinking his wife's discontent stems from his struggles to provide for their family, he will stop at nothing to ensure the project is a success - or risk losing his job and his family if he fails.
His wife, Annie, is caught in the grip of postpartum melancholia, and unable to communicate her struggles without feeling she has failed as a woman. She buries her pain in denial and laudanum and believes Henry is the one pushing her away.
When Henry's cousin Daniel comes to stay with them for the summer, tensions reach a boiling point. A dark-haired playboy with a distaste for work, he soon develops an intimate kinship with lonely Annie - but the secrets from his past threaten to unveil the dark truth Henry has been hiding, and tear their marriage apart.
Inspired by the tragic events of the Boyertown Opera House Fire and the Chicago Iroquois Theater Fire, The Persistence of Vision examines how even the most inconsequential moments can have far-reaching ramifications, and what the hope of redemption can drive a man to do.
Praise for The Persistence of Vision
"Oh, boy. This book is quite the ride. The Persistence of Vision evokes a wide range of emotions and incorporates multiple worldviews into a coherent yet surprising narrative. I finished this book close to two weeks ago, and I had to let it sit in the back of my mind for a while in order to process it..." -- Reviews from the Stacks
"Lisa Gery has written a very engaging, historically accurate novel set in the early 20th century. The people are human and easy to relate to. This is no fairy tale or romance novel... There are no cliches here, and the ending will surprise you with, indeed, a novel twist." -- Charles Byler, author of Tempered Steel: The Three Wars of Triple Air Force Cross Winner Jim Kasler
"This is one of the best books I've read in years. I am not at all likely to pick up historical fiction, but when two book club members told me they were really enjoying it, I decided to try it. I am so glad I did! I really connected with the characters and appreciated both their complexity and simplicity. The author's storytelling style is very unique and appealing, and I was intrigued from beginning to end. I grabbed every moment I could in a busy week to read this and every minute was worth it." -- CSM, Amazon reviewer