An immersive, stunning historical novel
The Lost Lights of St Kilda is the intergenerational tale of a group of people living on an island off the coast of Scotland, almost completely self-sufficient and isolated from the rest of the world. It also follows a man named Fred Lawson who goes to visit St Kilda to study rock formations but ultimately falls in love. It has a dual timeline and follows the characters from when they first meet to years later, when they have lost touch due to the war.
The thing that stood out to me the most when reading this, as in Elisabeth’s other book ‘The Secrets of The Sea House,” is her phenomenal writing style. She has the ability to construct a natural landscape down to the most intricate detail, using vivid, lyrical descriptions. It felt like all my senses were activated upon visiting the island and it inspired me to get out and explore more in real life too.
Hope and loss were key elements throughout the book and I thought they were handled well. The characters held on to a slither of hope, no matter how awful their situations were. I also thought that kindness was a key element, and we could all learn something from the community of St Kilda.
I didn’t realise how much I cared for the characters until I got nearer to the end and I was blinking back tears, my heart heavy with that swollen feeling you get when something monumental is about to happen. Overall, I loved this stunning, powerful novel and I know it will stick with me for a long time.
The thing that stood out to me the most when reading this, as in Elisabeth’s other book ‘The Secrets of The Sea House,” is her phenomenal writing style. She has the ability to construct a natural landscape down to the most intricate detail, using vivid, lyrical descriptions. It felt like all my senses were activated upon visiting the island and it inspired me to get out and explore more in real life too.
Hope and loss were key elements throughout the book and I thought they were handled well. The characters held on to a slither of hope, no matter how awful their situations were. I also thought that kindness was a key element, and we could all learn something from the community of St Kilda.
I didn’t realise how much I cared for the characters until I got nearer to the end and I was blinking back tears, my heart heavy with that swollen feeling you get when something monumental is about to happen. Overall, I loved this stunning, powerful novel and I know it will stick with me for a long time.