This novel provides a detailed look at life on Lake Superior in the early 20th century. Although there are flashbacks to Paris and Boston, most of the book takes place in Duluth and northeast to Two Harbors. The main characters are Theodulf (a lost and unhappy lighthouse stationmaster), his young and equally lost wife Willa, a fisherman who lives near the lighthouse, and the fisherman’s orphaned niece.

In this narrative, the lake serves as a central element, with the human characters providing insights into the influence of the lake and its varying effects on the nearby residents.

If you love Lake Superior and the North Shore, you may well find this book a great read.

This was a sad and suspensful story of a woman, Willa, who has been damaged by a weak father and a mean, selfish mother. Then she gets married off, because there is no money and she didn’t get to finish her education to learn a trade or career. The worst part is that she is married off to a mentally sick man. He’s also mean and unloving.

Because of his career of lighthouse keeper, they are stuck together in an inhospitable place where she doesn’t want to live.

Does any of this sound like it would be worth reading? I have to say that I really enjoyed this story.
Except for the ending. I really wish the author could have found a bit better ending or that he would explain why he chose the way he ended it.
It was still very much worth reading.
The writing is good and the story was developed well. I liked the other characters who added to the story, but I especially liked Willa. She is strongwilled and loves science, which does not sit well with her husband.

Reading this unusual novel I felt as if one of the nineteen century writers could have been resurrected.. Hardy, came to mind immediately. The novel’s backdrop was unusual . The Great Lakes in the 1900’s was a unique backdrop for the story. I loved the descriptions of the flora and fauna of this remote area of the lake and its lighthouse… the central figure in this book. All the themes are here.. repression, violence, homosexuality, rape, and prejudice. The lighthouse keeper is doomed from the first chapter. The characters are wonderfully depicted and the author has captured all the nuances of this isolated primitive landscape. The ending disappointed me. I felt it was too predictable and tacked on as a way to quickly end the narrative.

I was not able to download this from Net Galley and so don't have a review for you. I do now have a ARC and will provide a review if we decide to include it in our magazine.

It is only recently that I have learned that I DO like historical fiction. I was granted early access to this book and it will long live in my mind. In the time frame of this novel, the early 1900's, women are not autonomous people. Marriage is not for love.

In the year 1910, Theodulf, a disgraced lawyer from a prominent MN family, takes on the position of master lighthouse keeper on the craggy shores of Lake Superior. Willa, his young new wife, arrives at their remote lighthouse location, after her life takes a terrible turn upon the death of her father when she and her mother find themselves destitute. As a result, Willa is rushed into an arranged, loveless, marriage. She is an academic, very bright, and was attending college when her father died. She is ill suited to marriage at her age, but understands she must. She does not attend to her housewife duties willingly. She rebels at societal norms, complying minimally.

This book is beautiful. I loved Willa and her spiritedness. I felt for her and as I read, also for her husband, for different reasons. It is so well written and I am moved.

I found A Lesser Light to be an intriguing story. Peter Geye does an excellent job of weaving a complex story involving multiple characters over several decades into a coherent and compelling story. I loved watching Willa develop and find her voice. She is unwilling to accept her fate to just be married off and despite all odds manages to find her voice and happiness. I also found the historical setting of the lighthouse community of Lake Superior to fit the story well.

5 stars from me for this one
Stories of Lake Superior and lighthouses are my favorite kind of read. That's why I enjoyed this novel so much.
This was a definite can't put down book. I was fascinated from beginning to end.
By the middle of this book I was so far gone that I could actually hear the sound of the waves and see myself standing on her shores.
Peter Geye has created a story with wonderful characters with a good plot that's well thought out.
In my opinion, life is an interesting journey.
Life is what we make of it no matter our station in this world. We are all human when it comes right down to it. It's sad that some fail to see that.
I like Willa. She's certainly an interesting character and one of my favorites. She's steady, dependable and sometimes headstrong. I loved her life's journey.
I highly recommend this beautifully written novel.
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

This is a beautifully written story about the life of a lighthouse keeper and his wife. The emotive writing really brings this story to life, the harsh landscape surrounding the characters and their swells of emotion really burst right off the page. While reading, you really do feel transported to this isolated setting. This was a really interesting read but I did find it hard to connect fully with the characters so the book didn't end up leaving a huge impression on me but is still a beautiful read.

Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy.

This is an interesting read. The life of a lighthouse master and his wife. Both come together from different backgrounds. He from a wealthy affluent family. She from middle class family whose father was a meteorologist. Mismatched in their union we explore both of their lives that brought them together and then their journey of their marriage. Minnesota harsh conditions are brought to light throughout the book. I was given an advanced reader copy of this book by NetGalley and I am freely sharing my review

Peter Geye talks about a light House such a Split Rock which is north of Two Harbors totally not maned by the Coast Guard anymore but by other people who man it today. I love to hear about all the stories of ships that have been dealt with by the huge waves during the November storms. I worked on the Great Lakes over the summers for the Columbia Line. My friend worked on the S.S. Edmund Fitzgearld during the summer of 1975. She sank that year in November. He was really unhappy about it. He locked out. This story is about Keeper Sauer and his wife, Willa. I'll let Peter tell his story but it is a good one which I recommend.

I love Peter Geye's writing and have read all his books to date. This one was a little different and a bit longer. I loved it.

I really enjoyed how good everything was in this novel, it had that historical element perfectly and enjoyed going on this journey with the characters. The characters had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed getting to know them in this. Peter Geye wrote a fantastic novel and was glad I got to read this.