Monday 12 November 2018

Audio: The lighthouse keeper's daughter - Hazel Gaynor


Audiobook, Unabridged, 10h
Published October 9th 2018 by HarperAudio
Historical fiction
Thank you Harper for this review copy

My Thoughts
This book takes part in 1938 and 1838 and as always there was one time period I found more interesting. There always is and I do always wish that it could have been only about that period in time. I get getting that other POV, but still 1838 would have been fine with me. Or 1938 alone in her time.

Grace is the daughter of a lighthouse keeper, and she knows the job as good as her father. But women could not take over then. She is also really brave, and makes her father set out with her in a storm to save people from a sinking ship. I liked how humble she was cos no, not everyone would have done that. The storm was furious, they could have died too.

The story is about the fame she gains, and does not want. How she feels about the wreck and those saved, and not saved. And a young artist she met before and meet again. A love story that can not be. Oh Grace. Her story broke me. I wanted her to be happy and free. How she loved her island and lighthouse!

The other story is about Mathilda, who is connected to Grace and wonders about her tale. She is pregnant and gets shipped off to a relative who works at a lighthouse.

This has nothing to do with this story, but I did not realise how lucky Mathilda was before I later today read an article about 700 kids found in a sewage drain behind a Nunnery. She was so resentful for being sent away, but she was lucky! Those being sent to the nuns were not lucky. Poor souls, poor kids!

Back to Mathilda. She stays with her relative Harriet. There are secrets and well I shall not dwell upon those, spoilers! But there is sadness here too and this story was actually the one that brought me to tears. Which was weird, because one story in Grace's was so sad! It broke me, and then this other one makes me cry.

Conclusion:
There is a lot of sadness, but also so much joy and I want to become a lighthouse keeper too! Even if I know that yes maybe not, all those boat trips and storms.
The author and then the narrator really brings life to these people and especially to the lighthouse.

Narrator: Imogen Church
I enjoyed all her voices, and she brought life into them all. She read with a calm voice that held in the most furious storm and ripped me apart

Blurb
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.


28 comments:

  1. I've read one book by this author and just thought it was okay so I'll have to think about whether I want to tackle this or not.

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    1. Then I say listen instead ;) That can make all the difference

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  2. Lighthouses look like they would be really cold places to live.

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    1. True! And then you might get stuck there if the winds are bad

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  3. Kevin has always wanted to live in a lighthouse. lol

    Karen @ For What It's Worth

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  4. that's an interesting split of time there

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  5. you made want to listen to this Blodeuedd, Great review!

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  6. This is an interesting review and I'm adding this book to my list now. Thank you!

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  7. I was hesitant to pick this up but after reading your review, the sad romance that was not meant to be piqued my interest. I hope it's still available at my library!

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    1. It is not like the whole thing was sad romance ;) Some things are just not meant to be

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  8. I enjoy a nice historical and this one good. I like the cover too.

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  9. I've heard about this one. Sounds like a good audio listen, as something like this would probably be too sad or slow for me to read.

    ~Mogsy @ BiblioSanctum

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  10. I do love Imogen Church so it sounds like I should do the audio for this one if I decide to pick it up.

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  11. Nice that this is good on audio, not sure I could take the sadness in spite of the fact there is joy too.

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    1. It's about storms...you can guess why it will be sad

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  12. Ah, the sadness... okay, I can be in the mood for that in my reading now and then.

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  13. I love lighthouses! I visited all the ones one the Northern California Coast and Oregon Coast this last Sept/October. It was a beautiful 3 weeks. I did learn that the life of a lighthouse keeper was a lonely and tough existence. I hope there was a happy ending somewhere in here, but it doesn't sound that way. Still, I'm interested! :)

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    1. Wow! That sounds wonderful! I have ever only been to one. My SO's grandfather was light keeper there when he was younger. And yes they did get stranded there once when visiting for a week

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