A review by r4ch4elreads
The Lost Lights of St Kilda by Elisabeth Gifford

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.