Author Hazel Gaynor creates a delightful sense of place in both England and Rhode Island seaside locations. If you love the sea and lighthouses, you will absolutely love the settings described in The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter. A complex and multilayered plot, multiple perspectives, two time periods, and two locations will keep you engaged! I enjoyed how the two different time periods complimented each other in setting, family ties, facing hurricanes, and the characterizations of strong women. The Wikipedia article on Grace Darling can be found here however, I recommend NOT reading it until after you’ve read the story to avoid spoilers. Do you have stories of strong women in your family?Įven though the connection between all the characters comes together neatly in the end, I feel it is a touch too coincidental, convenient, and easy……but still emotionally rewarding. I think the spirit of courage, bravery, and determination is passed along from generation to generation. The inspiration Matilda is able to draw from Grace and the strong women in her family, reminds me how grateful I am for the strong generations of women in my own family. All four women characters in this story are brave and formidable as they draw strength from each other. While Grace is a real person, the strong women characters we meet in 1938 are fictionalized, but they represent the work that women accomplished as lighthouse keepers. The sum of generations of strong, courageous women who came before her, an echo of them all lingering in her soul. Her courage and determination inspired an independently minded and troubled Matilda later in the story.Įven the brave were once afraid. Grace is a heroine and a role model for women in 1838. Grace also shows initiative in rescuing and caring for nine shipwreck survivors.

In fact, she can take care of the lighthouse as well as her brother can and has more passion for the job, yet at that time in history, the assignment of lighthouse keeper is given to her brother. In the 1830s, she remarkably takes on responsibilities at the lighthouse that are usually assigned to men. Grace Darling is a real person and a good portion of the story explores the true events that surround her life. One of Hazel Gaynor’s strengths is in creating and writing about strong, memorable female characters. While it’s a solid 4.5, I bumped it up to 5 on Goodreads because of the excellent writing.Ĭharacters. Any time I’m left with a bit of a reading hangover, I know it’s a 4 or 5 star read. First, I awarded The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter all the stars because it is an engaging page turner with a complex plot, poignant themes, inspiring and well drawn characters, and the story tugs at the emotions. It’s always challenging to write a review when there’s so much to say! in 1938 is historic.Īuthor, Hazel Gaynor, creates strong connections between two time periods and two story lines including hurricane events of 18, complex connections between past and present family members, and lighthouse themes between the stories.Īmazon (Early) Star Rating (November): 4.3 Stars My Thoughts: Although Matilda’s part of the story is pure fiction, the hurricane that hits the east coast of the U.S.

As Matilda stumbles upon an old chest containing artifacts from her family history, she uncovers the story of Grace and the connections Grace has to Matilda’s great-great-grandmother. In 1938 at another lighthouse in Newport, Rhode Island, nineteen year old Matilda is sent away from Ireland in disgrace to live with a distant relative who happens to be an assistant lighthouse keeper. The dear friendship that develops between Grace and one of the survivors and the survivor’s brother continues to impact lives 100 years later. Grace gains notoriety and finds herself the subject of poems, ballads, and plays. One day in 1838 during a furious storm, Grace and her father rescue nine shipwreck survivors. Inspired by true events, The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter shares the story of Grace Darling, an extraordinary young woman who helps her father keep the Longstone Lighthouse on the Farne Islands off the coast of northeast England. ***This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Genre/Categories: Historical Fiction, Women’s Fiction Do you love lighthouses? The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter by Hazel Gaynor

Lighthouse keeper book series