Review #12 The Lightkeeper's Daughter

The Lightkeeper's Daughter

By Colleen Coble

Publication date: January 12, 2010

Rating: ****1/2

My review:

Addie Sullivan has grown up as the daughter of a lighthouse keeper, aiding her mother Josephine after her father's death. But everything she's always believed about herself and her life comes into question when an injured man insists that she is not Addie Sullivan but Julia Eaton, an heiress who was believed to be lost at sea as a child. Addie agrees to go to the Eaton home as a governess to the young son of widower John North. Her true identity must be kept from her family while more proof is found. But someone doesn't want Addie to be reunited with her family and in her new home she doesn't know who she can trust.

Colleen Coble is known for writing suspenseful contemporary Christian fiction. I was surprised to learn that her new book would be a historical fiction novel set in the early 20th century and I wasn't sure if I would like it. However all my fears were laid to rest as she brought her trademark blend of romance and suspense to a historical setting. There are surprising plot twists that keep the pages turning and an unexpected resolution. Addie and John's romance is sweet and both characters are likeable. Addie has a lot of strengths and talents and as this is the first in a series I hope to see more of her in the rest of the books. I really liked the theme of family relationships and parent-child relationships in this novel. Addie's desire to be part of a family, John's concerns for his son's well being, the relationship between Addie and Josephine and the relationships between Addie and the other Eatons all added to the story. The novel made me think about where you draw the line when it comes to gaining approval from your family or honoring your parents' wishes and being true to yourself. 

I've always enjoyed Colleen Coble's suspense novels and I was surprisingly pleased with her new historical fiction novel. I eagerly await the next installment in the Mercy Falls series. I would recommend The Lightkeeper's Daughter to fans of Tracie Peterson and general readers of Christian romance.