The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry. Anna Rose Johnson. 2024. 192 pages. [Source: Library]
First sentence: “What are we going to do with young Lucy?”
Premise/plot: The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry is a children’s historical fiction novel set in 1912. Lucy Landry is an orphan being sent to live with a new family–the Martins. The Martins live in a lighthouse and Mr. Martin is the lighthouse keeper. The family is already LARGE. They are strangers to one another. Lucy has a vivid imagination–especially when it comes to her identity and story. She is a girl on a mission. She wants to “complete” her father’s mission–as best she can. He wanted to find treasure from a shipwreck. (The name of the ship is escaping my memory). Lucy is terrified of the water and not so fond of ships or boats, but her love of her father may prove stronger.
My thoughts: This one was an almost for me. I wanted to love it. I did. In the actual year 1912, one of the biggest trends in children’s literature WAS orphans. THIS is the time of Pollyanna and Anne Shirley and Emily (of New Moon) and Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. I’m sure there are dozens more. An orphan with a big imagination sounds like my cup of tea. The opening was giving off big vibes of Emily of New Moon–minus the cats. But I personally failed to bond with the characters. At one point–and I take full responsibility–I blinked and missed a crucial plot point. I spent the last half of the novel slightly confused and out of sorts. Not lost enough to truly have lost the plot. Yet just confused enough to feel something was missing. If I could pinpoint *where* I blinked and missed something, I would go back to the chapter and pick it up again. But I don’t know where I lost it. I think I wanted a stronger emotional reaction to this one. I still think this one could largely be all on me–my fault. Your reading experience might be different.
© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky’s Book Reviews
