Keeper of the Light [Hardcover]

Diane Chamberlain (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1992

When Olivia's husband's lover, Annie O'Neill, dies in the emergency room while physician Olivia Simon is on duty, her death irrevocably changes the lives of Olivia, her husband, and Annie's husband, and together they must face the lies and deception.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

With her fourth novel (after Secret Lives ), Chamberlain spins an absorbing tale of romantic obsession and betrayal. Beautiful artist Annie O'Neill is known as St. Anne on North Carolina's Outer Banks for her selfless devotion to any cause that comes down the pike--she's even donated bone marrow to a stranger in need. Her murder leaves her husband, Alec, shattered. Also broken are Olivia Simon, the emergency room physician who tried to save her, and the good doctor's husband, Paul, who idolized the victim. To recapture Paul's love, Olivia begins to emulate Annie in every way, from learning the craft of stained glass to being a good Samaritan. Readers will long to shake the physician, as lovesick Paul is not worth her efforts; this is a man who tells his wife that he can make love to her only if he pretends that she is Annie. As exasperating as these characters are (chief among them the dead goddess), the novel's cache of dark secrets and hidden passions keeps the pages turning. An old lighthouse keeper's climactic revelation adds a final surprise. BOMC alternate.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

At first blush this resembles nothing more than made-for-TV movie fare. On duty in the emergency room, Olivia Simon puts her career and marriage at risk as she tries to save the life of her husband's lover, Annie O'Neill. But Annie dies, Paul leaves, and Olivia--newly pregnant and under attack by the small Outer Banks community that loved artist and activist Annie--finds that her lifeline is a deepening relationship with Annie's widower Alec. Chamberlain ( Secret Lives , LJ 2/1/91) maintains a delicious tension in the Paul-or-Alec question and lifts this above the standard romance with well-rounded characters and deft plotting as she reveals the past, including secrets held by an aging lighthouse keeper, and who knew what when. Engrossing, satisfying entertainment. BOMC alternate.
-Mi chele Leber, Fairfax Cty. P.L., Va.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 435 pages
• Publisher: Harpercollins; 1st. ed edition (March 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060179643
• ISBN-13: 978-0060179649
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.5 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,330,376 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I grew up in Plainfield, New Jersey where, at the age of twelve, I wrote several dreadful novellas, read and admired only by my family. When college rolled around, I forgot about writing and received my bachelor's and master's degrees in Social Work from San Diego State University. I was a hospital social worker in San Diego, and later in Washington DC. I also had a private psychotherapy practice working mainly with teenagers. All the while, I was writing on the side. I viewed my writing as a hobby, but it quickly became a passion. I finally decided to take a class in 'writing the novel.' I was very shy about showing my work to the instructor, but when I finally did, he loved it! He encouraged me to aim for publication and I decided to go for it. A few years later, my first novel, PRIVATE RELATIONS, was published.

Since then, I've written about a book a year-eternity-one at last count. I now live in North Carolina, the beautiful state where many of my books are set and where I'm ten minutes from my grandbabies. I share my life with my soulmate, John, who's a photographer as well as my muse, and with my two shelties, Keeper and Jet.

Are you wondering what my books are about? One of my readers in Japan had this to say about my work: "You make me believe life is beautiful even if it is full of pain and rage." Her words touch me deeply. They hang on the wall above my computer and help me remember exactly what it is I'm trying to achieve in my stories. I hope you'll enjoy them.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent! Spell binding. Great plot., November 11, 1997

By 

[e-mail] (Indiana, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Keeper of the Light (Mass Market Paperback)

Reading Diane Chamberlain was a chance happening. "Keeper of the Light" was one of the few books that kept me changing my mind about how the story would turn out. I have read many books and really enjoy authors such as Dean Koontz, Stephen King, Phyllis Whitney, and Victoria Holtz; Diane Chamberlain is added to this list. I recommend this book to my 'reader' friends anytime I can. "Keeper of the Light" has been kept a secret too long. Buy it!!

19 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Reread of a Favorite Book, May 11, 2003

By 

Nancy R. Katz "NancyK18" (NJ) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Keeper of the Light (Paperback)

In 1992, while browsing at the library I came across the book Keeper of the Light by Diane Chamberlain. At the time Ms. Chamberlain was an author I wasn't familiar with but one I was soon to become acquainted with not only through her books but also through an early online book group. I also had the pleasure of meeting with Ms. Chamberlain in person on several occasions. I can still remember vividly how I felt after I read Keeper of the Light and how I felt when I realized that a certain screen name was for the author who wrote one of my favorite books. Now eleven years later I reread Keeper of the Light, something I seldom do, in anticipation of reading the second book in a trilogy Ms. Chamberlain wrote about the people and area known as Kiss River, located in the Outer Banks. And as I hope my thoughts on a second reading of Keeper of the Light was that this book was just as good as the second time and I would be happy to reread it again and again.

Keeper of the Light begins on the Outer Banks on a winter's night in the shadow of an old and grand lighthouse when a woman is brought into a hospital with a bullet wound. Dr. Olivia Cole, new to the area tends to the woman's wound but her injuries are too extensive and the woman dies. Only later does Olivia find out that this woman was Annie O'Neill a stained glass artist, known to the locals as Saint Annie for her many good deeds. What Olivia is soon to learn is that her husband Paul Macelli has a history with Annie which after her death will impact on not only Paul and Olivia's life but Annie's husband and children. While there are many secrets at Kiss River between these two families, the key to what happened many years before and continuing to Annie's death has been held by the lighthouse keeper Mary Poor who has been like a mother to Annie all of these years.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this review I seldom if ever reread a book for fear that I may not enjoy the book as much the second time. In this case I think I enjoyed this book a bit more than the first time which I never thought possible. And the best part is that now I can look forward to reading the second book in the trilogy, Kiss River, and revisit the Outer Banks and find our more about characters I feel as though are part of my family.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice and easy reading, September 23, 2002

By 

Jorge Frid (Mexico City) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Keeper of the Light (Hardcover)

This book is wonderful, it keeps you in the story all the time, if you are in a bad mood, take this book, read it and it will help you to be happy, the story changes from the "good" guys to the "bad" guys and then the "bad" guys are again the "good" guys , but you will never expect that wonderful ending, I recommend this book to read it anywhere, it won't take you too long to finish it even if you are not an avid reader.