Tuesday, October 16, 2018

The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter - Historical Fiction Review

About The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (October 9, 2018)

 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.  

My Thoughts:  I have now read 3 Hazel Gaynor books and I think it is safe to say that I'm a fan.  I was shocked to see that this one is over 400 pages because I read it in 2 sittings. Sarah, Grace and Matilda were all characters that I loved and was always so glad to see that I didn't mind the POV switch.  I loved Grace and her desire to have a quiet life and her confusion with all the attention she suddenly gets.  I felt for Matilda and her desire for affection and attention as well her fears for her future.  And then there was Sarah.  Sarah's story broke my heart to ugly cry levels.  There is a lot of loss and grief in this story but at the same time there is courage, determination, and hope which kept this from being melodramatic or too tear soaked.  I was sad to see the end of this book as I miss these characters and want to spend more time with them!  I will definitely be on the lookout for more books by Hazel Gaynor and am looking forward to reading her earlier books that I've missed.  Rating:  Loved it!

Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Photo by Deasy Photographic 

About Hazel Gaynor

HAZEL GAYNOR is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of A Memory of Violets and The Girl Who Came Home, for which she received the 2015 RNA Historical Novel of the Year award. Her third novel, The Girl from the Savoy, was an Irish Times and Globe & Mail Canada bestseller, and was shortlisted for the BGE Irish Book Awards Popular Fiction Book of the Year. In 2017, she has published The Cottingley Secret and Last Christmas in Paris. Hazel was selected by US Library Journal as one of 'Ten Big Breakout Authors' for 2015 and her work has been translated into several languages. Hazel lives in Ireland with her husband and two children. Find out more about Hazel at her website, and connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

9 comments:

  1. High recommendation indeed, reading a book in two sittings is a great indication of its enticement.

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  2. That's amazing how you read this book in two sittings. I like historical fiction, but sometimes trying to find out what happened in the past makes me impatient.

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  3. Sounds an amazing read. Thanks for the review.

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  4. Ooooo! I so want to read this. I have only read two of Gaynor's novels so far and I adore her. I can't wait to read this one--and cry my eyes out.

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  5. Yes... I've read another enthusiastic review for this one, too. So glad you enjoyed it so much, Katherine. Any book that makes you sit down and gorge on it is worth checking out...

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  6. I have Hazel Gaynor on my must-read author list. I recently received an ARC of this novel, so after reading your thoughts, I think it will be a good place to start.

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  7. Loved your review and put it on my wish list. Sounds like a fabulous book.

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  8. Wow, two sittings for 400 pages is impressive!

    Thanks for being on the tour!

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  9. This one is on my TBR list already and I can't wait to read it. The cover's gorgeous and the story sounds compelling. If you didn't even realize it was 400 pages long, then it must have been super engrossing, too! Yay. I love it when an intriguing-sounding book really delivers!

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