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 … 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.
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I was given an ARC of this book for the purpose of offering a cover quote if I enjoyed it, and I certainly did. Hazel Gaynor (I loved her LAST CHRISTMAS IN PARIS, co-written with Heather Webbe) shines a brilliant light here on female courage and endurance in the face of storms both internal and external. Quiet Grace Darling becomes a heroine of the Victorian age when she performs a daring rescue at sea, and finds her fame harder to endure than the solitude of her lighthouse-bound life. A century later, rebellious Matilda must draw on the legacy of the women who keep the light if she is to navigate her own stormy life, even as a deadly hurricane comes to tear her world apart. A splendid read–“The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter” is not to be missed.
Hazel Gaynor’s skillful artistry as a storyteller glitters like the sun…
This beautiful, well written novel has two wonderful main characters that I loved – I laughed with them and cried with them as they faced the storms of life – not only the outer storms but also the inner storms that can cause so much damage.
Grace Darling lives in a lighthouse in England with her family in 1838. She loved the lighthouse and the way it worked and would have loved to be the keeper when her father retired but since she was a woman, that role went to her brother. She helped her Dad rescue some passengers from a ship and became famous throughout the land for being such a brave FEMALE. The other main character is Matalida who has been sent from Ireland to live with a cousin at a lighthouse in Rhode
Island after she becomes pregnant in 1938. As she sorts through an old chest, she learns more about Grace Darling and the connection between them. They are both brave women during different parts of history and the connection between them is strong.
I loved this book. It’s about love through the ages, the strength of women and their friendships and family. It will make you smile and it will make you cry but at the end you will feel that you know both of these incredible women.
Thanks to Edelweiss for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
This is historical fiction at its finest.
Hazel Gaynor never disappoints and this is another extraordinary book from her.
The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter is a historical novel inspired by true events, and the extraordinary female lighthouse keepers of the past two hundred years.
This is a very moving, tale of lighthouse keepers, their families and the challenges one faces as a lighthouse keeper. This is also a story of families and the love they shared and the heartbreaks they endured.
This is historical fiction at it’s best and a very heart-rending, hard to put down novel. Definitely a 5 star read.
Glorious technicolor landscapes and seascapes and brilliant characters underpin this compelling read. I’ve read and enjoyed Hazel Gaynor’s books before, and this one I think is perhaps her most inspiring.
When a story reaches deep into your heart and lingers there, you know you have been changed by the words written on the page. The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter is a beautifully written story that is as captivating as it is heart wrenching. Inspired by the real Grace Darling, the author brings to life not only the characters and their challenges, but the settings where their lives unfolded. I, like Grace, fell in love with Longstone Lighthouse. It has become one of those places I miss, despite never having traveled there.
Two stories set 100 years apart. In first story, the daughter of a lighthouse keeper helps save several people during a violent story and becomes a heroine. Events are told from her perspective. The other story is about a young woman who is sent to America when she gets pregnant. Both stories are related and quite interesting.
I found myself quickly immersed in this story, a story of life and death, and love and losing.
The author did a wonderful job of melding the centuries, with the lighthouse guiding the lives of people chosen to operate them. When you know that this book is based on a true story, and see how fragile life is.
A story woven with love, and I didn’t see some of it coming, but you might want to keep the tissues handy!
We span decades and centuries and the book comes together beautifully, intertwining a family, but making you want to hold your loved one’s close.
A story that will linger!
I received this book through Edelweiss and the Publisher William Morrow, and was not required to give a positive review.
This gorgeously written book has two main characters. Grace Darling in 1838, she is the lighthouse keeper’s daughter of Longstone Lighthouse in England. After a terrible storm, Grace and her dad save several survivors of shipwreck. Grace becomes a heroine and doesn’t like the fame that follows. In 1938, Matilda Emmerson is sent away from Ireland in shame to live with a distant cousin. Matilda’s cousin Harriet , is a lighthouse keeper in Rhode Island. This is such a beautifully written book and makes you the reader feel all the emotions. The descriptions are simply amazing and you feel as if you are in the lighthouse with Grace. This is a story of love and loss, incredible bravery, and family. I received an advanced readers copy from Edelweiss and William Morrow. All opinions are my own.
Great story
Beautiful book, beautiful writing. Very much enjoyed.
Strong female characters in an interesting setting. I hate it when a favorite character gets killed off before their time, which is why it’s one star short.
I loved this book which went over a few generations of Lightkeeper’s Daughters beginning in the 1800’s. It’s a story based on personal sacrifice both in the earliest daughter and in later offspring. There are some surprise twists in the story as well. I also loved that the more modern part of the story took place in Newport RI at the time of the ‘devastating Hurricane of ’38, and I grew up in RI, though after the time of this disaster.
Enjoyed the family history stories of the Women who became lighthouse keeper and how they became lighthouse keepers. and the people they saved.
I can’t say enough how much I enjoyed this book. The writing was superb and the story was so unique as told from two protagonists from a century apart. I learned a great deal about actual historical people and found myself checking more in-depth facts about the lighthouse and heroine. Well done!
I loved, loved, loved this book!
Sad when portraying Harriet’s circumstances as an unmarried pregnant women in the mid 20th century Ireland. The book doesn’t really explain how she was able to survive & find a position as a light house keeper in America. .The mid 19th Century life that most women lived is depressing but probably accurate. The heroine begins to express the need for women’s right’s which were basically non existent at that time. George & she also show a duty to the moral standards of the day at the expense of their own happiness
I very much enjoyed this historical fiction account of a real event in history. The author did a beautiful job of describing the reluctant heroine – Grace Darling and the events and the people in her life. With different time frames and characters, I enjoyed the allure of the lighthouse on different generations. Well written and most enjoyable.
I loved this book and have recommended this wonderful book to all my close friends and family.
Must read!