Blazing Flambeaux: Love, Money and Intrigue During the Natural Gas Boom in Indiana

Vain and petty big city girl Alexandra Palmer is not thrilled with her family’s move to Greenville, Indiana, no matter how exciting the small town’s gas boom is to her industry-minded father. Once there, she finds that things are not as boring as she’d imagined, especially after she meets handsome Jim Whittaker at an otherwise dull Sunday afternoon tea.

The town’s gossips are kept busy talking about the antics of the Palmer and Whittaker families — from Alexandra and Jim’s budding romance to Ned’s frequent saloon visits and multiple lady friends to speculation that Sarah is destined to become a spinster schoolteacher.

All of this drama is set against the background of a sudden natural gas boom and the unexpected wealth and growing pains that result for the town and its residents.