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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A good view of the creation of Israel
I loved the characters in this book. They are people you can admire and relate to. The author’s writing style is beautiful. Highly recommend this book.
Based on a true story, maybe, maybe not, this was an excellent book with intrigue as you aren’t sure how it will turn out. A book to relax with.
Insipid
Couldn’t put this on down
Definitely going to recommend this book to family & friends. Lovely tale & engrossing, difficult to stop once you start.
I enjoyed it because I had personal connections to the area & story
Historical fiction at its finest! Grace, the lighthouse keeper’s daughter, helps her father rescue several people when the boat they are traveling on goes down in a storm. For her heroism, she is a very sought-after young lady; something she is definitely not used to. This story has a rather surprise ending though, which I won’t spoil for you!
I was so taken with this book and I felt emotionally involved with the characters. I actually felt very interested in the workings of a light house too. I completely fell under the spe!l of this story.
Great characters, interesting story line about an earlier time. The plot followed true life, often sad, and did not have the happily ever after ending that a novel can bring. More real life, especially about that period in time.
Thoroughly enjoyed it. A good read.
Good historical fiction with interesting parallels lives of two woman.
I love Hazel Gaynor. This was a very interesting story line based on historical events and characters. I love that Hazel Gaynor uses real life events and brings them to life. I enjoy going back and researching the real life events. She is a great storyteller. I always feel inspired, informed and happy after I read her books. Please keep writing.
Once I started this book I could not put it down. I was drawn into the story and did not want it to end.
This story was so wonderfully written. It was a story of coming of age, finding your roots, love and family. There were portions that were absolutely gripping. The characters were real people with real dreams.
I can’t wait to read more from this author!
What a beautiful book, unexpected ending. A great read. I highly recommend it.
I just loved this book some what sad but a great story
Beautifully written. The story flowed seamlessly between different time periods and wove the characters together through the generations. Truly likable characters that you find yourself feeling empathetic toward. A wonderful book. One of the best I have read in a long time.
i bought this book in audio. It was captivating – I couldn’t stop listening. The characters were so realistic I was caught up in their stories. Be warned…it’s a sad tale.
4+ Stars! Who knew reading about the world of lighthouses could be so intense!?
My thoughts are still immersed on the seacoasts in both 1838 and 1938 and I am feeling rather drained and remain reluctant to accept parts of this book.
There are already many reviews that summarize the plot, so I will not repeat.
It is based on real, female lighthouse keepers- REMARKABLE women (Google Grace Darling!) and their battles between duty and love, relationships between mothers and daughters, loss and sacrifice and living fully through, or despite your own choices. Many reviews also exclaim: The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter is “heart wrenching and heartwarming” – oh, so true! I felt intrigued, heartbroken, frustrated, hopeful, enlightened and wrecked. I could not sleep for a few hours after finishing it last night. While it is not perfect:
-The multi narrative was a little confusing at first- but you settled in.
-I missed Mrs. O’Driscoll while absent- but not a big deal.
-I REALLY wanted to shake Grace and Harriett a couple times…
-Not sure the ending would have worked so neatly in 1938…
– A couple things seemed just too unlikely, mainly with the Matilda storyline.
But whatever. The truth is I SO gobbled up both timelines, loved learning about the life and duties of a lighthouse keeper (glad it wasn’t TOO detailed) and thoroughly enjoyed yearning and rooting for these characters. (Especially George:)
If it is on your TBR list- don’t skip it! READ it!
(But don’t listen to it- many of the meh reviews are due to a poor narration via Audible) Now I am going to go read another Hazel Gaynor book!