The book jacket synopsis hints at danger in a remote location, not just from the elements but an unexpected presence hiding in the wilderness. But this is so much more than a thriller based on isolation and the fear of the unknown.

Trudy is a highly educated woman, able to argue philosophy (Kant, anyone?) or play a Mozart sonata. Everyone expects she’ll marry her childhood friend, Ernst, and settle down to an upper-middle class life in Milwaukee. But then she meets Ernst’s cousin, Oskar, and everything changes. Oskar is a dreamer with training as an engineer. He’s intent on inventing the next BIG thing and Trudy is caught up in his dreams. He takes a position as an assistant lighthouse keeper on a remote promontory on the California coast, thinking he’ll have plenty of time to work on his invention. So, in fall of 1898 the newlyweds set out to make their own future. Things don’t go as they expected.

Trudy is a wonderful character. She’s intelligent, but also observant and not afraid of some hard work. When the lighthouse keeper’s wife suggests (demands?) that Trudy serve as a schoolteacher for the keeper’s children, she takes on the challenge. But the children have much to teach her as well.

Oskar, on the other hand, is a real piece of work. I guess I can understand how his enthusiasm and apparent drive to make a real impact on the world could have seduced her, but how could Trudy keep forgiving him and supporting him when his true colors became evident. I saw the climactic scene coming a mile off, though I still enjoyed reading it and seeing how Schwarz would craft this denouement.

The character that most surprised me was Euphemia (Mrs. Crawley). She was a rock, a pillar of strength, and when push came to shove, she supported and helped Trudy, her children, and Helen. She loved her brother, yes, but she recognized his failings and ultimately would not make excuses for him. Brava. ( )

The edge of the earth for Trudy Swann is a lighthouse in Point Lucia, California, where she is domiciled with her new husband, Oskar, the Crawley family consisting of the chief keeper, his wife and four children, and Mrs. Crawley’s brother, Archie Johnson. She has married impetuously, without knowing much about who her husband truly is, but what might reveal itself in bits and pieces under normal circumstances, comes in a rush in such an isolated setting.

It is interesting to see Trudy develop her own interests and pursue her natural inclinations toward science. Schwarz does an excellent job of unveiling Trudy, and indeed all the other characters she invents for us. There is a “mermaid” (according to the children) on the island, living in the caves, and the mystery of this woman drives the plot. While I unraveled the main mystery well before the reveal, I still found the book riveting and was anxious to see how the truth would be exposed and how it would affect this group of lighthouse keepers. I think a secret is a hard thing to keep in such close quarters, and strangers do not remain such for long when the sounds of their living penetrate the walls between their homes.

The idea of living and caring for a lighthouse is one that has some very specific appeal for me. I cannot tell you why, but it seems it is a romantic notion that I have held onto from childhood, so there must have been a captivating lighthouse book in my youth somewhere. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, and welcomed the break from heavier reading into something that was sheer pleasure first to last.



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Trudy is very smart and has a bright future ahead of her. Her family can almost hear the wedding bells ringing for Trudy. There is just one problem. They did not expect Trudy to fall for a guy like Oskar.

Trudy and Oskar move away and accept a job at a lighthouse. Trudy becomes a teacher to the Crawley children. The other family that lives at the lighthouse. Whereas Oskar is fascinated by his inventions and electricity. Oskar finds a cave and a mysterious woman living in it. He finds her intriguing.

I enjoyed the book, but think it should have had a quicker pace, and feel it took much too long for Trudy to see her husband for what he was. It didn't feel true to the character. ( )

A tepid 3★

The summary of this tale was enticing.
Sadly, I experienced little of this reviewer's enthusiasm.
I'm waiting for other friends to read this and share their comments ( )

I have just finished this wonderful book. It grabbed me from the first and I had read it when ever I had a free moment. The story continues to unfold and engross you till you can't stop reading because you can't wait to see where Christina is going to take you next. You think you know but Oh no you don't. I enjoyed everything about this book! I especially loved the way she brought the entire story together at the end. A very satisfying read! ( )