[.ca] The Lighthouse Keeper (ISBN 0312974698)

From Amazon.com:
Off the coast of Massachusetts, a sturdy lighthouse and its inhabitants weather the storms of life. Over three generations, the O'Banyon clan finds solace in the firm walls of the Port Hope lighthouse, and learns to "keep a light on" for each other. In the present day, daughter Kathleen O'Banyon returns to be with her aging father, Peter, in the now retired lighthouse. As Peter reminisces about the past and his childhood with Uncle Billie, we are drawn into a family saga full of tragedy and inspiration. Through two world wars, illness, and premature deaths, the O'Banyon family has learned to trust and love fearlessly. As the characters and the readers soon learn, to be a good lighthouse keeper you must take care of not only those you love, but the "light inside yer bosom," as well. Not for the schmaltz-allergic crowd, this nostalgic feast of emotion and sincerity could warm up your heart on an arctic vacation. Like Nicholas Sparks, James Michael Pratt knows where the heartstrings are, and plays them with all the subtlety of Tchaikovsky. But go ahead--no one is watching. Pull up the covers and let the sappiness seduce you! --Nancy R.E. O'Brien

touching tear-jerker:
Get out your kleenex box! This one is a tear-jerker. A story about an old lighthouse keeper who wishes to pass along his legacy to an only daughter, shortly before his death. The story revolves around his earlier life as a simple Irish immigrant, sent off to Europe in WWII, the tragedies of his young life, and how he came to be the lighthouse keeper. A story of love lost, which is ultimately regained. The ending is a bit farfetched, in my opinion, yet the story itself keeps you reading to the end. A touching novel with a social comment...and a new twist on the meaning of a "light keeper."

The Lighthouse Keeper:
This story centers on the reflections of Peter O'Banyon, an elderly lighthouse keeper in Massachusetts... One day his daughter decides to bring him back to the old lighthouse to boost his spirits. The visit awakens old memories and causes the old man to pour out his soul to his daughter. The rich stories, filled with emotion, surprise his daughter because she was not aware of the depth of her father's love for her mother Anna or the pain he suffered over her loss. She also learns of Peter's painful separation as a child and his destiny in becoming a lighthouse keeper just like his Uncle Billie. He tells the story of Uncle Billie, who was raised in a poor family in Ireland but overcame the difficulties. He tells how Uncle Billie taught him to live life as a good man despite all of the life's injustices. He tells how Uncle Billie never gave up on true love. Overall, Peter shares valuable lessons learned throughout his life with his daughter and passes down the family lighthouse legacy before it is too late...

Heartfelt Saga:
I picked this book up like many of the other reviews I have read because of the cover, and the fact that I really enjoy lighthouses. But as I got into the book I realized it was more than just a story about a lighthouse keeper, it was a story about all of life's triumphs and tragedies. I was really drawn into the book by Pratt's style to make the characters come alive. We see through the eyes of the narrator that not only do some things in life cause major heartbreak, many things also cause joy. This heartfelt story of a father telling his daughter all about his childhood is one of the best works I've read in a long time. The story of one mans life shows us all how the light does not just come from the outside, but also from within. I was happy and sad as the book came to a close. This is a great novel that I would recommend to anyone.

Endearing:
I picked this out for a little distraction from my Rat Pack, Sinatra, mafia obsession I was going through.....and it was perfect. First of all, if you love books the cover art and dust jacket art are exquisite. That's what first caught my eye. Truly a keeper. The story starts as a dying father tells his daughter about the lighthouse and how he came to be the island and how his "Uncle Billy" came there, and the story of the family. Little did I know that the story would parallel my life.....the man at one point goes to basic training at Fort Knox, KY (I'm there), while at war he meets Joey from NJ (my home). It's love, tragedy, faith, and mostly hope. Pratt never drags you down, he'll leave you with a feeling that you lived with the characters and they were a part of your life. I know I did, I was sorry to see the story end.

Easy reading:
I thought this book was charming and heartwarming, it tells the tale of a family from Ireland, and all the things that they endured. It is told by a father to his daughter in the lighthouse, where he grew up on the New England coast. Let the light keep shining.