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r4ch4elreads's review
4.0
Many thanks to Readers First and Atlantic Books for providing an ARC for review.
Right from the beginning I was obsessed with this book. The imagery is simply stunning. I can see St Kilda so vividly in all of it's beauty; I was taken there, I smelled the sea, I heard the gulls, I met the people, listened to their stories, I was entirely engrossed in their traditions. I loved it.
The story is told from alternating character perspectives, and across different years, and it weaves so delicately between those narratives that you never feel lost or confused. I was right there with them, every step of the way.
Early on I knew Fred's part of the story was going to be my favourite, both as a prisoner of war in 1940 and as a young man on St Kilda in 1927. The characters are portrayed with such a delicate touch that makes them very real. This book is equally breathtaking and heartbreaking.
This is a truly beautiful book. Highly recommended.
Right from the beginning I was obsessed with this book. The imagery is simply stunning. I can see St Kilda so vividly in all of it's beauty; I was taken there, I smelled the sea, I heard the gulls, I met the people, listened to their stories, I was entirely engrossed in their traditions. I loved it.
The story is told from alternating character perspectives, and across different years, and it weaves so delicately between those narratives that you never feel lost or confused. I was right there with them, every step of the way.
Early on I knew Fred's part of the story was going to be my favourite, both as a prisoner of war in 1940 and as a young man on St Kilda in 1927. The characters are portrayed with such a delicate touch that makes them very real. This book is equally breathtaking and heartbreaking.
This is a truly beautiful book. Highly recommended.
patriciajoan's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
marinable_books's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
katieemarie27's review against another edition
5.0
As long as I can remember I have been fascinated by St Kilda and have read much about the life of the St Kildans. As soon as I saw this book I was intrigued to read it but, being from the Hebrides myself, I also approached it with dubious caution. In the past, I have read several books where I felt the authors exploited the romanticism and escapism stirred up by the wild Highlands and Islands as the ideal backdrop for their story - but giving no real depth to the lives of its people. This book does the complete opposite. It is well researched and gives life to the land. It paints a realistic picture of what rural life was, and to an extent still is, like in places like St Kilda. How hard life can be and ultimately was for them. The author’s well-developed characters and settings had me gripped and I shed more than a few tears at different parts - a good sign of an emotive story! I feel the story was respectfully and tastefully woven. I did predict how the story was going to go quite early on but enjoyed reading nonetheless and there definitely were a couple surprises to keep it interesting. 9.5/10! ✨
komal96's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoyed the writing style of this book. It was easy to follow and get sucked in to the plot that I read way more than I thought I did in each sitting.
There are two main perspectives, of Chrissie and Fred, and they alternate through times of when they first met and their lives later.
My favourite part of the story was the time spent on the island. I loved the descriptions of where and how they lived. It felt so real and I think that’s what made this story so powerful. The vivid and haunting moments, the difficult lifestyle and daily routines, made the story feel so alive and you can picture how they felt.
Overall, I thorougly enjoyed the book and would definitely recommend it, but I would have liked the characters to have more interactions and communicate more. It was a bit frustrating how much they were just keeping to themselves.
There are two main perspectives, of Chrissie and Fred, and they alternate through times of when they first met and their lives later.
My favourite part of the story was the time spent on the island. I loved the descriptions of where and how they lived. It felt so real and I think that’s what made this story so powerful. The vivid and haunting moments, the difficult lifestyle and daily routines, made the story feel so alive and you can picture how they felt.
Overall, I thorougly enjoyed the book and would definitely recommend it, but I would have liked the characters to have more interactions and communicate more. It was a bit frustrating how much they were just keeping to themselves.
thepagesofmrsd's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.0
The Lost Lights of St Kilda is a love story that crosses time and place, set against a backdrop of the isolated island of St Kilda and the France of WW1 and 2.
.
This is a difficult one for me to review in a way, because my thoughts are quite conflicted. It had some interesting themes and beautiful writing, but the plot didn't grab me...
.
I was not completely engaged at first. It jumps around A LOT in the beginning, both between characters and time periods, which was hard to follow. I do love a multi-person narrative, though, and it did soon settle.
.
As I said above, I also thought the writing was beautiful. Gifford absolutely excels at creating a stunning and immersive atmosphere. I could really picture the island of St Kilda, its wildness and beauty, and found the community really interesting to read about. The impact of both the first and second world wars on the island were explored quite poignantly too. This is an area of history that I was not aware of, and I'd be interested to know more about St Kilda now!
.
The plot, however, did not grab me at all. I found myself quite disinterested in the characters individually, to be honest, and there were some aspects of the romance that made me roll my eyes a bit! I'm not a fan of the 'insta-love' trope and this felt a little like that.
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The short chapters, however, were a great plus and kept up the pace. This helped me to continue reading when the plot itself didn't drive me.
.
Overall, this was a beautifully written book that explores some intriguing themes. I can see why some readers would love it, especially historical romance fans. For me, though, it was lacking that elusive something to bump it beyond 3 stars.
.
This is a difficult one for me to review in a way, because my thoughts are quite conflicted. It had some interesting themes and beautiful writing, but the plot didn't grab me...
.
I was not completely engaged at first. It jumps around A LOT in the beginning, both between characters and time periods, which was hard to follow. I do love a multi-person narrative, though, and it did soon settle.
.
As I said above, I also thought the writing was beautiful. Gifford absolutely excels at creating a stunning and immersive atmosphere. I could really picture the island of St Kilda, its wildness and beauty, and found the community really interesting to read about. The impact of both the first and second world wars on the island were explored quite poignantly too. This is an area of history that I was not aware of, and I'd be interested to know more about St Kilda now!
.
The plot, however, did not grab me at all. I found myself quite disinterested in the characters individually, to be honest, and there were some aspects of the romance that made me roll my eyes a bit! I'm not a fan of the 'insta-love' trope and this felt a little like that.
.
The short chapters, however, were a great plus and kept up the pace. This helped me to continue reading when the plot itself didn't drive me.
.
Overall, this was a beautifully written book that explores some intriguing themes. I can see why some readers would love it, especially historical romance fans. For me, though, it was lacking that elusive something to bump it beyond 3 stars.
readbydanni's review against another edition
4.0
Before reading this book, I'd never heard of St Kilda. Having read the book followed by a tiny little bit of research (hello Wikipedia!), The Lost Lights of St Kilda has even more charm for me. The book tells the story from the perspective of two main characters; Chrissie, born and raised on St Kilda and Fred, a one-time visitor to St Kilda who is now a captured prisoner of war in Nazi-occupied France.
Chrissie's perspective paints the history of St Kilda, the people and the struggles and joys of their lifestyle, starting from her childhood right through to her being a grown woman.
Fred's perspective is of a man trying to right the wrongs of his past whilst desperately trying to escape and return home. As their stories are told, we find out how Chrissie and Fred met, how their friendship ended and what happened to each of them once they each had to leave the island behind.
For me, this book started out a little slow but once we'd got to know the characters, it definitely picked up. Despite this, it is quite a heavy read. We're shown the struggles and pains of living on a remote island where visitors are rare and how those that do visit see the inhabitants as almost savages. The sense of community within the pages of The Lost Lights of St Kilda is both heartwarming and heartbreaking as life on the island becomes more and more of a struggle.
Beautifully written, Elisabeth Gifford has tried to pay tribute to the life and struggles of the previous inhabitants of St Kilda whilst also giving us a wartime love story with an ending that will warm your heart.
Thank you to NetGalley, Elisabeth Gifford and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Chrissie's perspective paints the history of St Kilda, the people and the struggles and joys of their lifestyle, starting from her childhood right through to her being a grown woman.
Fred's perspective is of a man trying to right the wrongs of his past whilst desperately trying to escape and return home. As their stories are told, we find out how Chrissie and Fred met, how their friendship ended and what happened to each of them once they each had to leave the island behind.
For me, this book started out a little slow but once we'd got to know the characters, it definitely picked up. Despite this, it is quite a heavy read. We're shown the struggles and pains of living on a remote island where visitors are rare and how those that do visit see the inhabitants as almost savages. The sense of community within the pages of The Lost Lights of St Kilda is both heartwarming and heartbreaking as life on the island becomes more and more of a struggle.
Beautifully written, Elisabeth Gifford has tried to pay tribute to the life and struggles of the previous inhabitants of St Kilda whilst also giving us a wartime love story with an ending that will warm your heart.
Thank you to NetGalley, Elisabeth Gifford and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
maddyspine's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
bookswithamb's review against another edition
4.0
The Lost Lights of St Kilda is the intergenerational tale of a group of people living on an island off the coast of Scotland, almost completely self-sufficient and isolated from the rest of the world. It also follows a man named Fred Lawson who goes to visit St Kilda to study rock formations but ultimately falls in love. It has a dual timeline and follows the characters from when they first meet to years later, when they have lost touch due to the war.
The thing that stood out to me the most when reading this, as in Elisabeth’s other book ‘The Secrets of The Sea House,” is her phenomenal writing style. She has the ability to construct a natural landscape down to the most intricate detail, using vivid, lyrical descriptions. It felt like all my senses were activated upon visiting the island and it inspired me to get out and explore more in real life too.
Hope and loss were key elements throughout the book and I thought they were handled well. The characters held on to a slither of hope, no matter how awful their situations were. I also thought that kindness was a key element, and we could all learn something from the community of St Kilda.
I didn’t realise how much I cared for the characters until I got nearer to the end and I was blinking back tears, my heart heavy with that swollen feeling you get when something monumental is about to happen. Overall, I loved this stunning, powerful novel and I know it will stick with me for a long time.
Many Thanks to Readers First and Corvus (Atlantic Books) for providing me with an arc for review.
The thing that stood out to me the most when reading this, as in Elisabeth’s other book ‘The Secrets of The Sea House,” is her phenomenal writing style. She has the ability to construct a natural landscape down to the most intricate detail, using vivid, lyrical descriptions. It felt like all my senses were activated upon visiting the island and it inspired me to get out and explore more in real life too.
Hope and loss were key elements throughout the book and I thought they were handled well. The characters held on to a slither of hope, no matter how awful their situations were. I also thought that kindness was a key element, and we could all learn something from the community of St Kilda.
I didn’t realise how much I cared for the characters until I got nearer to the end and I was blinking back tears, my heart heavy with that swollen feeling you get when something monumental is about to happen. Overall, I loved this stunning, powerful novel and I know it will stick with me for a long time.
Many Thanks to Readers First and Corvus (Atlantic Books) for providing me with an arc for review.
ccdunn's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Loved the island setting of this - so close to my heart! Kinda Where the Crawdads Sing energy? Like the bildungsroman element of young woman growing up in nature. It was slow paced and did put me to sleep for a couple of spicy naps but this wasn't a bad thing. My only criticism is that the novel spreads so much time being historically true to the story of St Kilda that the relationship between the two protagonists maybe isn't as developed as I'd like? Certainly some spicy, albeit predictable, character development from Archie. Recommend to island and nature lovers!
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual assault