I just finished up listening to The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter by Hazel Gaynor. I found this one on Hoopla and will admit that I got this one because of it’s cover (It looked historical) and that I had seen it everywhere…the shelves at Wal-mart and Target both had it.
So what did I think of it?
The book was okay. As I was writing this review I figured out that the same author who wrote this also wrote The Girl Who Came Home. I reviewed that here. Both books had the same premise. The book is told by two characters, one in present day and one in past. Typically I like that style.
Here’s what Amazon had to say:
“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.”
Amazon readers gave the book 4.2 stars. I think I’d have to give it 4 stars. At first I really liked the book, then about 3/4 of the way through I lost my zeal for it. The story rapidly picked up speed. Years flew by in a few sentences….There was no “tie it up and make it a happy ending”. I know all books don’t need a happy ending but they do need to feel “tied up”. If you’re looking for a feel good story, this one isn’t it. I liked the previous book that I read by her much better.
Have you read The Light Between the Oceans? Great book, I am sure you would like it. Jill in Phoenix/Calgary