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by J.R. Dawson
The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World is a powerful and poignant contemporary Queer fantasy perfect for fans of Hadestown and Under the Whispering Door.
At the edge of Chicago, nestled on the shores of Lake Michigan, there is a waystation for the dead. Every night, the newly-departed travel through the city to the Station, guided by its lighthouse. There, they reckon with their lives, before stepping aboard a boat to go beyond.
Nera has spent decades watching her father―the ferryman of the dead―sail across the lake, each night just like the last.
But tonight, something is wrong.
The Station's lighthouse has started to flicker out. The terrifying, ghostly Haunts have multiplied in the city. And now a person―a living person―has found her way onto the boat.
Her name is Charlie. She followed a song. And she is searching for someone she lost.
"Greek myth, Jewish tradition, and slow-burning queer romance gracefully intertwine in this melancholy treasure...immersive, bittersweet, and wonderfully original." ―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Gripping...a heartwrenching story that shines a beacon of hope." ―Booklist
"Moving and tense...A grim, authentic exploration of death for those who appreciate mythology-infused fantasy, such as Samantha Sotto Yambao's Water Moon or Joanne M. Harris's Orfeia." ―Library Journal
"Gorgeous, lyrical, heartfelt, and true in all the ways that matter! This is an achingly beautiful book that is as much about life as it is about death. Haunting and healing and highly recommended!" ―Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop
"An earnest, heartfelt read set in a moody, otherworldly Chicago steeped in loss and history." ―Veronica Roth, #1 New York Times bestselling author of When Among Crows
This information about The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
J.R. Dawson (she/they) is the Golden Crown award-winning author of The First Bright Thing. Her shorter works can be found in places such as F&SF, Lightspeed, and Rich Horton's Year's Best. Dawson currently lives in Minnesota with her loving wife. She teaches at Drexel University's MFA program for Creative Writing, and fills her free time with keeping her three chaotic dogs out of trouble.
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