Talk about something emotional and moving at once. The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World is a stunning sophomore book from Dawson. I don’t know what I was expecting, but this one is gorgeous. Keep reading this book review of The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World for my full thoughts.
Summary
At the edge of Chicago, nestled on the shores of Lake Michigan, there is a waystation for the dead. Every night, the newly-departed travel through the city to the Station, guided by its lighthouse. There, they reckon with their lives, before stepping aboard a boat to go beyond.
Nera has spent decades watching her father – the ferryman of the dead – sail across the lake, each night just like the last.
But tonight, something is wrong.
The Station’s lighthouse has started to flicker out. The terrifying, ghostly Haunts have multiplied in the city. And now a person – a living person has found her way onto the boat.
Her name is Charlie. She followed a song. And she is searching for someone she lost.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World is a book about living and dying. It’s a book which begins wondering about our loved ones. All the things we never said, the lingering thoughts, and the pleas for forgiveness. This human desire to want one more moment. How loss can be a sort of death in and of itself. And it exposes a story about what it means to live, not just to survive, but to live each moment and to see what’s around us. With this subtle sense of mystery, which only continues to build, The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World is a book which gradually sweeps us away. Within the ashes, sometimes we can find a spark.
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The world building is quiet, until it burst and dazzles. I loved the way that The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World explores magic and love. The people who are ghosts before they die. It asks us if we can honor the dead if we never live. It has an emotional undertow which only grows in strength. I loved watching the world unfold in this sophomore release from Dawson. After The First Bright Thing, I wasn’t sure where we would go, but this is a truly moving story about loss and life. Find The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop. org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.