The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke
Two sisters go missing on a remote Scottish island. Twenty years later, one is found — but she’s still the same age as when she disappeared.
When single mother, Liv, is commissioned to paint a mural in a 100-year-old lighthouse on a remote Scottish island, it’s an opportunity to start over with her three daughters — Luna, Sapphire, and Clover. When two of her daughters go missing, she’s frantic. She learns that the cave beneath the lighthouse was once a prison for women accused of witchcraft. The locals warn her about wildlings, supernatural beings who mimic human children, created by witches for revenge. Liv is told wildlings are dangerous and must be killed.
Twenty-two years later, Luna has been searching for her missing sisters and mother. When she receives a call about her youngest sister, Clover, she’s initially ecstatic. Clover is the sister she remembers — except she’s still seven years old, the age she was when she vanished. Luna is worried Clover is a wildling. Luna has few memories of her time on the island, but she’ll have to return to fin the truth of what happened to her family. But she doesn’t realize just how much the truth will change her.
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This book was a whirlwind of excitement and edge-of-the-seat moments. I listened to this on audiobook with a friend while touring around Atlantic Canada and doing Lighthouse tours around the islands. What a fitting read! And what a great review to start September off with, who doesn’t love a good witch story? The Lighthouse Witches has been on my TBR for ages. The synopsis (above) just didn’t capture me. It was bland, it was poorly written, it made me thing the book would be much the same way. I WAS WROOOOOOONG. This author has such a good grasp on what thrills. I didn’t see the twists coming because I was so enraptured on what was happening that I didn’t even have time to think about what’s coming around the corner! Not only was this book thrilling, it was historical, magical, and dark. And it was a great mother/daughter story that really dug to the root of that relationship and pulled forth all the trauma and love and kinship that exists there. I absolutely loved it. My only holdback from a full 5 stars, the ending answered all of my questions and I just wanted to be left in the dark a little longer. Otherwise, I will be reading this author again. No doubt.
The story starts with a historical account from the diary of a man named Patrick during the witch trials on this remote Scottish island. We then bounce around three timelines throughout the novel. One, following Patrick as he grows up on this fanatically religious island during the days of the witch trials and his discovery of the cave that held his mother when she was imprisoned as a witch. Two, Liv’s timeline in the 80’s as she discovers the history and secrets of the Lighthouse she was hired to paint and the man that hired her. We follow her as her two daughters go missing and strange things begin to occur on the island. Then third, we have Luna. Luna, one of Liv’s daughters, now in present day and grown up is brought back to her shady past with the discovery of her long-lost sister. We follow her as she connects everything together from all three stories in a mystery that had me hooked from start to finish.
The characterization, first of all, was fantastic. Every character, no matter how small their role or how hateful or loveable they were, had so many dimensions and layers. Because of this I sympathized with all of them, even those who I maybe shouldn’t of, and had a hard time knowing who was trustworthy and who wasn’t. Liv was a great character, trying her hardest, but she was also a little selfish and severely disconnected from her daughters. Luna was a mess and her trauma and struggles with trust were extremely relatable. Sapphire was so frustrating yet also the perfect embodiment of a realistic teenage rebellion. Luna’s storyline was my favourite but I enjoyed every single point of view.
The plot was great and moved in the perfect pace. When we ended at something exciting/cliff hanger in one timeline, we’d jump right into the midst of the action in another timeline and it made it such a satisfying and fast paced read. The setting in a misty and mysterious Scotland was perfect and I loved how the lighthouse was a major theme. Lighthouses are such intriguing structures and, to me, have always had this aura of historic mystery to me so having a historical mystery based around this structure was such a good choice. The themes of motherhood and familial relationships and generational trauma really struck a chord and I feel like this book dug into themes of womanhood and the oppression of women that hasn’t been spoken about enough when it comes to telling the story of the witches (or rather, the innocents tried as witches).
Overall, I REALLY enjoyed this book. I gave it 4.5 stars only because the ending felt too tidy. I like mess, I like unanswered questions, and I think if the book ended just a little bit earlier, it would have been a mind blowing ending. However, that was literally my only hold back. It was a great book. And the perfect read for September.