Guiding Lights: The Extraordinary Lives of Lighthouse Women

(Hardback)

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Description

Women have a long history of keeping the lights burning, from tending ancient altar flames or bonfires to modern-day lighthouse keeping. Yet most of their stories are little-known. Guiding Lights includes true stories from around the world, chronicling the lives of the extraordinary women who mind the worlds storm-battered towers.

From Hannah Sutton and her partner Grant, the two caretakers living alone on Tasmanias wild Maatsuyker Island, to Karen Zacharuk, the keeper in charge of Cape Beale on Canadas Vancouver Island, where bears, cougars and wolves roam, the lives of lighthouse women are not for the faint of heart. Stunning photographs from throughout history accompany accounts of the dramatic torching of Puysegur Point, one of NZs most inhospitable lighthouses; haunted lighthouses in across the US and their tragic tales; lighthouse accidents and emergencies around the world; and two of the worlds most legendary lighthouse women: Ida Lewis (US) and Grace Darling (UK), who risked their lives to save others.

The book also explores our dual perception of lighthouses: are they comforting and romantic beacons symbolising hope and trust, or storm-lashed and forbidding towers with echoes of lonely, mad keepers Whatever our perception, stories of womens courage and dedication in minding the lights then and now continue to capture our imagination and inspire.

Reviews

"A unique, eloquent, and impressively informative study, Guiding Lights: The Extraordinary Lives of Lighthouse Women by Shona Riddell is an extraordinary and highly recommended addition to community, college, and university library Women's Biography & History collections in general, and Lighthouse History supplemental studies reading lists in particular."

Author Bio

Shona Riddell has a long-held fascination with lighthouses. A writer for 20 years (including her subantarctic history book Trial of Strength with Exisle), Shona lives with her husband and two daughters in Wellington, New Zealand. She enjoys cold, windy weather and stories about remote locations.