The Lightkeeper by Linda Duval is a tale of a young woman who seeks to be independent and then becomes fiercely so in a time when it is far from the norm.
Because of the Civil War there’s a shortage of men to staff the lighthouses on the Massachusetts coast. Amy Pritchard is mourning the death of her husband when not long afterwards her infant daughter also dies. Seeking refuge and a desire to prove herself as a capable person, she is hired to care for the Point Peril lighthouse.
Amy becomes adept in her role caring for the lighthouse and its grounds, teaches herself to swim, garden and manages life, mostly, on her own. A ferocious storm changes things when she saves a shipwrecked sailor. Amy and the man, who she later learns was the ship’s captain, are destined to meet again months later. From this point the plot becomes predictable, but no less engaging.
Later, a young man is available to take over the lighthouse and Amy must give up her job. The captain offers her a position at his family’s shipbuilding company and housing in Boston, which she reluctantly accepts. This further tests her resolve to maintain her independence.
DuVal has crafted a richly descriptive narrative with interesting characters, although she resorts to caricature in her portrayal of the rural pastor. Still, the story flows well and Amy’s insistence of staying true to herself despite the limitations imposed on women of that era is impressive.
The Lightkeeper
Three-and-three-quarters bookmarks
Ryolite Press, 2024
178 pages
The Blue Page Special 