Book review of The Lightkeeper's Daughters by Jean. E. Pendziwol

 

From the back of the book:

 

Though her mind is still sharp, Elizabeth's eyes have failed. No longer able to linger over her beloved books or gaze at the paintings that move her spirit, she fills the void with music and memories of her family—a past that suddenly becomes all too present when her late father's journals are found amid the ruins of an old shipwreck.

With the help of Morgan, a delinquent teenager performing community service, Elizabeth goes through the diaries, a journey through time that brings the two women closer together. Entry by entry, these unlikely friends are drawn deep into a world far removed from their own—to Porphyry Island on Lake Superior, where Elizabeth’s father manned the lighthouse seventy years before.

As the words on these musty pages come alive, Elizabeth and Morgan begin to realize that their fates are connected to the isolated island in ways they never dreamed. While the discovery of Morgan's connection sheds light onto her own family mysteries, the faded pages of the journals hold more questions than answers for Elizabeth, and threaten the very core of who she is.

 

Expected publication: July 4th 2017 by Harper Collins.

 

ISBN

0062572032 (ISBN13: 9780062572035)

 

Leona's Review:

 

This is my first read by Jean E. Pendziwol. I received a complimentary copy to read and review from the author.

 

Morgan was caught spraying graffiti and was to sent to a senior citizen home for community service. Her first project was to paint a fence.

Morgan met Elizabeth and they became connected by Morgan reading the journals of Elizabeth's father since Elizabeth is blind.

Elizabeth begins to tell Morgan the story about the life and her family at the Porphry Point Lighthouse. There are chapters that take the reader into Canada on Lake Superior. This is a book of fiction but has many historical places. Some are Trowbrige Island, Port Arthur, Sleeping Giant Island and Pie Island in Ontario. 

What a read this is about a mystery of a family. When Elizabeth was telling her family history, I had a hard time putting down the book.

Elizabeth and Emily are twins. Emily does not talk but has a special talent of drawing and connecting with nature. Elizabeth takes care of her sister and understands her.

I have to say I absolutely did not like the language used by Morgan. I have problems reading books with the f word and the a** word.

World War ll is part of the history of the book. The brothers of Elizabeth, Peter and Charlie, are in the war.

Some of my notes that I took are the garden, collecting gull eggs on Hardscrabble Island, World War ll, shipwrecks, maintaining the lighthouse, a found wooden cross, Fibber McGee and Molly, winter, storms, collecting plants, dragonflies, Canada Dominion Day, Great Depression and foster homes for Morgan.

The assistant lightkeeper, David Fletcher, brought gifts for Elizabeth and Emily. Books for Elizabeth and paints for Emily.

The Lightkeeper's Daughters left me interested until the end and I was very surprised at the many turns in the book.

I am giving it a 5 star read even though I did not like some of the language. It is a good read.

The opinions are my own.

 

Jean E. Pendziwol may be found at www.jeanpendziwol.com, @JeanPendziwol and facebook.com/JeanE.Pendziwol.

 

Leona Olson

http:www.mnleona.blogspot.com