Shooting the Sun

Shooting the Sun' is a historical fiction novel that takes place during the nineteenth-century. The main thrust of the plot is that a group of people are traveling in the continental U.S. on a scientific expedition to try to photograph an upcoming solar eclipse out in the unmapped West. The date of the eclipse was calculated by a machine invented by Charles Babbage in London, and the expedition, if successful, would also prove that Babbage's machine worked. Because Babbage's inventing work also takes large sums of money that he does not have, part of the book also deals with the search for proof of his eccentric uncle's death, which would give Babbage access to his uncle's vast fortune through inheritance. The main character on the expedition who the reader follows the most is Selena Cott, a fictional American scientist who has lived in France all her life.

Byrd has created interesting characters who seem unique and individual. Some of his expressions of imagery are quite wonderful and a joy to read, one instance being when he describes tobacco plants as seeming to 'flap and pant like big green tongues in the heat.' His book is divided into chapters that are not very long, aiding in the page-turning element of the novel. Though much of the book has the characters traveling from place to place, and making stops along the way, the character interaction and high probability of something going wrong on their journey moves the plot along and heightens the reader's interest. A nice twist also occurs less than ten chapters into the book that causes suspicion of some of the characters' motives. With all of this, there is also the question of whether Babbage's machine has even accurately predicted the occurring of a solar eclipse or not. All these questions get answered and help make 'Shooting the Sun' a good read.