Sarah stands on the brink, arms open wide as if to let the wind carry her away.
She s come to the high cliffs to be alone, to face the truth about her life, to work out what to do.
Her lover Jack is searching, desperate to find her before it is too late. But Sarah doesn t want to be found. Not yet. Not by him.
And someone else is seeking answers up here where the seabirds soar a man known only as the Keeper, living in an old lighthouse right on the cusp of a four-hundred-foot drop. He is all too aware that sometimes love takes you to the edge . . .
‘Sarah Bramer, formerly Jones, reported missing March 27 at 10.13pm. Female, 30 years old, born in Birmingham,
United Kingdom. Address 114a Orford Road, Walthamstow, London E17. Married to Jack Bramer, 30, of the same
address. Ethnicity: M1, Scottish and Jamaican. Occupation: teacher at St Joseph’s Community School, Leyton.
Height: 5ft, 10ins. Hair: reddish brown. Distinguishing features: birth mark on left breast, small tattoo of a soul bird
on upper right buttock. Eyes: green like the sea on a hot day. Smile: intoxicating. Laugh: mesmerising. Brightness:
dazzling. Beauty: silencing. Mood swings: infuriating. Sadness: heartbreaking. Whereabouts: unknown.’
My Thoughts:
The Light Keeper is Cole Moreton's first novel. It took a while for that to sink in, as the story here is as wide as it is deep and this allegorical tale sucked me in gently, then held me mesmerized, then allowed me to fall at the end.
The setting is Beachy Head and The Seven Sisters. Both places I have heard of and both I have never visited. It wasn't difficult to imagine them in my head though by the evocative and often lyrical writing. The imagery is spectacular.
The Light Keeper doesn't have a name at the begining so we will just call him The Keeper. He lives in a lighthouse that he is/was doing up to become a B&B, although those plans have fallen by the wayside as he is consumed by a grief so ravaging and complicated. The sense of loss itself is enough to bear without looking to the future.
Sarah Bramer is missing. Longing to have a baby, she is beset by anguish of her own. Sarah always used to visit Beachy Head and East Sussex. Perhaps this is where she would head to stir the emotion and the memory, in order to forge the way ahead.
Sarah and The Light Keeper cross paths, each trying to find their own ways back in to the light. Their interactions highly visceral and somewhat of two souls seeking the answers. Characters that are perhaps seeking guidance and spirituality in a variety of forms, not everything always as it seems.
There are other characters of course including The Guardians up on Beachy Head, keeping their eyes out for people that might want to end their lives. There is a thread of Suicide that is tackled but it is dealt with senstively and handled with care.
In terms of talking about characters the landscape and the setting is as much a character as the others, the author seems to know the area well and manages to portray a great beauty and fragility about it. As a reader I was jarred by the juxtaposition of the beautiful landscape and the intense and often overwhelming feelings of the characters.
The Light Keeper is a story of loss, grief, longing, redemption and ultimately love.
A deeply moving, profound and distinguished read that I found difficult to read in many senses but one that I found to be richly rewarding. I don't believe that I have read a novel that explores the depths of grief particularly with such clarity and for that reason I found The Light Keeper to be startling.
About the Author:
Award-winning interviewer, writer and broadcaster Cole Moreton has covered many of the major
news stories of our time, from 9/11 to the Olympics and the death of Nelson Mandela. He writes, talks and tells stories
about the arts, politics, cultural identity, faith, spirituality and life - and above all, about people. Cole’s previous
book, The Boy Who Gave His Heart Away, told the moving true story of a modern medical miracle. His BBC Radio 4
series of the same name won Audio Moment of the Year at the Arias, and Best Writing at the World’s Best Radio
awards. The Light Keeper is Cole’s first novel. Find out more about Cole and his work at https://colemoreton.com/
If my review has whetted your appetite you can purchase the book which is available in paperback, hardback and as an ebook.
The Kindle edition is currently less than £3 on Amazon – a bargain: https://www.amazon.co.uk/
Please also do have a look at the other stops on the blog tour.
I agree. I thought this book was incredibly touching.
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