Catalogue

BACK

Title:	Light Keeping
Authors:	Jansen, Adrienne
Genre:	Fiction: New Zealand
Pages:	220
Year:	2023
Language:	English
Description:	Lighthouse keepers Bill and Annie's ordered days are a thing of the past with the arrival of their orphaned grandchildren Robert and Jess. As this new family unit struggles for stability, the tides of progress sweep through bringing lighthouse automation in their wake. Moving between 1970s New Zealand and forty years later when once again Robert and Jess are drawn to the lighthouse, this is the tender and poignant story of a family weathering a storm of loss, of the relentless march of technology and of seafarers and the sea.
Categories:	Fiction NZ, Grief/loss, Relationships, Social commentary/perspectives, New Zealand Interest, 2025 Titles

Reviews

[Please log in to write a review]

By: WELL 047		2025-06-09 10:00:33

Probably our best discussion - on isolated living, redundancy/layoffs, and grandparents looking after children.

By: PAIHIA 003		2025-05-28 10:44:08

Easy to read, well-researched and an interesting topic. Focused too much on 1977 and not enough on other aspects of the characters' lives.

By: HAMIL 007		2025-04-30 10:19:34

'Light Keeping' is a story of family tragedy set partly in the period in which the N.Z. government was automating the country's light houses, and partly in the present, as the effects of the tragedy and the loss of the family's working life and their home are worked through, and ultimately resolved - at least to a degree. Jansen is a capable writer and the book is well researched, but some found the back and forth time structure distracting and to the detriment of the story's flow. In all, we thought it well worth reading but it fell short of being a really good book.

By: AUCK 397		2025-03-17 09:58:13

Slow to get into. Some felt this established the rhythm of lighthouse keeping life. Beautiful imagery in the sea descriptions. Really illuminated a time of social turmoil for a workforce in N.Z. that we had largely been unaware of. Also parallels with tech revolution with A.I. that we are in the midst of here in N.Z.

By: MATAM 006		2025-02-17 12:10:15

Only one person in our group didn't enjoy this book. It was a sad story but we all related to the picture of childhood in N.Z. in the late-seventies.

By: INVER 001		2025-01-13 14:30:44

All of our group really enjoyed this book. Very well-written, with author showing great empathy towards her characters. Loved the way their personalities were slowly evolving as they adapted to the differing situations they found themselves facing.