Book review: A landscape reflecting reality

Skellig Michael, known for its iconic scenery on the big screen and as a popular tourist spot, transforms into an isolated and desolate prison in June O’Sullivan’s highly anticipated debut novel.

Set on the remote island in 1867, The Lighthouse Keeper’s Wife tells a tragic tale of exile — at least, that’s how the titular character, Eliza Carthy, experiences it.

Her husband, James, leaps at the opportunity to become Principal Keeper of the lonely lighthouse, suddenly uprooting their family’s quiet life. 

As they embark on a rowboat with their two young sons, Joseph and Peter, none of them know how the next year will forever change the course of their lives.

At first, Eliza feels honoured and proud of James’ new title, but the novelty fades faster than she expects, leaving her and the boys stranded in an unfamiliar house.

Cut off from the rest of the world with no means of communication, they see other humans only when seamen occasionally arrive to restock their provisions. 

The island itself is constantly exposed to the bitter, stormy elements, and Eliza soon struggles to entertain the housebound children, who quickly grow bored of hearing the same old stories.

“It was hard to tell at times what was rain and what was the sea itself, reaching up and over the island to drench them all.” 

However, everything changes when the supply boat rows in — this time carrying two extra passengers: the lighthouse’s new Assistant Keeper, Edmund Hunter, and his wife, Ruth.

Initially thrilled to have company, Eliza soon realises that the pair — along with their questionable motives regarding the lighthouse’s management — share a mysterious relationship, seeming to barely tolerate each other. 

As tensions rise, they make Eliza doubt her own sanity, leaving her in a panicked state.

With nightmares lurking around every rocky corner, can she keep her family safe?

Despite being her debut, June O’Sullivan effortlessly captivates the reader from the very first page. 

Even though the novel presents only a brief — albeit traumatic — snapshot of these complex characters’ lives, they spring into individuals, vivid against their barren surroundings. 

Eliza especially sees her emotional state reflected in Skellig Michael’s environment, and often finds herself fantasising about her own freedom.

“She watched a gull hovering, diving, coming up empty. It toyed with the breeze, swooping and wheeling, allowing itself to be swept away on a gust. She envied its easy freedom, longed for a strong, steady air to whisk her away into the vast emptiness of sky and horizon.”

The novel also explores the role of women in society and their independence — perhaps unheard-of topics in 1860s Ireland. 

This theme is evident even in the title and is later examined in depth throughout the story. Despite being a person in her own right, Eliza is merely the keeper’s wife and is asked: “Are you the lighthouse lady?”

Vulnerable moments are also consistently highlighted through a woman’s point of view, such as the tiresome, risky journey of pregnancy and childbirth.

However, when tensions rise, Eliza is reminded of her place in a patriarchal world — even by her own husband: 

“But maybe that’s why women are mothers and men run the lighthouses. Sometimes hard decisions have to be made.”

Historical fiction can be a tricky genre to master, but The Lighthouse Keeper’s Wife proves itself a must-read for both history fans and those eager to immerse themselves in a stormy world and batten down the hatches.