The Lighthouse: Book summary and reviews of The Lighthouse by Christopher Parker

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Katherine Pond

Not At All As Expected
A most unusual read. The title brings to mind coastal beaches and sun-drenched romps in the surf. While there is some sandy beach and dunes and even a Lighthouse Festival, that is not the chief backdrop of this story at all. The Lighthouse does play a significant role in the telling but not at all in any usual way!

A young girl's mother has recently died and, not unexpectedly, she is devastated and unable to come to terms with her loss. Her father, too, has been thrown into the depths of grief. Their relationship has always been a bit strained, since he is a Detective in the State Police and has often been away either physically or emotionally from his family. Now, with both in such upheaval, there seems to be no way for them to connect and support each other. Her Uncle Jack, also a State Police Officer, convinces her father to take her to a small seashore town to help them to find a quiet place in which to work their way to peace.

And so Amy finds herself in a small hotel on Oregon's coast with a Lighthouse outside her window. While her father goes to the bar for a nightcap, she finds herself unable to sleep. Grabbing her father's sleeping pills she draws a bath and falls asleep as the tub fills. Suddenly, she is rudely awakened by a young man, who when passing her room, discovers the hall floor covered in water. He goes into the room to discover her. And so, the two central characters of the book meet for the first time.

Ryan, is the son of a ranch owner who lives about five miles outside town. He had come to the hotel bar for a drink as well. The Ranch is being foreclosed within days and his taking loans from the bank has brought this upon the family home. He hasn't told his father and so driven by guilt and anguish, he has tried to escape for a bit.

As Amy and Ryan get closer, sharing their secrets and their grief, it becomes apparent that Ryan has a bigger secret that even he is not fully aware of. What that secret is and how it will change the lives of both he and Amy as well as their fathers is an emotional ride of hope, love,despair and finally happiness.

And is totally unexpected and unlike any novel I've read before. Just wonderful.

Rebajane

Unexpected
This book started out very slowly for me. I felt the writing was stiff and it wasn’t very interesting. But I also couldn’t put it down because I wanted to know about the lighthouse and it’s relevance to Amy’s story. Reading further, I was just confused as the story really didn’t make much sense. As the story progressed, I was intrigued to find out what was happening both to Amy and Ryan. It’s such a powerful love story not only between two people but also the love between parents and their children and the strength of love to make forever connections despite the tragedies that can occur. I dot know if it will be the same for everyone, but the book was very spiritual for me. It’s well worth reading

FNeagley

Teenage Angst and Ghosts
This is really not my kind of book - teenage angst and ghosts - but I have to admit that the story succeeded on some levels. However, I felt that I was reading a young adult fiction, which (at times) I am a big fan; but I don't think this is how 'The Lighthouse' is being marketed. The two young central characters are like mirror images of each other - both have lost their mothers, both have closed-off relations with their fathers and both are not asking for help.

Dorothy L. (Manalapan, NJ)

A Disappointing Read
Briefly said, I didn't like this book. I found the first part of the book very slow and actually boring at times. The last third of the book was in the vein of the supernatural and just seemed weird to me. I could not get into it and at times it almost seemed like two books. In addition, there were so many things that were amateurish in the writing. Also there were many unrealistic aspects besides the supernatural. The suddenness of the the father and daughter's move and lifestyle seemed a simple solution to their deep grief and loss. It seemed too pat to me and not realistic considering it was only a month. Not a book I would recommend unfortunately!