The summer of 1914 is drawing to a close, and Ronald Ewart and his friends are on their annual river holiday, unaware that the world is about to change forever. When war with Germany becomes inevitable, the carefree atmosphere fractures under the weight of duty and looming conflict. But for Ewart, the greatest trial is yet to come: after witnessing a mysterious flash of green light while fishing, his beloved Myra suddenly loses her sight. As her general father refuses to sanction their union and the nation mobilizes for war, Ewart must fight not only for his country but for the woman he loves, now blind and increasingly distant. Le Queux weaves a poignant tale of young love against the dying light of Edwardian England, where a baffling medical mystery becomes entangled with the broader tragedy of a world stepping into the abyss.
