"Last Light over Galveston" by Jennifer L Wright is a hauntingly beautiful novel based on the real hurricane of 1900 that hit Galveston Island, Texas. This is an incredibly well -written, faith-filled story that grips the reader from beginning to end. I stayed up late last night trying to finish this one and just couldn't put it down! The main character Kathleen is a woman who wants more out of her life for the time period she's living in. She, like so many other women of the Gilded Age wants more out of her upper class life than the expectations of her father. A series of events lead her flee from her father and end up in Galveston.

Kathleen escapes her father and ends up in Galveston, where her money runs out and she's taken in by nuns who run an orphanage. The story goes back and forth between her life a few months in the past and her life on Galveston Island. It culminates in the hurricane hitting the island. This is definitely a not a story for the faint-hearted but it's very well written. This character has a powerful journey of faith that leaves the reader wanting to fight alongside Kathleen as she experiences one bad thing after another. There is light in the story at times to balance out the dark and my favorite side character is 8 year old Maggie.

Kathleen's faith grows throughout the story and there are beautiful passages throughout that bring a strong Christian faith storyline. The tragedy that unfolds on Galveston Island is difficult to read however for fans of historical fiction, this real life disaster is worth reading about. I found myself tearing up several times in the last third of the book. Readers that can handle the death and destruction will find a satisfying ending after the storm passes.

My only wish for this book is that there was a spot at the end to tell the reader about any real things used in this book. Even without that, I highly recommend this book and could see this story being an excellent book club read.

Thank you to Tyndale House Publishers for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is a gripping tale about a woman running from her past right into the path of a devastating hurricane. Her reason for running is revealed in flashback with both storylines hitting their tragic climaxes at the same time.

Particularly effective is the description of the strike of the hurricane. It is visceral and nerve wracking, giving the reader the sense of being right in the middle of the storm surge and destruction.

But the book is about more than the storm. It’s about love and fear and standing up for what is right and believing you are more than circumstances dictate.

This is a well-written, emotional novel that I really enjoyed. I would recommend it to everyone, especially lovers of historical fiction.

This is Christian fiction so expect prayer and discussions about God and faith.

Family friendly though there are death scenes.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tyndale House. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Jennifer L. Wright combines historical fact with eloquent fiction to create a rich and compelling novel in her upcoming release, Last Light Over Galveston. Centering around the life of debutante turned runaway Kathleen McDaniel as she hides for her life in a Galveston orphanage in the fall of 1900, this novel dances about the topics of social responsibility and identity until everything collides in full force. Wright’s characters are spunky and flawed, her setting developed so well that the reader is fully immersed, to the point that I might have checked once or twice to make sure my feet were not wet. Kathleen’s struggles are understandable, her longing for home familiar, and her flaws relatable. The supporting characters are well developed, pulling at the heartstrings just as I am sure the author intended. And when nature proves that Galveston is not actually immune to hurricanes, all comes to a climax that will leave the reader gasping for air and anticipating the next nail in the coffin until the point that the delicious conclusion is revealed.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley, the publisher, or the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I appreciated how the author wove rich historical detail into the narrative. The imagery and tension in the storm scenes were among the strongest parts of the book. They were powerful enough that I found myself looking up photos and reading more about the hurricane afterward.

I also enjoyed the sections focused on Kathleen’s earlier life, before she fled New York. Her backstory had emotional weight, and I was drawn in by the promise of a major reveal. However, I found myself growing a bit impatient as the Galveston timeline dragged out the mystery for too long.

I also struggled with the large number of side characters in the Galveston timeline. I would have preferred a smaller, more focused cast with deeper relationships. It took a long time for the big reveal to occur (though I will say it was shockingly good), and it wasn't until that point that events in both timelines truly clicked into place. I just wish it hadn’t taken quite so long to get there.

This book drew me in immediately, gently at first and then with the power of a hurricane. I could not stop reading- I had to know both what had happened to Kathleen in April and her fate in September. This story switches between the present and past, and as Kathleen deals with the Galveston Hurricane in her present, she deals with a completely different kind of storm back in New York. Both stories are heartbreaking but both bring Kathleen to a place of reckoning to determine who she’s going to be and to discover a God she can rely on.

Well-written and well-researched, filled with reality and yet, hope. I felt like I was watching a disaster movie (and I love disaster movies) even though at the same time the scope of this real-life tragedy broke my heart. I did a little bit of research about the Galveston Hurricane after reading the final pages and hadn’t realized it remains the natural disaster with highest death toll in the United States, even on the low-end estimate. I read an e-ARC and I hope the completed version will have an author’s note with all the historical details because I just love those!

If you love historical fiction, stories of survival, disaster movies/stories, books that keep you turning the pages, and stories of self-discovery by the main character, you’ll love this book.

I received a complementary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. I was not asked to leave a positive review and my opinions are my own.

I love when I go into a book not knowing what to expect and come away completely "wowed"! This book was fantastic and unlike any other book I've read before!
The story goes back and forth between the present and a few months previous. The reader is left in a state of anticipation from the very first chapter. You know something terrible and traumatizing has happened to the MC and you get peeks into her past as you continue to read.
Powerful, gripping, redemptive storyline with a touch of mystery and faith wrap this story up at a full 5 stars for me! Excellent read!

*I received an ARC copy of this book from Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are completely my own!

I appreciate NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Last Light over Galveston by Jennifer L. Wright. Kathleen is a young woman from New York who is hiding in a Catholic orphanage in Galveston, Texas. As we read the story, we learn what Kathleen is hiding from - her father and his horrible actions at home. She makes several friends and lives in constant fear that her father will find her, as she knows he has sent people looking for her. She was in Galveston when the 1900 hurricane hit. She works tirelessly to return to the orphanage but is unable to. We learn about the horrors that the people of Galveston endured. I thought the story was interesting and wanted to find out what would happen. Wright's writing had me feeling like I was in Galveston at this trying time - the smells, the heat, the wind, and rain.

Well, that was exceptional. In fact, I was engrossed from the very first page.

The pacing of this novel was torturously masterful. As the storyline jumped between past and present you were being led on the most agonizing journey to find out what happened. The glimpses back in time to reveal what had happened in New York to cause Kathleen to leave were just enough to keep you going. I plowed through this book wanting to find out what happened and what would happen. Major applause to the author for how she structured it all.

And I really liked the writing. It balanced well in giving information, while also being pleasing to read. Not full of poetic fluffiness, but with some really beautiful lines nonetheless.

The drama of the actual hurricane literally made my heart pound. It was so stressful! Almost too stressful! It got so hectic at a couple points that I felt disoriented. But overall it really captured the ugly, horrific moments of a hurricane, and its aftermath too. There was so much death and destruction, but I'm glad she didn't gloss over anything.

And here’s another thing I really appreciated. It wasn’t a Christian novel that had little preachy paragraphs mixed in at random points. The main character really did struggle with her belief. She really did make mistakes. There were things that did not wrap up with a perfect bow. Promises that weren’t kept. People that were fallible and who trusted in the wrong thing. Not everyone got a happy ending either.

I love when a book is based off of a true historical event. And I love it even more when it makes me do a deep dive into said event after finishing. I hadn't really heard of the Galveston hurricane before I read this book, and I'm glad to have learned about it from reading this.

A couple small critiques:
- If anything, the main character's pivotal faith moment might have been made a little too small in the grand scheme of the book.
- I wasn't extremely compelled by the relationship between Kathleen and Matthew. I wish there would have been a few more interactions between them before the hurricane began to establish their friendship. (view spoiler)

P.S. I was going to throw the book across the room if we did not get some closure on Matthew by the end. So glad that we did!

An amazingly suspenseful, harrowing, hope-filled, and engaging story of a young woman hiding from her former life, and finding herself enmeshed in what is still our nation's most deadly natural disaster - the 1900 Galveston hurricane. Wright's descriptions were so vivid and stark, I truly felt like I was there. The slow unpeeling of the life she was running from in New York, in the midst of the life she was living (barely surviving at times) in Galveston kept me engaged, and guessing, throughout. The revelations seemed to come at just the right time.

I fell in love with Kathleen - as well as several of the people SHE loved. The characterization was deep and real-to-life. The struggles were real, as was the hope thread. Plus a perfect (though NOT "happily ever after") ending.

Gritty but hopeful, with a touch of romance and a string of God's love from beginning to end, I can't recommend this one more highly.

I knew some things about the Galveston hurricane of 1900, but I've never read a historical fiction book about it.

While I couldn't really connect with the FMC, her story was interesting enough, especially the part that takes place in Galveston. I did enjoy the romance aspect of the story!

I liked the way her faith in God grew throughout the book, and the realization that our worth is found in what Our Creator says about us.

I do wish there would have been a note from the author at the end describing what characters were real in her book, the facts that she used, etc. I know some of the things she wrote about were real, but not everyone will.

Overall, a solid read!

*Thank you to Negalley and the publisher for the digital ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.*

I enjoyed this book and liked having the dual timeline POV with the two storylines not that far apart in time. What kept it from being a great read for me is that it just didn’t feel authentic or realistic both in terms of relationship development with the men (especially Wesley) and the survivability of the storm as the harrowing parts described. I enjoyed the descriptions of Galveston and the connection with Isaac Cline but would have appreciated more of the historic facts about the orphans and nuns at the home had been included (like the three boys who survived). The book would benefit from a postscript where the author gives more of the history and shares what from the story is based on real people and events versus what was created for the story.

Thank you to the Tyndale House Publishers and NetGalley for an early copy to read and review. This book is expected out in August 2025.

Last Light over Galveston is a story of perseverance during the historic, deadly and catastrophic hurricane in Galveston, Texas in September of 1900. This story also touches on human greed, selfishness, and cruelty at the expense of others that people tend to look down on in life. What is even more maddening is how the people involved justified their corrupt actions. Jennifer Wright does a marvelous job at showing the realities of life that is too often overlooked in my opinion.

The main character Kathleen McDaniel is a person who -at all odds- breaks away from the cruelty of her situation in life and on doing so finds herself in greater danger as the storm hits land. I was completely immersed in her plight and I felt as I if was right beside her going through what she was going through.

I did know about this hurricane prior to reading this book but I didn’t know all the details and how bad it actually was. Once I finished this story, I did a bit of research and I was really struck more so on Wrights depiction of the storm and the period in which the events took place.

The author does a brilliant job at pulling in her readers and I highly recommend this story to all and I want to encourage everyone who read the book to embrace the message of this story with an open heart.

This is a moving story that is set around the tragedy of the Galveston Hurricane of 1900. The descriptions about the island are beautifully written and the uncertainty that Kathleen/Annie is experiencing is heartfelt. There is a dual narrative going with one part being Kathleen coming home after two years at a finishing school in Switzerland. She isn't prepared for the change in the relationship with her father or the turmoil and consequences of the dam he is building. The second part is her trying to figure out who she is upon finding herself in Galveston at the mercy of a group of nuns running an orphanage. There she calls herself Annie and struggles to adapt to living without all the trappings of the privilege and wealth she grew up with, yet she sees the harm of it all and has no desire to go back. She has made friends with an orphan named Maggie and a young man, Matthew, who is studying meteorology with the islands head of weather forecasting, Issac Cline. The story is a mix of true facts and supposition. The intensity. the uncertainty, and the characters draw you in from the beginning and don't let you go until the end. While the ending is a bit bittersweet, it also leaves you with a feeling of hope for the future. The book is considered Christian fiction, but I feel like it is something everyone would like to read.

Last Light over Galveston is a historical novel told in dual timelines, following Kathleen as she tries to survive in the aftermath of a devastating storm, while slowly revealing the pieces of her past. It’s a story about survival, strength, and trying to find light in the darkest of places. There’s a quiet resilience in Kathleen’s journey that I really wanted to connect with.

I really wanted to love this one. There’s a lot to admire — the historical detail is vivid, and the setting comes alive. But for me, something just didn’t click. I never quite felt pulled into the story, even though there wasn’t anything I could point to that was “wrong.”

One of the central threads is Kathleen’s growing relationship with God, and while I appreciate the intention behind it, that part of the journey felt a little hard to connect with personally. I know that’ll resonate with a lot of readers — it just didn’t quite land for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tyndale House Publishers for the chance to read this early.

I reviewed this book for the August issue of Historical Novels Review, the magazine of The Historical Novel Society. Per their policy, I cannot post the review online until it is posted on their website on August 1st. I will update the review then.

What a fantastic book!

This book I read in two sittings, only because I started reading it late one evening.

Kathleen McDaniel returns home in 1900 after graduating from a finishing school in Switzerland. It becomes quickly apparent that plans have been set in motion to destroy any future she may have had. She runs as far from the north as she possibly can and finds refuge on the Texas island of Galveston.

This story has everything historical fans love – rich story world immersed in historical detail so as to not overwhelm; vivid descriptions that pull readers back in time; set against a time when things we understand now were just beginning to be discovered. All of this, threaded with intrigue and a slow-burn romance.

There is depth of story, of characters (both main and secondary), and a layer of emotion that keeps the pages turning until the very end.
I quite enjoyed this story and look forward to reading more from Jennifer L. Wright.

I received a copy of the book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

A read that grabbed me and didn't let go, yes a page turner!
A young woman who has everything, returning back home from a Switzerland finishing school, to her estate at Croton on the Hudson. Back to her servants and social life, and back to doing what her father wants.
This story does have a lot to do with water, from a dam to the Galveston Texas hurricane. This story is based on history and the author did a great job of bringing to light a lot of what happened at each site, all the while giving us people to follow. Annie aka Kathleen is leaving the disaster in New York and ends up on Galveston Island, but the lives she touches will warm your heart.
This is a beautiful faith based read, and with lives on the line, there are cries for help. We are given a delightful 7 year old, she has suffered so much loss in her young life, and you can see the immediate connection she has with Annie, but this could also lead to her demise.
I love that we are gifted with an epilogue, and when the last page was turned I wanted more!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Tyndale House, and was not required to give a positive review.

A powerful tale of love, loss, and the storm that changed everything.

A sweeping, emotional story of survival, redemption, and the quiet strength it takes to begin again.

Last Light Over Galveston is an unforgettable portrait of one woman’s journey to outrun her past—and find herself in the heart of a coming storm. Kathleen is a beautifully drawn heroine, bruised by betrayal but full of quiet courage, and her path from grief to healing is delicately, powerfully told.

Set against the backdrop of the catastrophic 1900 Galveston hurricane, the novel blends rich historical detail with deeply human stakes. The tension builds as the skies darken and the storm approaches, but it's the emotional undercurrent—Kathleen’s bonds with Emily, Maggie, and Matthew—that truly makes this story shine. Each relationship feels authentic, earned, and full of heart.

Inspired by real events, this is more than a disaster novel—it’s about found family, resilience, and the redemptive power of love in the face of unimaginable loss. A haunting and hopeful tale that lingers long after the final page.

This is an exceptional book. Interwoven with Christian love and shining God’s love for us. The writing of experiencing a storm and surviving makes you feel like the wind and rain are coming down on the reader. Phenomenal.

•𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰•

{𝑳𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝑳𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝑶𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝑮𝒂𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒏}

🐚 Release Date: August 12, 2025 🐚
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Jennifer L. Wright creates some of the deepest and most touching stories I have ever had the privilege of reading! I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this story when I first discovered it, but I was even more eager to read it after having recently visited Galveston for the first time. This was such an immensely powerful story, one made even more impactful because of my recent visit to the story’s location. I’m a sucker for a good sad story and, therefore, I absolutely adored this book and struggled to put it down! You’ve been warned…

Wow…just wow!! This story was incredibly intense and transformative in all of the best ways! I love how the book began in the middle of the story and slowly put together the puzzle of Kathleen’s life as it progressed. Those are the best types of books in my opinion, the type that just throw you into the story and then gradually explain everything as you continue to read.

“𝚆𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚍𝚎𝚌𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚟𝚘𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝚠𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚘. 𝚆𝚑𝚘 𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚝𝚑. 𝙱𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚍𝚎𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚜 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚠𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚊𝚛𝚎 . . . 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚠𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚋𝚎.”

Kathleen’s character faced some tough choices after she returned home from finishing school. The friends she’d met at finishing school had awakened within her a fervor to use her life to help people and truly make a difference, but her father had other plans in store for her. As time went on, Kathleen became increasingly more aware of the absolute depravity of life that some people faced, and through that, she became burdened with a hard decision. Fear is a powerful tool and the biggest of hindrances—what is the cost of bravery worth?

“𝙽𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚜 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚊 𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚝𝚑 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚍𝚘𝚗’𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛.”

After having fled from her home, Kathleen ended up at the St. Mary’s Orphan Asylum on Galveston Island, and through time spent there, she learned some incredibly valuable life lessons. But after disaster struck yet again, everything Kathleen knew and held dear was once more put to the test, requiring a courage and strength that only the Lord could provide.

𝚂𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎𝚜 𝙶𝚘𝚍 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜, 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚜, 𝚒𝚗 𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚞𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚎𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚝𝚑. 𝚃𝚘 𝚜𝚎𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚊𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚎𝚕𝚜𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚐𝚘𝚗𝚎, 𝙷𝚎’𝚜 𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎.

The tragedies that ravaged the people of Galveston were beyond horrific. My heart shattered and wept as I read their tale of devastation. Jennifer did a terrific job at bringing this story to life and making me feel as though I was right there, experiencing life with the characters. It was amazing, but it also made the pain that much more poignant.

“𝚆𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚠𝚎 𝚜𝚞𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚛, 𝚒𝚝 𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝚞𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚛𝚝, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍 𝚒𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚑𝚘𝚖𝚎.”
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I received a complimentary arc of this book from NetGalley and Tyndale House Publishers. All opinions listed are purely my own.