SUMMER READING
The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter by Hazel Gaynor
This is the kind of historical novel that sweeps you up immediately and keeps you absorbed all the way through. Set in 1838 on the Irish coast and in1938 off Newport, Rhode Island, two young women become attached to, devoted, some might say, to their respective lighthouses. Grace Darling, a real individual, lived in the lighthouse on Longstone Island, Ireland, and rescued survivors of a shipwreck in 1838. She became a national hero touted in the papers and painted and drawn by many artists. In 1938, the fictional Matilda, nineteen, unmarried and pregnant, is sent from her home in Ireland to a relative in Rhode Island, who is one of a handful of female lighthouse keepers.
How the parallel stories of these two women, Grace and Matilda, are linked through storms and destruction is the stuff of the novel. In the process, you learn a lot about what was involved in keeping a lighthouse functioning pre-automation. (~JWFarrington)
Force of Nature by Jane Harper
I liked Harper’s latest mystery, The Lost Man, so much that I’ve gone back and gotten her two earlier works. One still resides unread on my Kindle; this one I read in paperback. Five women trek into the Australian bush on a corporate team building exercise, but only four return to the appointed site. A wide-ranging search is undertaken to try and locate the missing Alice Russell.
Although I did not find this novel as compelling as the other one, it is well plotted and creatively organized with two timelines running simultaneously. In present time, federal agents Aaron Falk and his partner, Carmen Cooper, are asked to become involved since they are investigating the company’s CEO in a separate matter. Interwoven with the ongoing search effort are day-by-day accounts of the hike told from the perspective of the individual women. Disagreements, underlying jealousies and office competitiveness combine for a less than harmonious experience that leads to tragedy. (~JWFarrington)
KEEPING BUSY
While I can spend many enjoyable hours just reading, Maine at this time of year offers a varied selection of diversions. And when we have house guests, there is even more reason to take advantage of this region’s cultural and dining opportunities.
Home and Garden Tour
Each year the Boothbay Region Garden Club showcases six area homes and their gardens. This year three of the houses were on Southport Island, including the former Lawnmere Inn, and the others in Boothbay Harbor. It was a lovely blue sky day and just warm enough to be pleasant. To deal with narrow streets and difficult parking, school buses were used to shuttle us around, and the whole affair was very well organized. As is our tradition, eight of us rounded out the tour with lunch on the deck at Linekin Bay.
Organ Concert
All Saints-by-the-Sea is a summer chapel on Southport that not only offers weekly worship services, but also the occasional organ recital or evensong service. This small wooden chapel is more than a hundred years old and sits in the woods, hidden down a side road and overlooking the water. You can park on the main road and walk down the hill or arrive by boat at their dock. All Saints is Episcopal in its affiliation, but welcomes visitors from all denominations and faiths.
We’ve attended several recitals here in the past. One recent Sunday afternoon, despite the heat, we were pleased to hear renowned organist, Henry Lowe. Organist and music director emeritus, Church of the Redeemer in Baltimore, Lowe played pieces by several French composers (Faure and others) as well as a prelude and fugue by Bach. His short comments about each work were enlightening and added to this listener’s appreciation. These recitals always end with a lovely reception (with wine) on the deck looking out at the rocks, dock, and water.
Yacht Club
Florida friends visited us this week and thanks to B and A’s reciprocal privileges, combined with B’s charm offensive, we were able to have lunch at the Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club. In their attractive dining room with windows on three sides overlooking the harbor, we enjoyed some tasty sandwiches and salads. We hope to return!
Note: All photos and text ©JWFarrington.
