What do readers think of The Woman at the Light by Joanna Brady? Write your own review.

A great story. From the prologue I was hooked. Emily says "I recall the bitter and the sweet, the grief and the rapture--for in my life, the one cannot be chronicled without the other." And so goes the story. I will recommend this one to my book club.
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Wonderful! It is easy to be carried away to antebellum Key West. The story is woven around a female lighthouse keeper in the 19th century and the issues of her time. Slavery, feminism, and a forbidden love. Very rewarding book

Fabulous read! You will delve into the loves and life of Emily Lowry, the heroine of this novel - plan to stay up at night as you live her life, sympathize with her tragedies and delight in her good times. Well written, identifiable characters and realistic settings. Pick this one for a great escape.

I loved this book! Joanna Brady did extensive research on the history of the Florida Keys and the lighthouse keepers and some history of Cuba. Some of the characters in this book were real people. It was interesting reading of the difficulties the lighthouse keepers had to deal with -- the difficult work of maintaining the lighthouse, hurricanes, Seminole wars, wreckers, and, most all, the isolation.

Emily, the heroine of the story, was a strong woman and “ahead of her time”. She was against slavery although her family had owned slaves. She did not let others make decisions for her. When her husband disappeared, she insisted on taking his job as the lighthouse keeper at Wreckers Cay even though she had three small children.

Each chapter of this book held me in its grasp. The characters were well-developed. The story moved at a good pace, giving some interesting aspects of our country’s history. A very enjoyable book!

This novel is set mostly in Key West and the fictional Wrecker’s Cay during the1800’s. It tells the story of Emily Dinsmere, a New Orleans debutante who after a few weeks of courtship with a Bahamian fisherman, Martin Lowry, finds herself in a desolate outpost of Key West called Wrecker’s Cay, where she and her husband are the sole inhabitants, tending the lighthouse. Martin disappears one day and his young widow Emily is left to tend the lighthouse on her own and raise their three young children.

Weaved throughout Emily’s story is fascinating historical information during a time when Key West was considered a new frontier, slavery was commonplace and the Cuban cigar and tobacco industry was burgeoning. I was captivated by the many challenges and accomplishments of this strong, resourceful woman. The supporting characters who come in and out of her life over the years are well developed. Her relationship with Andrew captivated me most of all. This book has numerous twists and turns and a fabulous read.

The Woman at the Light is historical fiction that transports you to another era in Old Key West. The greatest strength of the book is the rich historical setting. The character development, however, seems very 2-dimensional and at times feels forced to support the story. Overall, this is a fast read great for summer.

An enjoyable read with a descriptive history of Key West in the 1800s as well as insight into the role of women and slavery .... all interwoven with family dynamics and a love story.

I really liked this book. Emily Lowry is a character that resonates with the reader. Her growth and transformation from a pampered,wealthy young Southern woman to a strong, courageous independent woman whose eyes were opened to the ways of the world from which she had always been sheltered was compelling. How she learned to follow her heart and defy the strict societal mores of her day provided for a very satisfying read. This would be a great book for book club discussions, as there are many aspects to consider, among them slavery, Key West history and miscegenation. A good read!