The Lightkeeper's Daughters: A Novel

By Jean E. Pendziwol

A Toronto Star bestseller * A Globe and Mail bestseller * A New York Post "must-read" book

The Light Between Oceans meets The Language of Flowers in this beautiful debut novel by an acclaimed Canadian children’s author.

Elizabeth's eyes have failed. She can no longer read the books she loves or see the paintings that move her spirit, but her mind remains sharp and music fills the vacancy left by her blindness as she ruminates on the secrets in her family's past.

When her late father's journals are discovered on a shipwrecked boat, she enlists the help of a delinquent teenager, Morgan, who is completing community service at the senior home where Elizabeth lives. An unlikely relationship develops between the two as they work to decipher the books and are drawn into the musty words he penned more than seventy years before as he manned the lighthouse on Porphyry Island.

In the process they come to realize that they are both connected to the isolated island, their lives touched by Elizabeth's enigmatic twin sister Emily and the beautiful but harsh Lake Superior environment. 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.

Combining an emotional story of human connection with a mystery spanning decades, this tale of family, identity, and art will captivate and resonate with readers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Jul 4, 2017
• ISBN: 9781443452236

Jean E. Pendziwol

Jean E. Pendziwol was born in Thunder Bay, on the shores of Lake Superior, and spent much of her childhood aboard her family’s sailboat, exploring the islands of the inland sea. She is the author of nine books for children. She was shortlisted for the Governor General’s Literary Award for Children’s Literature and the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award for her picture book, Once Upon a Northern Night, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault. She lives in the shadow of Ontario’s Nor’Wester Mountains.

Reviews for The Lightkeeper's Daughters

[gypsysmom_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a great book and the audiobook was very well done. It was recommended by an online friend who also listens to audiobooks and she certainly didn't steer me wrong.In the early part of the twentieth century safe navigation of the Great Lakes depended on lighthouse signals. The lighthouse keeper on Porphyry Island near to Thunder Bay raised a family of four there and kept the lighthouse beacon and foghorn working. Two of the children were twin girls, Elizabeth and Emily. Elizabeth returned to Thunder Bay in her 80s and lives in a senior's residence. Morgan is a young orphan girl who has been found guilty of tagging the residence's fence. Her punishment is to strip the fence and repaint it and during her work on the fence she meets Elizabeth. As a result of a marine accident the private journals that Elizabeth's father kept have come into her hands but she can't read them. So she asks Morgan to read them to her hoping to learn something more about her family because there is a big secret having to do with her and her twin's birth. There is also something of a mystery about Morgan because she was raised by her grandfather and never really knew her parents. All she has is a violin and some lovely drawings; and now drawings by the same hand are displayed in Elizabeth's room. As Morgan reads to Elizabeth they start to draw close and they get some answers to their own questions.This book kept me guessing almost up to the last minute. Well done.

[romonko · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This beautifully written novel by Ms. Jean Pendziwol was a revelation to me. It amazed me with it's beautifully written language, and the heartrending story of two twin sisters Emily and Elizabeth who grew up on the shores of Lake Superior. The descriptions of the Lake and the island where the lighthouse was located are so very beautifully written. It was indeed a magical place for two little girls to grow up. DaughterThe timeline begins in the early 20th century, and the story continues to the present day. They were born to the lightkeeper of Porphyry Island and his part Ojibwa wife. The book's narrative goes back and forth between two narrators (Elizabeth and Morgan), and between two time frames - 1930 and the present day. The novel flows easily between the narrators and timeframes, and weaves a magic spell as beautifully written fiction does. I was entranced and spellbound throughout and had to make sure I had tissues handy at the end. At first the almost blind elderly Elizabeth and the young 17 year old Morgan appear an unlikely pair, but they both sense a connection between them, and as the story progresses, the friendship and love grows between them. I cannot recommend this wonderful novel enough. It is so beautifully written and so believable. I was surprised to find out that this is Ms. Pendziwol's first adult work of fiction. She is noted as a children's author. "The wind was light but strong enough to fill our sail and send a trail of ripples out from the stern. The sea rolled, large, lumpy waves that heaved across the still surface and tumbled little "Sweet Pea" about like a cork." The Lightkeeper's Daughter - Jean E. PendziwolIt felt like I was in that little boat with Emily, Elizabeth and their brother Charlie. This is a truly wonderful novel with a beautiful story. I hope you will take the time to read it and be mesmerized like I was.

[carlathelibrarian · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The story is told by two narrators. First, we have the perspective of Morgan, a teenage girl, being raised in foster homes after the death of her grandfather. When she tags a fence at a senior residence, she is given community service at the home. Reluctantly she begins to scrape and repaint the fence. While completing her job, she meets a blind, resident named Elizabeth. While talking to her, she finds out she used to live on Porphyry Island with her parents, brothers and twin sister Emily. Her father was the lighthouse keeper and his journals have just been delivered to Elizabeth, having been found in the beached boat belonging to her brother Charlie. Elizabeth is the second narrator of this story. It is told in two timelines, the past being read from the journals and being told from Elizabeth's memories, and then there is the growing relationship in the present between Morgan and Elizabeth.

This is a beautifully written story. The setting is amazing, who wouldn't want to live in a lighthouse on an island in one of the largest lakes in North America, Lake Superior. The idea of the secrets that are written in the journals from the past, coming to light in this shared manner is intriguing. I loved how they were revealed, bit by bit, page by page. It wasn't until about halfway through the story that I began to suspect a few things, and a mystery began to reveal itself. I don't want to share anymore about this story, because I do not want to ruin this book for anyone. At first I found Morgan hard to take. She was crude, short tempered, and a bit nasty. Elizabeth was soft spoken, very sharp and could be a bit flippant when she wanted to be. Eventually, they became friends and learned to read each other very well. As they shared the history of Elizabeth, her family and Porphyry Island, they blended well, like they had known each other all their lives. Elizabeth's story is well written, and it was actually based on journals found in the lighthouse, although the real family was much larger. As the story went on, I developed a real empathy for both Morgan and Elizabeth. Their lives were irreparably changed by situations beyond their control, the love they had for family members and their will to survive and take care of things. It was easy to admire and respect both these women.

This book was a family drama, historical fiction, and a mystery all woven together by a wonderful author that created a book that needs to be read slowly, digested and thought about. I read this book over several days, and am sad that it is now ended. This is the first book I read by Jean E. Pendziwol and this one was recommended to me by The Traveling Sisters. I am so glad I picked this one up.

[sgilbraith-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved how this story came together; how it was woven through time and generations. Women, past and present, who were brought together by chance yet were tied to each other in a bond stronger than blood.

Highly recommend this book!

Update: I originally gave this novel a 4 star review, which, for me, is an excellent review. I reserve 5 stars for books that are unforgettable, life-changing, or create moments in time, mind, or heart that the reader will forever be left with the impact of the words on the page. That’s a big challenge for an author. To achieve this using 26 letters strung together intricately in such a way to convey the emotions needed to reach the standards I require.

The reason I changed this book to a 5 star? It just would not leave my mind. I wanted to open the pages and continue on with the story. I know how the book ended but it seems like there is so much I yearn to know about the characters, all of them. It’s not because the author did not develop them properly, but because she DID! You become invested in them and what to know more.

Again, this book is a wonderful yet heartbreaking read. Please don’t let it pass you by.

[tamarack804-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I came across this book while looking for something else and decided to give it a try. What a great book. About two sisters growing up during WWII on the Great Lakes. Told in past and present tense with the help of a in trouble teen that is tied in to the story. A great family story. The author did an excellent job keeping me interested throughout the book. This is the authors first book besides writing young kids books and she did an excellent job. I hope there are more to come.

[lynnb_64 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this story about twins, Emily and Elizabeth, whose father is a lighthouse keeper on an island in Lake Superior. The twins are very close, exceptionally so given the remoteness of their home, and the fact that Emily doesn't speak. As the book opens, Elizabeth is an elderly woman losing her eyesight and living in a seniors' care home. Her father's journals have been discovered in a shipwrecked boat, and with the help of a delinquent teen (Morgan) who is doing community service at the home, Elizabeth learns about many secrets from her family's past. I don't want to say much about these to avoid giving any spoilers.I don't want to risk giving spoilers because the author has done an amazing job of weaving an intricate plot, dropping just enough clues to keep the reader wanting to know more. The setting itself (the island) really adds to the story by isolating the characters, making their secrets easier to keep and their ties to each other stronger. There are a few weak points in the book -- the motivations of Elizabeth's brother Charlie are never clear, and brother Peter is barely present in the story at all. But these are, in my view, minor concerns. An excellent read.

[janismack · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Elizabeth is old and frailwith declining eyesight and about to die. With the help of of Morgan a deliquent teenager performing community service at the home, Elizabeth delves into the diaries left to her by her father.

[tina1969_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Morgan, a troubled teenager is sent to a retirement home to paint a fence that she graffitied on. Whilst there she befriends an elderly lady, Miss Livingstone. They form a friendship as Morgan reads to Miss Livingstone her father's journals.I quite enjoyed this family tale of a set of twins growing up in a Lighthouse with their family. The story goes back in time and the reader see the twins grow up and what happened to them.This book is was quite entertaining and for me I enjoy a family story, and of course there is a big secret that will get revealed The story was a light and easy read but when it came to the reveal I sort of guessed part of it but not all. This book was a pleasant read and I did enjoy it very much.