Cape Light (Cape Light Series, Book 1) [Paperback]

Thomas Kinkade (Author), Katherine Spencer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 27, 2004

Inspired by the artistic vision of world-renowned landscape painter Thomas Kinkade--and imbued with the light of his uplifting message--this heartwarming novel introduces us to the quaint town of Cape Light, and those who call it home.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Billed as the Painter of Light, Kinkade claims to be "the most collected living artist" and the heir apparent to Norman Rockwell. This sugarcoated modern fairy tale reflects the pastel-tinted idealism of Kinkade's paintings and is clearly intended to extol the power of prayer as put forth by Protestant Christian doctrines. Taking temporary leave of her Boston bank job, 32-year-old Jessica Warwick returns home to the idyllic nearby village of Cape Light to help her older sister, Emily, the town's mayor, care for their domineering mother, who has suffered a stroke. Thinking of her budding romance with sophisticated Paul Copperfield, an older career-oriented man, Jessica is counting the days until her mother recovers sufficiently so she can leave this prosaic, Bible-thumping town and return to her job in the city. Outside of the church, the quotidian life of the community centers around the Clam Box, a local eatery operated by Charlie and Lucy Bates. Charlie, a vocal critic of Emily's leadership, is mounting a campaign to oppose her in the upcoming election. Unbeknownst to Emily, Sara Franklin, the college girl waiting tables at the Clam Box, is the daughter she gave up for adoption two decades ago, following her husband's tragic death. Meanwhile, Jessica finds herself falling for Sam Morgan, the town's jack-of-all-trades. As Jessica's growing attraction to churchgoing Sam conflicts with her career-oriented dreams, the plot sags under a surfeit of trite, blatantly proselytizing Christian subplots and syrupy sentimentality. (Mar.)Forecast: With his chain of galleries across the nation, Kinkade has recourse to built-in channels of marketing and distribution, so expect healthy sales.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

It's rare that someone can move easily from one medium to another, and popular "painter of light" and devout Christian Kinkade is no exception, in spite of receiving help from coauthor Spencer. Things get off to a rough start as dozens of Cape Light residents are introduced in the first chapter, making it difficult to distinguish the main from the secondary characters, but eventually Jessica and Sam emerge as central figures. Career-minded Jessica has temporarily returned from Boston to Cape Light to nurse her mother back to health. She soon meets Sam, the town handyman, and despite their differences, they fall in love. Jessica admires Sam for his small-town values, which include helping friends in need and attending church regularly, but can she give up her dream of a cultured, big-city life? It takes a big storm and some serious prayer to help them find the answer. As intriguing as their predicament is, Cape Light falls flat due in part to the fact that the authors take pains to introduce secondary characters and their conflicts but never resolve them (Is a sequel planned?), and mainstream readers may be put off by the surfeit of heavy-handed religious references. The Kinkade painting on the cover will attract his many fans, but it's likely that the content will disappoint. Megan Kalan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Jove; 1ST edition (April 27, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0515137324
• ISBN-13: 978-0515137323
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (65 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #134,431 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #64 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > United States > General

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So charming !!, May 12, 2006

By 

Miranda Lutes (Nappanee, IN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cape Light (Cape Light Series, Book 1) (Hardcover)

Ok, first I would like to say for all of those who hate his paintings, and that fact that he is making millions of dollars off of them, this book is not for you. He writes with the same charm and splendor that he uses in his paintings. For those of you who love his paintings the rest of this rewview is for you, for you will love this book!! Yes it is charming and romantic and ok, a little predictable. But that's ok. Enter the Beautiful little world of Cape Light where you are surrounded by good people, beautiful scenery, and characters like Sam Morgan, that you just can't help falling in love with. You know tall muscular, and extremly handsome and lets not forget the nicest guy to ever exist in fiction. Some will call this book sappy, but if you are like me living in world full of disappointments, and relationships that NEVER EVER work out. With dishonest guys at every turn. It is nice to escape that maddness, and step into a world like Cape Light, though they have their disapointments everything always works its way out. You will be pleasntly delighted. Enjoy. Now on to book two for me!!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful collection of characters, October 23, 2006

By 

Mamie Coldwater (San Antonio TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cape Light (Cape Light Series, Book 1) (Hardcover)

This is an excellent series that depicts the characters in a small New England seaside town. The characters are alive and interactive. I have enjoyed each book in the series and look forward to more.
His books describe this little town and the people who live there as well as his paintings describe the cottages and the seashores, all with the wonderful light.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Beacon of Light - bravo to the Master of Light!, December 23, 2005

By 

R. Lee "Reader" (Ann Arbor, MI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cape Light (Cape Light Series, Book 1) (Hardcover)

I first heard about this book, recommended on QVC. Of course, Thomas Kincaid's name is what attracted me. Sure, we all know he is one of the best painters of modern times, so I was very curious to see if his writing could prove as pretty as his idyllic paintings. Well! I was not only *not* disappointed, but thoroughly sated by this book. It slaked in me a deep thirst to know more about the fascinating mind of Thomas Kincaid. Who better than the Master of Light, with his outstanding success--proving his intuition for the Real America, a better America--to reveal this "simpler life" and its pleasures? "The most collected living artist" is destined to be a success in more than one medium. Life is short, and it's far better and pleasant to spend some precious hours reading Thomas Kincade's moving visions than wasting time on tedious and outdated 'classics' like Tolstoy, Dickens, and Hemingway, who, unlike Kincade, pollute their 'art' with vulgarity. Thomas Kincade is surely not just the Painter of Light, but a true Master of Light. Thanks to Katherine Spencer and Thomas Kincaid for teaming up and, like the Cape Light lighthouse, casting forth this beacon of light. So simple, so pretty! Read it, and you, too, will feel simpler.