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bookishmillennial's review against another edition
funny
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
This was so lovely. I appreciated this middle grade historical fictional story about Lucy, who is sent to a lighthouse island on the Great Lakes with the Martins after her last caretaker passes away. Her father passed away a few years ago searching for a necklace and her mother, years before then.
It’s 1912, and Lucy is now 11 years old and navigating being an orphan, but trying her best to fit in with the Martins, as she has no one left. She has six new siblings (and not all of them are thrilled she is there!) and unfortuantely, her bed is in the girls’ room’s closet (there is very limited space in this lighthouse, this is not out of neglect or spite, simply a space issue). Lucy is spirited, confident, and loves telling tales; she refers to herself as "The Princess" or "The Small Waif Girl" at certain times in the story (we're given third-person POV of Lucy), and it is delightful to follow her narrative. You can absolutely argue it is a coping mechanism amidst so much change, but I think she is posited as someone who has always enjoyed tall tales, and exploring new worlds in her imagination!
The plot, besides the Martins ensuring they are doing everything up to code so they are not re-assigned to a different lighthouse, is Lucy's motivation for adventure! She is focused on finding the treasure her dad was searching for years ago (a necklace that once belonged to a local family nearby but was lost!) but she has a deep phobia of being on a boat/on the water. In the boat ride over, she has a panic attack (what I interpreted it as, but I could be wrong!) and obviously this is a major problem if she wants to go on this quest!
Overall, I found Lucy’s story to be bittersweet, tender and truly so easy to zoom through. The writing flowed well, and I was so appreciative of reading the perspective of a French-Ojibwe child and other indigenous characters. This book centers around themes of belonging, chosen family, and bravery during hard times. It also illuminated such fascinating lighthouse history on the Great Lakes that I wasn’t aware of! I highly recommend this book, and will be looking out for Johnson's work in the future!
The author is a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.
This was so lovely. I appreciated this middle grade historical fictional story about Lucy, who is sent to a lighthouse island on the Great Lakes with the Martins after her last caretaker passes away. Her father passed away a few years ago searching for a necklace and her mother, years before then.
It’s 1912, and Lucy is now 11 years old and navigating being an orphan, but trying her best to fit in with the Martins, as she has no one left. She has six new siblings (and not all of them are thrilled she is there!) and unfortuantely, her bed is in the girls’ room’s closet (there is very limited space in this lighthouse, this is not out of neglect or spite, simply a space issue). Lucy is spirited, confident, and loves telling tales; she refers to herself as "The Princess" or "The Small Waif Girl" at certain times in the story (we're given third-person POV of Lucy), and it is delightful to follow her narrative. You can absolutely argue it is a coping mechanism amidst so much change, but I think she is posited as someone who has always enjoyed tall tales, and exploring new worlds in her imagination!
The plot, besides the Martins ensuring they are doing everything up to code so they are not re-assigned to a different lighthouse, is Lucy's motivation for adventure! She is focused on finding the treasure her dad was searching for years ago (a necklace that once belonged to a local family nearby but was lost!) but she has a deep phobia of being on a boat/on the water. In the boat ride over, she has a panic attack (what I interpreted it as, but I could be wrong!) and obviously this is a major problem if she wants to go on this quest!
Overall, I found Lucy’s story to be bittersweet, tender and truly so easy to zoom through. The writing flowed well, and I was so appreciative of reading the perspective of a French-Ojibwe child and other indigenous characters. This book centers around themes of belonging, chosen family, and bravery during hard times. It also illuminated such fascinating lighthouse history on the Great Lakes that I wasn’t aware of! I highly recommend this book, and will be looking out for Johnson's work in the future!
The author is a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Grief
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