Lucy Riley is someone with secrets that haunt her from England to the American East to the Mid-West to the West Coast. They even chase her out of San Francisco to the Farallon Islands in the Pacific. She becomes a teacher to the rough island’s children. The handful of adults on the island are employed to man the lighthouse and harvest exquisite eggs. It’s a place that next to no one wants to go to, yet it’s a place Lucy feels drawn to in order to escape a life of all-pervasive fear.
Yet a lonely island may not be the best place to escape fears. Sure, they can protect against physical calamity, but the plight of the human conscience in a lonely place can bring out insanity in even the best of us. This tale, set after the California gold rush of 1849, reminds us of another 19th-century tale: Moby Dick. Can humanity escape ever-present worries about where to get their next meal or paycheck? Or in Lucy’s case, can she live worthwhile life on her own terms?
At first, Lucy hides her identity to her neighbors behind a contrived tale and an act. However, the people around her probe her along with life events. She finds that she must confront her fears instead of running away. She must save herself and those who she loves. She moves from being acted upon to becoming an actor. In a dramatic climax, she finds salvation, peace, and love in a rough world, even on Farallon Island.
In her first novel, Jen Wheeler excels at spinning good yarn. She conveys a subtle approach to human nature and provides several strong characters. Its genre spans several categories, including romance, mystery, and suspense. Readers interested in a romance or a survivor tale or a psychologically probing exploration need look no further. This book’s multifaceted approach had me eagerly reading all weekend to reach its end. Well done!
The Light on Farallon Island: A Novel
By Jen Wheeler
Copyright (c) 2023
Lake Union
ISBN13 9781662508981
Page Count: 363
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance
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