The Lightkeepers

November 30, 2015
The strange and desolate Farallon Islands serve as the backdrop for this evocative and enchanting debut novel. Geni transports us to this jagged, treeless archipelago off the coast of San Francisco to explore a single house, inhabited by five biologists, an intern, and the narratorâa nature photographer named Miranda. Wherever she travels, Miranda writes letters to her dead mother, revealing parts of herself that remain hidden to the rest of the world. While she photographs the elephant seals, whales, sharks, and birds, the looming danger of the ocean and the islands themselves force Miranda to rely on her often elusive housemates. There is Galen, the longest resident, who is a shark specialist; Mick, the amiable whale biologist; Charlene, the young, enthusiastic intern; and Lucy, a private but determined ornithologist. A series of mysterious accidents and injuries augur more surprises during Mirandaâs tumultuous stay on the islands. Geni (The Last Animal) writes with the clear, calm confidence of a master storyteller. This is a haunting and immersive adventure, set in an unforgettable, wild habitat of its own.

Xe Sands narrates this debut novel, written as a series of letters from the protagonist to her long deceased mother. Miranda, an emotionally damaged nature photographer, joins six reclusive biologists at a research station in the Farallon Islands, a beautiful but dangerous wilderness preserve. Sands reads in a natural-sounding voice. She becomes Miranda, speaking in a halting, detached manner reflective of her insecurities. The richly detailed writing evokes the heaviness of the cold, damp air, the wonder of seal pups nursing, and the raucous sounds of savage gulls. Sands is convincing in her portrayal of Miranda's devastating year in a wilderness where animals and humans alike struggle for survival. D.L.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine