Cost of Electricity, a Novel

Content levels

Trigger warnings

Positive tags

Tropes

Themes

Synopsis

At the University of Oregon in 1902, rebellious Lulu, the daughter of pioneers, befriends Al, the son of a state Supreme Court judge. Their mutual friend Roy, a talented writer and speaker with a troubled past, works with Lulu on the literary magazine. Lulu and Roy share a powerful attraction, but she seduces sensible Al. After graduation, the newly formed Portland Electric Company recruits Al, and he and Lulu move to Portland where Lulu talks her way into a job editing a monthly magazine run by a shady entrepreneur. Overwhelmed by a pressing deadline and the publisher’s unrealistic expectations, Lulu reaches out to Roy. With his help, the first edition of the magazine is published to great acclaim. Late one night at the office, Roy declares his love. When Roy sells a movie script based on Calamity Jane, Lulu enrolls in library school and joins the women’s campaign for the vote. But their tempestuous relationship is tested by her new-found independence. In the end, she faces a painful choice.