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.

3.5 Stars
Such a unique story about a devastating hurricane that hit Galveston Texas in 1900. We follow Kathleen as she is hiding from her past in an orphanage. We have 2 timelines learning about her past and following Kathleen as she fights for survival. There were points in the book where I was a bit confused at the timing of the events but over all it was a good read.

What a fascinating story this was. I don't believe I had ever heard of the Galveston hurricane of 1900, but this story certainly made me curious to know me. While this is obviously a huge part of the book, the story actually has two different timelines, just months apart. The two confused me early on and combined with a slower start, it took me a little longer to get into the story... but once things picked up and it all came together? I was hooked. There were times that this was a difficult read with so much hardship throughout--- both in the horrifying working conditions on the dam project and then in the massive tragedy of the hurricane... but through all of that, there truly was such a message of hope and perseverance that I thought was really beautifully told. I also really enjoyed learning more about meteorology of the time. If you are a fan of historical Christian romance, this is one you'll absolutely want to experience for yourself.

**ARC received for consideration. All opinions are my own.

Oh my, this book was intense and so well written! I absolutely loved it. I loved the back and forth of the timelines! I love the characters, both main and supporting! They were well fleshed out and believable. I also enjoyed the descriptions of the places! They were so well explained, with depth and authenticity! A wonderful historical fiction by a new author to me!

Thanks to NetGalley for this story, all opinions are my own!

This was such a beautiful and heartbreaking story. While reading I felt every emotion possible. My heart broke for some of these characters. Kathleen is a wonderful main character, so much strength and determination she showed all while overcoming so much heartache. There were such vivid details throughout the book, portraying such a detailed picture. Towards the end I could not put it down, needing to have my questions answered. Why was she running away from home? Who was she running away from? What was in the satchel? Some tears were shed while reading this one. Honestly one of my favorite reads of the year thus far.

If you enjoy historical fiction and possibly learning about some of the horrific events of the past, I highly recommend this one. I would like to thank Netgalley and publisher for sending me an ecopy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Did not finish. Thought I would enjoy the subject matter but could not stay interested. Put down in favor of other titles.

Oh my! I can still feel the power of the storm. The waters rising and crashing, the wind...so strong, the struggle to survive. Jennifer L. Wright's "Last Light over Galveston" reveals the total destruction during and following the hurricane of 1900.

Flashing back about six months before the hurricane, the main female character experiences another struggle and runs for her life, ending up in Galveston. The full extent of Annie's/Kathleen's past is revealed through these flashbacks while showing her current struggles in the present. Resilience, faith, the struggle to survive are all components in this breathtaking novel.

Releases Aug. 12th. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Definitely my favorite read of the year so far!

What a beautiful story about loss and hope weaved into historical events of the past in such a way that you feel every event! I live about 1.30 hours from Galveston and have visited many of the spots mentioned in this book. Moody Mansion, the museum about the hurricane, and the strand are all places that I grew up with on our annual trips to Galveston. It made this book come to life even more for me. I did not know much about the Hudson River Dam project and now I need to look that up.

Kathleen was such a great character. As she navigates her feelings and thoughts about her family problems and her life, we learn so much about growth in our faith from her. Her experiences really made you feel as if you were there. The story was woven so seamlessly that I enjoyed both aspects of the story very much.

I can't wait to read another Jennifer L. Wright book as this is the first of her books I have read.

I enjoy reading fiction novels mingled with true events. Last Light Over Galveston by Jennifer L. Wright is one of those books. The true tragedy of the 1900 hurricane that hit that island was felt all through this book. It pulled at my heart in the calamity and in the courage of the survivors as they dealt with the aftermath. The story of finding God and one’s self when all else is stripped away was beautifully written. I highly recommend this book!!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions expressed are completely my own.

1900 New York and Galveston, Texas

Spectacular! An engaging fictional story line combined with rich historical details about the devastating hurricane of 1900 that hit Galveston Island. The glimpses at meteorological methods used in 1900 were fascinating.

Kathleen's tale unraveled in stellar fashion and I was equally drawn to both parts of her life: Kathleen as a high society young lady in New York and Annie, an orphan in Galveston. The bridge between the spring of 1900 and September of 1900 offered insight into Kathleen's heart and mind.

Favorite quotes:

"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."

"And yet whatever it was I felt for him was not nearly as strong as my love for myself and my position."

The following review was posted on Goodreads on 3.11.25:

I always enjoy learning about historical events that I know little to nothing about and LAST LIGHT OVER GALVESTON deals with two of them: the labor strike that occurred during the building of New York's New Croton Dam and the 1900 hurricane that devastated Galveston, Texas. One of them would have been enough to power the book, honestly, but Wright uses the former to explain the main character's presence for the latter (although the fact that Kathleen ends up in Galveston at just the right time to experience its worst natural disaster definitely feels a bit contrived). ANYWAY, it was interesting to learn about both events. The hurricane provides most of the story's action and suspense, so the second half of the novel is more compelling than the first, especially since the first half moves rather slowly.

Kathleen is a likable heroine who longs to live a purposeful live. She's compassionate and kind, devoted and determined. What she's not is terribly complex. For me, she never really feels like a real, three-dimensional person. The other characters are even less developed, with little personality at all. I liked the main characters because there was nothing not to like, but they definitely needed more fleshing out.

As I mentioned, the plot of the novel moves slowly at first, with most of the action happening in its second half. I never felt like putting the book down, but I was never really on the edge of my seat either. There are no real twists in the tale, making it a pretty predictable read. I was expecting Kathleen to have to reckon with what happened in New York, which never happens, which makes the novel's ending feel a bit unfinished and dissatisfying to me.

For the most part, though, I enjoyed LAST LIGHT OVER GALVESTON. Despite its sad subject matter, I found the novel interesting and engaging enough to keep me reading. I appreciate that its content is clean, edifying, and God-positive (without being heavy-handed or preachy). While I didn't love the book, I do plan to read more from Wright.

If I could, I would give this book 3 1/2 stars; since I can't, I'm rounding up.

If this were a movie, it would be rated PG for violence, scenes of peril, and disturbing subjects/imagery (corpses floating in floodwater, etc.)

Pretty slow for me. Not sure if it’s me or the book but it took me a long time to get through it. I liked the characters but was just not sucked in. It fell flat for me. Others really loved it so maybe I just wasn’t in the right mood for it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an advance copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

This story was deep and moving. The weaving of the story between the time in New York and the time in Galveston was interesting and unique. When all of the stories came together, it left me in awe.

My initial thoughts were: I loved that one part was set in an orphanage; the relationship between Annie and Maggie was so special; I was looking forward to the mystery in the story.

My initial thoughts continued to keep me engaged in the story.

You will enjoy this story if you enjoy historical fiction, mystery and the juxtaposition between the rich and the poor.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own.

This book was a quick fast read for me. I was drawn into the story and finished in 2 days. Great book.

I'm a huge fan of historical fiction, especially when it highlights time periods or events that I don't see tackled as frequently. Last Light Over Galveston is set during the 1900 Galveston hurricane, the deadliest natural disaster in US history, and I was immediately intrigued by the potential for this setting.

The book follows Kathleen McDaniel who is on the run from her past and finds herself at St. Mary’s Orphan Asylum in Galveston. The chapters bounce back and forth between the days surrounding the hurricane, and a few months prior, and are interspersed with meteorological reports building toward the disaster itself. The book felt well-researched, featuring real-world characters such as Isaac Cline, and had me busily Googling as I was reading to learn more about the actual event.

While I found some of Kathleen's backstory and references to it a little repetitive, this was certainly a fascinating and heartbreaking setting for a historical novel. There were some very sweet secondary characters, and ultimately this story was one of survival and resilience. 3.5 stars rounded up.

I always love it when I read a historical fiction and learn about a major, but not-well-known event for the first time. This book essentially deals with 2 historical events - the dam project on the lower Hudson Valley and the horrendous working conditions and subsequent strike and militia state at the dam, and the Galveston, TX Hurricane which is apparently the deadliest natural disaster in US history.

I’ve often wondered with the weather and how much of a lead on prediction we have, what it would have been like years ago to all the sudden find yourself in the midst of a storm - big or small - and have no idea it was coming. I thought this book did an excellent job of portraying that, as well as what it could have been like to live thru such a catastrophic event. The description and detail was well done and sucked you into Kathleen’s experience.

The Dam, while not quite as focused on and detailed as the hurricane, still gave a transparent look at the workers’ conditions and the greed of others that caused them. I thought it was handled well, contrasting how selfishness and greed affects others but also the battle that can be to put aside our own comfort for someone else.

I liked the characters of Kathleen and her friends. She was relatable and had a great progression of finding her footing and learning about herself. And Wesley, Matthew and Emily and their grace for her were well done and endearing.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine.

This is an excellent novel you’ll love to read! Jennifer Wright always delivers stories with unforgettable characters in captivating settings. This book based both in Galveston, Texas and Hudson Valley, New York delivers a story with a powerful punch. One plot line is tied to the devastating hurricane that brought its wrath down on Galveston in 1900. The population was unaware since the Weather Bureau was in its infancy. Wright displays her master level writing skills when she describes the sights and sounds of Galveston before and after the hurricane. Her prose grabs our senses. The hurricane’s catastrophic nature comes to life with each paragraph and page turn.

The book has a strong Christian theme that is stated overtly at the conclusion. In life, people are often disappointed by family and friends. In Last Light Over Galveston, our main character. Kathleen Ann McDaniel, experiences emotional pain inflicted by her father who blurts out hurtful words just as the plot takes a treacherous turn. Her father is her only remaining parent. All his actions are driven by his greed and self-centered agenda. The disappointment he causes in Kathleen’s life leaves a gaping hole in her heart. At this point, she flees her upscale Hudson Valley home and eventually arrives at an orphanage in Galveston. She assumes a new identity and tries to hideout in this sheltered community while caring for orphans. The hurricane touches down just as she is making preparations to go on the run once again.

Kathleen eventually builds authentic bonds of friendship and mutual respect with most of the supporting characters. Wesley’s point of view shines a light on the poor working conditions and exploitation of immigrant labor at this point in history. Matthew and Maggie are characters to love. Readers will cheer for the future path Matthew, Kathleen and Maggie choose when the wind dies and the flood waters subside.

Non-fiction Christian writers encourage people to fill their broken heart’s gaping hole with faith and a personal relationship with the Lord; the One who is steadfast in love and mercy and is always for us. In Last Light over Galveston, Jennifer Wright’s novel arrives at the same conclusion. Kathleen’s earthly father disappointed her, but she finds healing for her heart through faith and her identity in the Lord. This is my honest review in exchange for receiving this ARC from NetGalley and Tyndale Fiction. #LastLightoverGalveston, #NetGalley

Immersive and gripping, LAST LIGHT OVER GALVESTON is a wonderful historical novel rich with complex characterization and vivid details. Kathleen is a relatable and sympathetic main character who will win your heart. She has been through so much. Her story is ultimately one of hope and healing.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.