"The spinning jenny, a device that reduced the amount of work required to produce cloth, was patented in 1770 and a new era of industry changed lives everywhere. A world filled with unrest wrestles for control over this new world order: A mother's husband is killed in a work accident; a young woman fights to fund her school for impoverished children; a young man unexpectedly inherits a failing business; one man ruthlessly protects his wealth, all the while war cries are heard from France, as Napoleon sets forth a violent master plan to become emperor of the world. As institutions are challenged and toppled, our characters are left to reckon with a world they must rebuild from the ashes of war"-- Back cover.