Lighthouse Bay
A Novel
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4.5 • 19 Ratings
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- $15.99
Publisher Description
From the author of Wildflower Hill, this breathtaking novel travels more than a century between two love stories set in the Australian seaside town of Lighthouse Bay.
In 1901, a ship sinks off the coast of Lighthouse Bay in Australia. The only survivor is Isabella Winterbourne—escaping her loveless marriage and the devastating loss of her son—who clutches a priceless gift meant for the Australian Parliament. Suddenly, this gift could be her ticket to a new life, free from the bonds of her husband and his overbearing family.
One hundred years later, Libby Slater leaves her life in Paris to return to her hometown of Lighthouse Bay. Living in the cottage that was purchased by her recently passed lover, she hopes to heal her broken heart and reconcile with her sister, Juliet. Libby did something so unforgivable twenty years ago, Juliet is unsure if she can ever trust her sister again.
In this adventurous love story spanning centuries, both Isabella and Libby must learn that letting go of the past is the only way to move into the future.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The setting of Freeman's warmly emotional second novel (after Wildflower Hill), a port town on the coast of Queensland, Australia, takes its name from the beckoning light that has saved innumerable ships over the years. Freeman skillfully unites the stories of two women who live a century apart but both face the challenge of overcoming difficult pasts, and both under the lighthouse's watchful presence. In 1901, Isabella Winterbourne, sole survivor of a shipwreck, arrives in Queensland carrying with her the pain of her infant son Daniel's death prior to the disaster, as well as a hidden treasure. Lighthouse keeper Matthew Seaward might be able to teach her to love again. In the present day, Libby Slater has returned to Lighthouse Bay, alone and bereft after her married lover's fatal aneurysm, to confront her memories. Can a stash of diaries hidden in the old lighthouse help repair the relationship between Libby and her estranged sister, Juliet? Freeman's moving tale gives her two heroines the unique chance to make a fresh start in life.
Customer Reviews
Great Read & Weaving of Then and Now
I really love books that have a historical aspect that is weaved in with a present day story. Overall, this book did a great job of that and I loved most of the book. Isabella, the main character in the story of the past is a strong, tenacious and passionate woman who has been forced to live in a box for the sake of being like everyone else after she loses a child. But she carries on and it’s how she does this that is beautiful and inspiring. She doesn’t give up. This storyline is successful and inspiring and I loved it.
The modern day story of Libby returning home to Lighthouse Bay after many years away and after she is overcome with grief at the loss of love, which it is not 100% believable, but the author did a great job of tying in the struggles of Libby and Isabella.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this book, the twist turns and secrets and it has a nice ending without a lot of loose ends. This sort is one of the few I have read where the modern day story is not done poorly to overshadow the entire book. Good job!