The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter by Cherry Radford @CherryRad @urbanebooks @lovebooksgroup #lovebookstours
Description
After the break-up of her marriage, Imogen escapes to her aunt's converted lighthouse on Beachy Head. Writing for a tedious online magazine but hoping to start a novel, she wants to be alone until she finds an entrancing flamenco CD in her borrowed car and contacts the artist via Twitter. It turns out that actor-musician Santiago needs help with English, and is soon calling her profesora.
Through her window, the other lighthouse winks at her across the sea. The one where her father was a keeper until he mysteriously drowned there in 1982. Her aunt is sending extracts from his diary, and Imogen is intrigued to learn that, like her and Santi, her father had a penfriend.
Meanwhile, despite their differences, Imogen is surrounded by emotional and geographical barriers, Santi surrounded by family and land-locked Madrid their friendship develops. So, she reads, did her father's but shocking revelations cause Imogen to question whether she ever really knew him.
Two stories of communication: the hilarious mistakes, the painful misunderstandings, and the miracle or tragedy of finding someone out there with whom you have an unforeseen, irresistible connection.
Review
What a truly unique story this really is. With the dual locations of Beachy Head and Madrid so beautifully and poignantly described, this book is unlike anything I have ever read before.
With the meeting of Imogen and Santi being made through Twitter this book has a very contemporary feel, although it is set in 2012. Imogen is staying alone in a lighthouse, which looks out onto another lighthouse; the one from which her Father lost his life in 1982.
As Imogen begins to converse with Santi through Twitter her Aunt is drip feeding her extracts from her Father's diary by post. Why can't she just send the whole diary to her wonders Imogen? Soon she begins to see a parallel in her own situation and that of her Father.
Meanwhile in Madrid. Santi is a musician and actor and has a life surrounded by family and friends, so much going on for him. But, he needs to improve his English in order to get a part. So begins his friendship with Imogen who helps and corrects him over the internet and then later in real life.
The book flips between the two locations over many months, and is told from both Imogen's and Santi's perspective. The information on suicides and the people working at Beachy Head was very moving and not something I was expecting. It is dealt with sensitively and even with some humour too.
I really enjoyed how the author used Spanish dialogue (even though I don't speak Spanish) and also the way all the dialogue was at times left unfinished, hanging in the air. Although I had to re read it sometimes, it was so true to life. People speaking over one another, a turned head and missed words.
There is a lot more than this basic outline I've given happening within the book. Failed romances/marriages, teenage angst, misunderstandings - to name but a few. I rapidly read the pages as I really wanted to know how it was all going to end. Then I was in tears and then they were wiped away, only to lurk again. I can't say much more as the story needs to come as a surprise to you, as it did to me.
I loved this book so much and I know it is one that will stay with me. I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Love Book Tours for a copy of the book to review.
Author Bio
Cherry Radford was a piano teacher at the Royal Ballet Junior School, a keyboard player in a band, and then a research optometrist at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London. She now lives in Eastbourne, UK and AlmerÃa, Spain. Her third novel, The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter, publishes April 2018.
WEBSITE: www.cherryradford.co.uk
BLA BLA LAND BLOG: https://cherryradforddotblog.
TWITTER: @CherryRad
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