The lightning field

the long version

Set against the backdrop of Cold War Toronto, The lightning field follows the lives of Peter and Lucy Jacobs from their post-war courtship through marriage and child-rearing in the suburbs. Though spanning four decades, the book pivots on the events of a single day: October 4, 1957. On this day, the Russians launch Sputnik into orbit, the Avro Arrow - the most advanced jet plane of its time, whose wings Peter has engineered - rolls out onto the tarmac to great ceremony, and, in a nearby field, Lucy is struck by lightning on her way to the event. In the aftermath of that day, Peter struggles with his wife's hospitalization and recovery, the care of their children, and, eventually, the loss of his job when the Arrow project is suddenly terminated. The lightning field is about loss and unexpected offerings, personal dismantling and reassembly.