Lawrence, I. (2002). The lightkeeper’s daughter. New York, New York: Delacorte Press.
Summary
When Elizabeth “Squid” McCrae returns with her three year old daughter, Tatiana, to her home on the remote Lizzie Island, off the coast of British Columbia, her tentative feelings about her family resurface. There, Squid, her mother and her father, reminisce about Squid’s childhood, especially the death of her brother, Alistair. However, when Squid uncovers Alastair’s journals she begins to rethink her impact upon Alastair’s life as well as the causes of his death.
Advisory Information
- Themes
a Family Relationships: This novel is dependent upon the family relationships and how it affects each individual family member.
b Grief: Grief is another central theme to this novel. The entire family is learning how to cope with Alistair’s death.
c Teen Pregnancy and Motherhood: Squid’s pregnancy and motherhood is somewhat of a secondary theme, however it is partly what precipitates her move back to Lizzie Island.
d Rural vs. City Life: Living on a rural island, Squid cannot help but feel as if she is being held back. Even Squid’s mother cannot face the island any longer, and wishes to move to a more populated area. Additionally, Squid’s father represents the need for a rural life, staying one with nature, understanding the give and take relationship between man and nature, and so forth.
e Remembrance and how time and feelings can skew memories: This is portrayed by the switching of narratives throughout the story. We see how certain events are skewed due to different perspectives.
Age Recommendation
Because this novel has more mature thematic elements I would recommend this novel for older teens aged 16-18.
Other Information:
Iain Lawrence lives in the Gulf Islands in Canada. He has written nonfiction books about his travels on the Canadian coastline as well as five other young adult novels.
Reaction
Through Squid, Iain Lawrence paints an interesting picture of life in British Columbia as well as personal struggles with being a single teen parent, coming to terms with your parent’s identity and parenting styles, as well as the process of grieving. Although Squid is not always a likeable character, on the contrary, she is very much a flawed character; the reader is able to relate to her decisions and actions, especially when one remembers that she is only seventeen. We understand her resentment towards her parents, her desire to live a more cosmopolitan life, and her need to find herself. We also see how her interpretations of her memories are in fact a coping mechanism for the loss of her brother. In such a rural, cold, and desolate lifestyle, it is not hard to see how Squid can feel abandoned despite her closeness to her brother.
Summary
When Elizabeth “Squid” McCrae returns with her three year old daughter, Tatiana, to her home on the remote Lizzie Island, off the coast of British Columbia, her tentative feelings about her family resurface. There, Squid, her mother and her father, reminisce about Squid’s childhood, especially the death of her brother, Alistair. However, when Squid uncovers Alastair’s journals she begins to rethink her impact upon Alastair’s life as well as the causes of his death.
Advisory Information
- Themes
a Family Relationships: This novel is dependent upon the family relationships and how it affects each individual family member.
b Grief: Grief is another central theme to this novel. The entire family is learning how to cope with Alistair’s death.
c Teen Pregnancy and Motherhood: Squid’s pregnancy and motherhood is somewhat of a secondary theme, however it is partly what precipitates her move back to Lizzie Island.
d Rural vs. City Life: Living on a rural island, Squid cannot help but feel as if she is being held back. Even Squid’s mother cannot face the island any longer, and wishes to move to a more populated area. Additionally, Squid’s father represents the need for a rural life, staying one with nature, understanding the give and take relationship between man and nature, and so forth.
e Remembrance and how time and feelings can skew memories: This is portrayed by the switching of narratives throughout the story. We see how certain events are skewed due to different perspectives.
Age Recommendation
Because this novel has more mature thematic elements I would recommend this novel for older teens aged 16-18.
Other Information:
Iain Lawrence lives in the Gulf Islands in Canada. He has written nonfiction books about his travels on the Canadian coastline as well as five other young adult novels.
Reaction
Through Squid, Iain Lawrence paints an interesting picture of life in British Columbia as well as personal struggles with being a single teen parent, coming to terms with your parent’s identity and parenting styles, as well as the process of grieving. Although Squid is not always a likeable character, on the contrary, she is very much a flawed character; the reader is able to relate to her decisions and actions, especially when one remembers that she is only seventeen. We understand her resentment towards her parents, her desire to live a more cosmopolitan life, and her need to find herself. We also see how her interpretations of her memories are in fact a coping mechanism for the loss of her brother. In such a rural, cold, and desolate lifestyle, it is not hard to see how Squid can feel abandoned despite her closeness to her brother.
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