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4.0 out of 5 stars
Two Pruned Thumbs Up, Dec 20 2003
This story washed ashore to me and I coveted it like a new, old shell. Listen closely to where it's been and what it has to say, distant or whispering sailor's gibberish in your ear.Set on an island off the coast of Scotland, characters that bob the white caps of this tale are Cameron, a middle-aged bachelor devouting his life to caring for the lighthouse and the safe passage of those at sea. Simon, the new assistant caretaker, finds Lucia in the water after a storm and brings her ashore. Charlotte arrives later. The sister of Cameron, she's there to care for the men and to be a stable witness, should one of them die in their work.
Lucia is a fairly sensible confused person and, I'd venture, the least wooden of the players in this work. That irony comes home to roost on the ledges of the lighthouse later on. When a crumbling crypt is the homiest joint on the island, don't expect a clambake anytime soon. Holes in the raft: Cameron's complete walking of the mental health plank, seemingly overnight. Simon's face never really came to me, despite description, which seemed odd considering his "animist" talent. The female form on the cover fits Charlotte's physical description, not Lucia. I read this book in the cold of the season and can't help but to wonder what kind of beach read it would make come sweat of Summer? Cold tequila against hot sand and the storm that contrast creates in the soul. --Laurel825
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