The Light on Farallon Island

A Novel

By: Jen Wheeler

Narrated by: Sarah Zimmerman

Length: 10 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

From debut author Jen Wheeler comes a spellbinding tale about the dangers a nineteenth-century woman encounters as she flees a tragic past to the menacing Farallon Islands.

Thirty miles off the coast of San Francisco lie the Farallon Islands, known to sailors as the Devil’s Teeth. Despite their fearsome reputation, their remote nature appeals to young Lucy Riley, who in 1859 seeks a new start as a teacher to the lighthouse keepers’ children.

But Lucy brings treacherous secrets with her, including a name that isn’t hers and a past she can’t escape. On the island, she meets Will Sisson, a mysterious man who seems to recognize her name—but not her face. Wary of Will at first, Lucy slowly starts to trust him.

As Lucy embeds herself in the island’s community, she discovers numerous dangers: deadly cliffs, shark-infested waters, and disorienting fogs. A dark presence of another sort, too, disguises an encroaching threat.

In this forbidding place, Lucy must find the courage to confront the perils of her past and the ever-present dangers of the world around her for the new life she’s sought to finally begin.

©2023 by Jennifer Wheeler (P)2023 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Jen Wheeler’s The Light on Farallon Island is just spectacular. A book of isolation, both physical and self-imposed, and the fragility of connection; a story of secrets and consequences; and a love story to a wind-swept and sea battered Farallon Islands. Intricately plotted, deeply researched, beautifully written—a knockout.”—Kim Taylor Blakemore, author of The Deception

“In her engrossing debut novel, Wheeler’s depiction of an unusual and fascinating setting expertly accentuates her heroine’s fears and joys in this atmospheric, evocative exploration of how forcefully the past can haunt us, and the redemptive power of love.”—Megan Chance, author of A Dangerous Education

A must read!

If you like Ahab’s Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund, you’ll like this story. The imagery puts you on the island. With all the drama of dysfunctional families, unhappy marriages, small communities and desperate people. It’s suspenseful and full of hardship, tragedy superstition and crime, told from the POV of a gentle woman, down on her luck. Excellently narrated and masterfully paced.

Wonderful

Such a great escape into a place and time I was unfamiliar with. A mystery and a love story with danger and a touch of magic. Give this one a try.

Good, but a touch frustrating

My brother liked the first 2/3 of the book more than the last. My issue is as a result of the main character having seemingly very inconsistent reactions to situations, although not in response to character development or through circumstantial changes. Basically, in the beginning, she doesn’t react in an extreme manner to unfair situations, but her reactions in the last third are seemingly out of character, although much more gratifying, in my opinion.
I do like the historical and largely accurate background, but the connection to the characters is rather unbelievable, and early prophecies unfulfilled.
Nonetheless, mostly enjoyable. It has a nice flow and well written.
Although not necessarily important to me, no, cursing at all, and no sexual detail virtually whatsoever.

Good story

I did not like the audible reader. She would end sentences with an upturned note. It was not so bad that I couldn’t enjoy the entire book though .

From Difficult Start to a Very Worthy Read!

After sorting the characters and storyline, a truly great Audible and fascinating novel unfolds. Combine the historical aspect of The Farralon Islands off the shores of San Francisco in the late eighteen hundreds, add characters with mysterious pasts, indeterminate futures culminating in love, death murders, and a suspenseful ending. The narration is flat amazing!

Great book!

Great book and good descriptive writing. Needed more at the end. Would recommend for sure!

Loved it. Well-written.

I enjoyed plot, characters, and atmospheric descriptions. Kept me listening until the very end.
I enjoyed the performance by the narrator.

Damsel in constant distress

Interesting enough, but I am not a fan of the constant damsel in distress with pervasive tragedy to create a sympathetic heroine. if you like that kind of storyline, then you will like this. if not, then I recommend passing on this one.

Interesting read

Historical, learning a little about an island I had not heard of before and a little romance. The story is interesting and I enjoyed the developing romance. I’m not sure I agree with the involving of a young woman in the act of murdering her own father even if he was a bullying creep. However the characters were interesting and were embedded with fairness and justice so it's easy to give them a pass.
I would definitely recommend the read.

Loved the Narration

This was a good book. It kept me coming back and that is more than I can say for a lot of books these days. Love the Narrator. She is very believable with a nice voice. I have the book companion and found myself picking it up late at night to read some and wondered as I did, how the narrator would sound. Story was convincing. I wouldn’t say it was a thriller but it had enough mystery to keep me guessing. It also has a good ending. I would recommend this book.