A beautiful and captivating dystopian tale resonant with love and hope from the acclaimed poet and New York Times bestselling author of The Color of Lightning, Stormy Weather, and Enemy Women
See the rain forests . . . northern beauty, misted nights. Come to Lighthouse Island . . .
In the coming centuries, Earth's population has exploded and covered the planet with endless cities. It is an unwelcoming world for Nadia Stepan, abandoned at age four and left with only a drawing of the Big Dipper and her mother's parting words: "Look to the North Star, and we will always be there." Nadia grows up dreaming of the vacation spot called Lighthouse Island, in a place called the Pacific Northwest where she believes her long-lost parents must be.
In the meantime, this bright and witty orphan finds refuge in neglected books, and the voice of Big Radio that emanates from an abandoned satellite, patiently reading the great classical books of the world.
When an opportunity for escape appears, Nadia strikes out in search of a dream. She faces every contingency with inventiveness and meets a man who changes the course of her life. Together, they head north toward a place of wild beauty that lies far beyond the megalopolis: Lighthouse Island.
Industry Reviews
"Jiles's prose is a striking match for the barren landscape of this moody adventure tale." -- Publishers Weekly on LIGHTHOUSE ISLAND "A remarkably engaging story... Jiles's description is memorable and evocative." -- Denver Post on THE COLOR OF LIGHTNING "[A] meticulously researched and beautifully crafted story ... this is glorious work." -- Washington Post on THE COLOR OF LIGHTNING "A gripping, deeply relevant book." -- New York Times Book Review on THE COLOR OF LIGHTNING "A rousing, character-driven tale." -- Kirkus Reviews on THE COLOR OF LIGHTNING "Jiles' spare and melancholy prose is the perfect language for this tale in which survival necessitates brutality." -- Seattle Times on THE COLOR OF LIGHTNING "Lighthouse Island is a beacon of hope for Nadia, the clever, resourceful young heroine of Paulette Jiles' spellbinding new novel... Jiles' writing is crisp and vivid as always, and although her setting is vastly different, her themes--independence, individuality, love of the land--remain intact." -- San Antonio Express-News on LIGHTHOUSE ISLAND "Nadia's wandering journey maintains that hopeful anticipation of deep sleep... Jiles (Color of Lightening; Stormy Weather) has created a fascinating dystopic vision of a future world." -- Library Journal on LIGHTHOUSE ISLAND "The dystopian novel is beautifully written, and Jiles' scenes of [protagonist] Nadia navigating the crumbling cityscape and her surreal interactions with the many desperate characters are vivid, shocking and often darkly funny." -- Columbus Dispatch on LIGHTHOUSE ISLAND "[I]nventive futurism and rollicking wit." -- New York Times Book Review on LIGHTHOUSE ISLAND
