Lamplighter is a fact-based-fictional novel that chronicles the life of a young French woman engaged in a same-gender romance during the French Revolution, narrated through her diary entries. A Parisian lamplighter, she witnesses the Battle of Bastille and risks her life for a stranger, later finding her life partner at university. They move to Rome to study, narrowly escaping the Mount Vesuvius eruption. Following the clash between French and Italian troops, they observe the Battle of the Nile. Their adventures include sailing in the Mediterranean, encountering a polite Spanish pirate, and facing interrogation by Genoa authorities amidst Napoleon's invasion. To evade the war, they emigrate to Connecticut, teaching at an all-female school to aid women and enslaved individuals. A vacation in Puerto Rico reveals the legacy of the martyr they once aided. In retirement, they enjoy a comfortable life.