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The Lightkeeper's Daughters
The Lightkeeper's Daughters: A Novel | Jean E. Pendziwol
36 posts | 44 read | 45 to read
"Jean Pendziwols beautifully written novel captured me from the very first page. Its descriptions of the windswept lightkeepers station of Elizabeths and Emilys youth are so crisply rendered I felt I was standing on its shores watching the great ships cross the stormy waters of Lake Superior. Even more than its vivid evocation of a unique time and place, The LightKeeper's Daughters is a sensitive and moving examination of the nature of identity, the importance of family, and the possibility of second chances."Heather Young, author of The Lose Girls With the haunting atmosphere and emotional power of The Language of Flowers, Orphan Train, and The Light Between Oceans, critically acclaimed childrens author Jean E. Pendziwols adult debut is an affecting story of family, identity, and art that involves a decades-old mystery. Though her mind is still sharp, Elizabeths eyes have failed. No longer able to linger over her beloved books or gaze at the paintings that move her spirit, she fills the void with music and memories of her family, especially her beloved twin sister, Emily. When her late fathers journals are discovered after an accident, the past suddenly becomes all too present. With the help of Morgan, a delinquent teenager performing community service at her senior home, Elizabeth goes through the diaries, a journey through time that brings the two women closer together. Entry by entry, these unlikely friends are drawn deep into a world far removed from their own, to Porphyry Island on Lake Superior, where Elizabeths father manned the lighthouse and raised his young family seventy years before. As the words on these musty pages come alive, Elizabeth and Morgan begin to realize that their fates are connected to the isolated island in ways they never dreamed. While the discovery of Morgans connection sheds light onto her own family mysteries, the faded pages of the journals will shake the foundation of everything Elizabeth thinks she knows and bring the secrets of the past into the light.
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IuliaC
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Pickpick

A beautiful novel about life, love and devotion, which has all the necessary ingredients: life stories, well-kept secrets, truths and regrets which can tear families apart, and a very vivid description of Lake Superior and how it shaped the lives of men and women who tended the light and fog stations in the first decades of the 20th century

MariaW I know the lighthouse on the cover. It is Peggy‘s Cove in Nova Scotia, Canada. 🙈 5y
IuliaC @MariaW Wow, that's fabulous! It's a beautiful lighthouse, no wonder the editors chose it for the cover 😍 5y
18 likes2 comments
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Valink
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I‘m picking my books based on how much room they take up on my shelf. My bookshelf is so full I can‘t fit another skinny paperback on it, so this book needs to be up next & passed on. Fortunately I hear good things about it & Once Upon a Book Club boxes are always fun.

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JenGrigg
Pickpick

Surprised myself with this rating. Didn't expect much from the book, I wanted a light holiday read which was interesting enough to keep turning the pages and not too challenging, which I got from this, but also found myself liking the characters in the historical story and even after finishing it thinking back to how things must have been for them. I almost miss the young Emily and Elizabeth!

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Loric
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Pickpick

Elizabeth is an elderly blind woman living in a nursing home and Morgan is a troubled teen assigned to community service there. The paths of the two cross and the past comes to life as Morgan reads aloud the journals of Elizabeth‘s father who was Lightkeeper on Porphyry Island. Beautifully tragic, this is a story about the bonds between family and the secrets they keep. Fans of A Light Between Oceans and The Orphan Train will enjoy this one!

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IamIamIam
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If you've not read this gem or maybe it's on your TBR, don't miss this deal!!! It's honestly one of the most beautiful books I've read in ages!! Seriously debating this one after having listened to it!!!

*UPDATE*
Who am I kidding...
OF COURSE I bought it! 😊

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Curvybookgirl
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Mehso-so

This book just wasn‘t really to my taste. I read it for book club. Will be interesting to get other people‘s take on it

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ravenlee
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Pickpick

I‘m still processing this one. Overall I enjoyed it, it went faster than I expected. I saw the twists coming pretty early (3/4, didn‘t get the Grayson thing until partway through). I found Morgan irritating, but I think that‘s deliberate. The grammar thing pisses me off (don‘t use “and I” when it should be “and me” - it‘s not hard!) but other than that it‘s pretty good. Not great.

29 likes1 stack add
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ravenlee
Lightkeeper's Daughters | Jean E Pendziwol

I‘m enjoying this book more than I expected to, from the first few pages. But there are some grammatical errors bugging me, and I can‘t tell if it‘s supposed to be the character‘s voice or if it‘s the author messing up. Either way it‘s irritating.

I took the kiddo to see Aladdin today, which she enjoyed and I disliked. After we spent the morning cleaning bathrooms and floors (which, again, she enjoyed and I disliked). Busy day.

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ItsAnotherJen
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Pickpick

Enjoyable read, I liked the writing style. Nice twist to the ending! I thought it was an easy mystery to figure out but I was wrong. Right towards the end there were so many of these "but wait, there's more!" moments that it was kind of getting out of hand. ?
This was a #blameitonlitsy pick because of some great reviews and it didn't disappoint.

105 likes2 stack adds
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suvata
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Pickpick

This book is about Canadian men and women who served as Great Lakes lighthouse keepers on Lake Superior. The subject is very near and dear to my heart because I grew up in Michigan and loved the northern Michigan references. It‘s a pretty common trope about a young girl who befriends an elderly woman and together they discover family secrets. I may have only given the book 3-stars but, like I said, “near to my heart” and all made it a 4-star read.

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suvata
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Really!?! Then I‘ll go to bed.

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suvata
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#suvataPicks May 2019 — My personal pick because of a 4+ Goodreads average rating

41 likes1 stack add
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Miss_Kim
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Love is not blind... Love blinds us. It is a thief.

maamyvette1001 @God bless you !!!! 4y
55 likes1 comment
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jenniferw88
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Pickpick

This is not my usual type of historical fiction, but I enjoyed this novel alternating between the present & the world wars.
You can't help but smile at the friendship between Elizabeth & Morgan, & the relationship between Elizabeth & Emily is surprisingly strong despite the situation they find themselves in the present.
The setting is also very evocative, especially in the diary entries as Lake Superior becomes a character in it's own right.

89 likes4 stack adds
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emmaturi
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Pickpick

I have just finished this one this evening. Such a lovely book, set on Lake Superior and the surrounding area. I also love stories with lighthouses. #books #lovetoread #bookcrazy

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llwheeler
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A quick read. It took me a while to really get into, almost 20%, but I'm glad I stuck with it. Not sure if the slow start was even the book, it might have just been my mood. Anyway, I enjoyed this and I could see it sticking with me for a while. Beautifully evocative of Lake Superior and the region around Thunder Bay.

Crazeedi This is another book Ive been wanting to read 6y
llwheeler @Crazeedi Hope you enjoy it if you do read it ☺ 6y
Miss_Kim My husband read it last month and keeps reminding me to read it. I better see if I can get it on Libby! 6y
llwheeler @Miss_Kim That's where I got it from 🙂 Hope you enjoy if you do get it! 6y
Miss_Kim 👍🏻 6y
44 likes1 stack add5 comments
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llwheeler
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This popped up on Libby for me today. Seems fairly intriguing, I borrowed it (good job, marketing person somewhere lol). Anyone else see this or have read this book?

33 likes1 stack add
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Lel2403
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Both of these are 99p for the Kindle at the moment...

Cinfhen That cover!!! Stunning 💕💕💕💕 6y
laurenlovesliterature Stunning covers 6y
LizzieChantree What beautiful book covers! 6y
Lel2403 @LizzieChantree I thought so too...shame they‘re ebooks 6y
82 likes1 stack add4 comments
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charl08
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We thought it normal to live on an island far out on the dark grey waters...

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Lel2403
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This sounds like it might be good......and 99p for kindle at the moment

TrishB Immediately runs off to kindle.... 6y
Lel2403 @TrishB lol I did the same 6y
TrishB Sounds good and I find it very hard to resist a 99p offer! 6y
63 likes3 comments
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sparrowssavvy
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Pickpick

Definite Kate Morton vibes from this book. A few slow moments but overall a great read. I wanted a few more surprise twists, but it was well plotted and well paced.

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Wife
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Mehso-so

Pretty far-fetched. But ok. 3/5⭐️s

LauraJ Love a succinct review! 6y
Wife @Lauraj 😊 6y
72 likes2 comments
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Redwritinghood
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Pickpick

Well-written, atmospheric story about the two daughters of a lighthouse keeper on Lake Superior, and how their later lives intersect with a young girl. There were a few too many twists in this story to make it feel realistic, but the characters were nicely drawn and had distinct voices. 3.5⭐️

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IamIamIam
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Pickpick

WOW!!! I didn't really expect to like this but I absolutely loved the mysterious story of Elizabeth and her mute sister Emily, living as lighthouse keepers in Canada. The landscapes of Lake Superior and Porphyry Island are very strong characters as well. This was a bit out of my wheelhouse but an amazing read!

41 likes2 stack adds
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Jamiemac1985
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KateFulfordAuthor May I recommend my debut as a future read? See my bio for all the links you need. Thanks, Kate 7y
17 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Ehbooklover
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the characters, its beautifully described setting (Lake Superior), the plot twists, and the author's ultra-engaging writing style. An emotional and moving story that I couldn't put down!

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brittanythebookdragon
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Pickpick

I really liked this book and for me it was a great change of pace from all the YA I‘ve been reading lately. I really kept flipping the pages because I wanted to see how Morgan and Elizabeth fit into the puzzle with one another.

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Debiw781
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I could go on forever listing #myfavoritebooks so I'll just pick one of the more recent ones that made my list. @Avanders has a great giveaway on her page but it's ending tomorrow so hurry over there to get details so you can enter!

Avanders Sounds like a lovely book! Thanks for entering and good luck!! 7y
41 likes1 comment
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Chelsibeau
Lightkeeper's Daughters | Jean E Pendziwol
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Started this one. So far I like it! But warning- it's in the present tense so if that will drive you crazy, this one isn't for you.

erinreads That cover is gorgeous! 7y
ValerieAndBooks Thanks for the warning! I don't generally care for present-tense narratives. 7y
45 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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bookishkai
Pickpick

Fantastic book set on the Canadian side of Lake Superior at a lighthouse. It's a bit of a family story, a bit of a mystery, a whole lot of interesting. Definite recommend if you like books with twisty plots!

Sassy_Steph I have this one sitting in my pile! I will get to it for sure!! 7y
42 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Debiw781
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Pickpick

Great story that weaves back and forth between last and present. I bet this one would be awesome on audio because of the alternating narrators.

Bostonmomx2 Sounds good! Not your normal read. 7y
Debiw781 Nope, but I almost tagged you in this one @Bostonmomx2 as it's more your style I think. I loved it though 7y
Bostonmomx2 Definitely adding it to the list! 7y
39 likes1 stack add3 comments
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ChrisM
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Exploring Denver today & having a snack in cafe at the Denver public Library... even on vacation I can't stay out of libraries!!

SilversReviews Nice photo. Sounds like a good book. 7y
76 likes1 comment
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TorieStorieS
Lightkeeper's Daughters | Jean E Pendziwol
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Pickpick

#Twins ! This is a fast-paced read that alternates timelines and perspectives that intersect in an interesting way! It's really hard to put down! Though I suppose it's not the best pick for the actual holiday, as it's set in Canada! Oops!

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BethFishReads
Lightkeeper's Daughters | Jean E Pendziwol
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I can't resist a book set on the Great Lakes (my childhood) or a book that features twins (my sisters-in-law), but a book that has BOTH???? Yeah, I'm there. This is out in July from @HarperBooks @HarperBooks

bookslesstravelled Beautiful cover! 😍 7y
BookNAround Oh boy! I'm going to need this one. Great Lakes stories are like crack to me. 7y
See All 12 Comments
BethFishReads @BookNAround me too. I grew up on the Lakes 7y
BookNAround @BethFishReads I'm on Huron right now. 😁 7y
Bklover And a lighthouse too!!!!!!❤️❤️❤️ 7y
BethFishReads @BookNAround I'm so jealous (in a good way) ⛵️⛵️⚓️🏊 7y
LiteraryinPA Sounds like Light Between Oceans meets Orphan Train... and I liked both of them! 7y
BethFishReads @LiteraryinLititz great description. Are you in Lititz, PA?? I'm in Centre Co. 7y
CouronneDhiver The book I'm reading right now is all about a crazy set of twins: 7y
BethFishReads @CouronneDhiver oh I missed that one. Will look into it 7y
55 likes4 stack adds12 comments