Review-The Girl in the Lighthouse, by Roxane Tepfer Sanford

THE GIRL IN THE LIGHTHOUSE
Roxane Tepfer Sanford
Lumina Press, 2009,
$13.95,pb
250pp
978-1-60594-238-4


Lillian Arrington’s father is a lighthouse keeper and until the age of nine she lived in an isolated world devoid of friends. Born in 1862 to Ameilia and Garrett she was the epitome of daddy’s little girl. Her mother was not always well, but she and her father were inseparable. When her father is transferred to Jasper Island she abounds with joy when she learns there will be an assistant keeper on the island who has two sons. With hope and anticipation she meets Heath and Ayden, and the trio become instant companions. Lillian’s childhood is carefree and joyous with each day full of promise with a bright outlook toward the future. Her world is flipped on end when her mother’s health becomes critical.

Lillian’s lifestyle turns from joy to misery when she is sent to live with her grandmother, Eugenia on her Georgia plantation. Southern to the core with a drive to rekindle the glory of the past, Eugenia Arrington is nothing like her daughter Amelia. Lillian must endure new challenges that are painful, physically and mentally as she uncovers deep secrets from her families past. Wounds of flesh and mind will scar her deeply as she tries to cope with her discoveries.

Taking place in a variety of settings, Sanford depicts each vista with accurate acuity. The details enable the reader clarity and perception as if you were there. Eugenia, hateful and retched juxtaposed with Lillian’s loving and sweet demeanor are both fully developed characters representing good versus evil in imaginative tale of immorality.

Glimmers of Lillian’s past are sparingly uncovered as the author teases you through to the conclusion. A long journey for Lillian, this historical fiction novel is brimming with tension and crescendo like drama that will captivate the reader.