38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wow!, April 11, 2002
This review is from: The Lightkeeper (Mass Market Paperback)
In purchasing this book, I paid more than I typically do for a novel, but it was worth every penny!
Mary, pregnant and unwed, washes ashore after a tragic boat crash. Though she considers herself "damaged goods" and has, as an Irish immigrant, suffered cruel and prejudicial attitudes, she's a very charming and lovable character, bursting with life and love and vitality.
Jesse, the reclusive lighthouse keeper of Cape Disappointment, finds himself a reluctant savior to Mary when he rescues her on the shore of Cape Disappointment. Jesse's pregnant wife died 11 years ago, and he has held himself, solely, to blame ever since, abandoning a carefree life of privilege and high society for a lonely monk's existence, deprived of any joy or human contact, as, for penance, he keeps watch, nightly, over the ocean which took everything from him.
Embittered, hardened, and self-loathing, Jesse's character is very deeply tortured (puts me in mind of Jane Eyre's Rochester) and fights desperately against the flame that Mary's unexpected presence in his life is rekindling within his heart while she recuperates in his home.
Jesse avoids Mary, but she seeks him out; he tries to put her off with his scowls and harsh words, but she continues to draw out the kind and loving man lurking beneath the surface against his will. Slowly, her companionship, affection, and love begin to thaw the heart he has deliberately frozen and hardened over so many years, and it terrifies him.
This book was so beautifully written and so very deeply touching and filled with such raw, human emotion, passion and desire, I still find myself reflecting on it, days after I've read it. I found myself rooting for Mary and Jesse from the beginning and still cheering for them in the end. Fantastic!
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great Americana romance by the genre's brightest star, August 8, 1997
By A Customer
In 1876 at the mouth of the Columbia River in the Washington Territory, lighthouse keeper Jesse Morgan notices a body has been washed ashore. When he reaches the beach, he realizes that the person is alive and pregnant. He takes her inside his home where his assistants tell him that he must watch over her as part of Law of the Sea. Jesse, who lost his spouse to the sea, prefers to be alone, but apparently is stuck for awhile with the injured woman. When she regains full consciousness, she tells him that her name is Mary Dare, that she is all alone in the world, and she was a stowaway on the ship that just sunk.
There is obviously a man in Mary's life, who will come for her. To Jesse's chagrin that man turns out to be his former business partner, Granger Clapp, who is also married to Jesse's sister. Jesse, who wanted no woman in his life, is now deeply in love with Mary, who returns the feelings. However, can Jesse risk living again by reaching out to Mary? If he does, the couple still must deal with Clapp before they can find happiness together.
Susan Wiggs can always be relied upon to provide an exciting historical romance that adds luster to the sub-genre. All the characters are well written, but especially interesting are the local townsfolk (think Northern Exposure). The story line is a fast-paced intrigue cocooned in a nineteenth century Americana back drop. THE LIGHTKEEPER is a novel that will illuminate the darkest night.
Harriet Klausner
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This book will be reissued in March 2002, August 7, 2001
By A Customer
This isn't exactly a review (what can I say? I love this book!) but a special note to readers. First of all, thanks to everyone who has written to me about this book. I'm so sorry you've had a hard time finding a copy! The good news: I'm delighted to report that it will be back in print in a few months, complete with new cover art (gorgeous). The isbn is 1-55166-880-7, and I believe the cover price will still be $..., thanks to my very excellent publisher. There's a complete, up-to-date listing of all my books at my web site, www.susanwiggs.com. Thanks again, Susan Wiggs, author of THE LIGHTKEEPER
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