Keeping the Good Light
by Katherine KirkpatrickDelacorte Press and Dell Laurel Leaf
Ages 12 and up
For sixteen-year-old Eliza Brown, life seems hopelessly dreary. It’s 1903, and the turn of the century is bringing new ideas and dramatic changes. But at Stepping Stones lighthouse, the chores are endless and the company gloomy. Eliza feels isolated on the rocky island with her sullen brother Sam, her taciturn father, and her critical mother. Her happiest moments come when she travels to school on City Island by rowboat. If only she could find a way to escape her claustrophobic home.
When family tragedy strikes, Eliza’s life changes utterly in a few tumultuous days. She suddenly has more freedom that she ever imagined possible—even opportunities for romance. But her new life also brings formidable challenges and painful decisions. Where does a spirited and rebellious young woman like Eliza really belong?
Author’s Note:
“Keeping the Good Light was my first novel and it is the most autobiographical of my books. Much of the plot came directly from my own life experiences, living on City Island, New York, and sailing around its waters. Every day I could see Stepping Stones lighthouse in the distance. This book holds a special place in my heart because of the memories it evokes. I wrote it at a time when I was young and very free.”
To read more about the making of Keeping the Good Light, click on Remembering Skippy Lane: A Memoir
Recommended by the New York Public Library, “Books for the Teen Age”
Winner of the New York State Marine Education Association’s “Herman Melville” book award
Featured by Scholastic’s “Tab” Book Club
A Parents Magazine Best Book of the Year
“Katherine Kirkpatrick’s Keeping the Good Light is a novel full of delight. It has a strong feeling for period and place and character, the three most essential ingredients for good reading.” –Madeleine L’Engle
“[E] Liza’s personality is vibrant and irresistible . . . . This is an outstanding book with a truly contemporary heroine in a historical setting. Readers of L. M. Montgomery’s “Anne of Green Gables” series will find in [E]Liza a kindred spirit.” –School Library Journal
“A compelling coming-of-age story.” –Kirkus
“The wealth of well-researched period details and the author’s obvious love for her story’s setting add up to an engaging read.” –Publishers Weekly
To find out more about the history of City Island, see www.cityislandmuseum.org