The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter

By Hazel Gaynor

Book Overview

From The New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Came Home comes a historical novel inspired by true events, and the extraordinary female lighthouse keepers of the past two hundred years. " They call me a heroine, but I am not deserving of such accolades. I am just an ordinary young woman who did her duty." 1838: Northumberland, England. Longstone Lighthouse on the Farne Islands has been Grace Darling's home for all of her twenty-two years. When she and her father rescue shipwreck survivors in a furious storm, Grace becomes celebrated throughout England, the subject of poems, ballads, and plays. But far more precious than her unsought fame is the friendship that develops between Grace and a visiting artist. Just as George Emmerson captures Grace with his brushes, she in turn captures his heart. 1938: Newport, Rhode Island. Nineteen-years-old and pregnant, Matilda Emmerson has been sent away from Ireland in disgrace. She is to stay with Harriet, a reclusive relative and assistant lighthouse keeper, until her baby is born. A discarded, half-finished portrait opens a window into Matilda's family history. As a deadly hurricane approaches, two women, living a century apart, will be linked forever by their instinctive acts of courage and love.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0062698621
• ISBN13: 9780062698629
• Release Date: October 2018
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 0.71 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.4" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

Love it!

Another wonderful story by Hazel Gaynor! Just imagining living and working at a lighthouse in those times!

If you yearn for a storm

This is a powerful dual narrative of female empowerment. Stories with multiple narrators such as this are incredibly engaging because the central themes are explored through different voices across time and space. Instead of getting one voice, you get four main voices in this novel: Matilda and Harriett, and Grace and Sarah. With a hundred years and an ocean separating the two pairs, the theme of courage is consistently expressed and is always grounded alongside a lighthouse setting, a setting which is both a beacon and a prison, a source of isolation and storms, and a source of family and connection. A romantic plot between Grace and George gives the novel much of its pull and is executed, no pun intended, gracefully. George is given a voice at points in the novel, but it is quite small as it seems Gaynor’s intentions were to have primarily female voices in the novel. That said, it seems curious that the female voice of George’s cousin and fiancé is completely ignored. She is sidelined because of his true affection for Grace, and while that plot is captivating, it’s interesting that the fiancé’s voice is relegated to the background while the other female voices are propped up. I found both the 1838 section with Grace and the 1938 section with Matilda to be very compelling. Matilda’s pregnancy and disconnect from her parents would probably be relatable to many teenagers in similar situations. The storm depictions, while violent like nature can be, are also quite beautiful.

This book is one you will never forget. It was well written and kepted my attention starting with th

The characters where all so lovable. It's a beautiful story about love and doing what's right. Following your heart without having to please others.