What do readers think of The Woman at the Light by Joanna Brady? Write your own review.

This book drew me into the drama, intrigue and ambiance of ante-bellam New Orleans, Key West, the lighthouses that gave safety to mariners off the Florida coast, Havana, and the Seminole wars. I love historical fiction that encompasses this time period which predates the American Civil War. I liked the protagonist, Emily Lowry, who married after a whirlwind courtship a man who was not ideal by her family’s standards – and moved her from sophisticated New Orleans to a rough and tumble Key West long before it grew into the gentile artists colony that it became. She followed her new husband, whom she barely knew, to Key West and ultimately to a small island where they tended a lighthouse that was integral to keeping shipping vessels from crashing onto a coral reef.

This is the story of a feisty woman who bucked convention, learned to be her own person, embraced forbidden love, made some pragmatic decisions for survival, and ultimately lived the life she wanted to live – albeit partially in the shadows. I liked Emily. Her only true ally was her sister Dorothy, who loved and supported Emily but also made decisions against Emily that made sense for the time and place. While some may have anger at decisions Dorothy made, I fully understand why she did what she did. And so did Emily.

The book was beautifully written. The story was so engrossing I didn’t want to put it down. That signifies a good book for me. I would recommend The Woman at the Light for anybody who loves historical fiction involving intriguing women during the early days of America.

The Woman at the Light, by Joanna Brady, is the warm, compelling story of Emily Lowry. It mainly takes you to (ficticious) Wreckers Cay in South FLorida in the 1800's. From class and money in New Orleans, she becomes a wife and mother, a lighthouse keeper, a boardinghouse cook etc. and survives. A relationship with a slave causes great difficulties. There is a lot of history here in the Keys, including the dangers of boats transporting goods, and slaves through the shallow channels and also dealing with the Seminole Indians.

The cover of the book seems to convey peace and beauty with the famous sunset. The story is anything but.

It's a women's book for all ages. Emily is someone we can all admire. She is intelligent and resourceful and you have to admire her.

It reminds me of another new book, Beneath the Shadows by Sara Foster where the heroine controls her own fate.

This is a refreshingly different work of historical fiction about the pre-Civil War era in the south. The lighthouses and the shipwrecks, the power of the rich and the vulnerability of the poor, combined in a believable and educational story. A good and worthwhile read.

What is sitting on the beach, time on your hands, reading glasses in place, lathered up with sunscreen and a good book to read? Ah summer! It is the best of times when all of these things, especially the good book, come together at once…a perfect storm scenario without the storm. Woman at the Light is an integral part of this summers’ perfect storm. Joanna Brady has written an evenly paced, historical fiction romance that could result in sunburn if you don’t have that sunscreen. You won’t want to put it down until you have read the last page. In 1829, Emily, a young Southern bell from New Orleans becomes infatuated with a handsome “wrecker,” men who salvage cargo from shipwrecks along the coast of the Florida Keys. Based loosely on the lives of women who assumed the duties of lighthouse keeping after their husbands died or disappeared, Emily endures everything the natural world can throw at her along with having to navigate the social mores of the pre-Civil War era in the deep South. Brady has just the right blend of history, romance and reality to make a week end at the beach fulfilling as well as frivolous. Perfect…

I absolutely loved this page-turner and have already recommended it to friends. The author did an admirable job of integrating an intricate plot with the history of Key West; lighthouse keepers in the Keys; and, to a lesser, but interesting extent, Havana in the mid-19th century. Her main characters were well-fleshed out. I finished the book in two days and am still thinking about it, which is one of my criteria in giving the highest recommendation for a novel (e.g., The Kitchen House). Brady’s thorough research was obviously an integral part in providing a realistic setting. If you want a mesmerizing love story, you’ll find it here! I look forward to what I hope is a long career for Joanna Brady.

What a great story! Joanna Brady put everything a reader of historical fiction could ask for into this novel - romance, adventure mystery and family with all its joys and trials. The book not only offers an interesting history of Key West (all I knew about Key West was it was located in Florida and Ernest Hemingway lived there and loved it). The book is also an education. Who knew women like Brady's heroine were keepers of these buildings and how important they are to the Florida ocean. The prose is wonderful as it flows along just like a the story does. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

A page turner. Excellent for book club discussions. Good historical accuracy, which is a big plus. My only criticism: for most of the book, nearly everything happens to Emily and we see her cope. I would have preferred her to act rather than react.

This novel was a wonderful historical fiction read. The story dealt with issues of race and love in the early 19th century. I found the love story and its consequences to be quite believable and, while the end leaves the reader happy, the story itself is not trite in that it paints a realistic picture of the realities of unsanctioned romances. Both Emily and Andrew are characters that the reader must admire and those of Dorothy and Tom, while less admirable, are realistic and likeable in their own way. If I could give one criticism to the publishers it would be about the cover of the book. As a librarian I fully realize how ridiculous it might sound to say that but the reality is that many people DO judge a book by its cover when they are browsing. The cover of this books lends one to think they are about to read a poorly written romance novel. One would not even grasp that it is a historical fiction read based upon the clothing of the woman on the jacket. When I received it in the mail I thought to myself..."what the heck did I choose"? Fortunately. I pledged to read the novel and was very glad that I did.