The Lady Lighthouse Keeper

by Mary Korpi

The Lady Lighthouse Keeper is a fictionalized account of Stella Prince, a woman who resists society's expectations and dedicates herself to a life of hard work out of a sense of duty. The book is an intimate and relatable look at family life at a slower pace, set against the backdrop of the rigor required to maintain a lighthouse.
Stella lived at Horton's Point for more than 1/2 of her life, from 1871 when she was three years of age until she married at 37. through Stella, we experience the simple joys and hardships of lighthouse living, on the edge of Long Island Sound, outside the small community of Southold, NY, at the end of the 19th century

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

292 pages, Paperback

Published March 20, 2022

Reviews

[Richard Nelles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well researched historical fiction.

[Georg Recht · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting fictionalized account of the Horton Point's only female lighthouse keeper. Fun reading!

[Eryn Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary does a great job of blending fact and fiction in her self-published novel about Hortons Point only lady lighthouse keeper.

Looking forward to visiting Hortons Point and learning more about the history of the lighthouse!

[Liz McGlinchey · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNFed about halfway through. The content was super interesting but something just wasn’t grabbing me unfortunately.

[LonelyBob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating look into the history and life of one of the first woman Lighthouse Keepers, Stella, in the 1800s.

[Lisa Davey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Living in the town where the Horton Lighthouse is located added an extra interest for me to read the book. It is a good story about a strong young woman in times where being strong was a bit more difficult. Loved the family story, the familiar names and locations.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Conveys a realistic sense of life on the North Fork of Long Island in the late 1800's and, specifically, what day-to-day living was like for the lighthouse keepers at Hortons Point. I applaud Korpi for raising awareness of the significant contributions women made to the U.S. Lighthouse Service, both officially and unofficially, through the story of Stella Prince.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thorougly enjoyed this book, primarily because of several visits to the lighthouse and surrounding area over the years. It was interesting to read about the history of the lighthouse and also reading about so many roads and places we have visited.

[MTillman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story about the only female lighthouse keeper at Horton Point Long island. A nice family read with lots of interesting details about the period.

[Jeannette · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intriguing story of a lady lighthouse keeper who was often overlooked by the Lighthouse service.

[SusanwithaGoodBook · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have been to several lighthouses that were kept by women for at least part of their history. It was really not as uncommon as some seem to think. This book is a fictionalized account of the life of a real woman who kept the light at Horton's Point in NY for most of her life. I'm finding that these fictionalized accounts of real people rarely seem to work well for me. I think trying to weave the real facts together with some fiction just stymies the creativity too much and makes the story feel very flat. I don't think it was intended to be YA, but that's how it reads to me.

In this one the father is a lighthouse keeper, but he isn't a good guy, so he messes up, and his daughter takes over his responsibilities. It sounds like a good story, and it could have been, but it just didn't keep me interested. I do want to go see the lighthouse, though. We didn't get to that part of Long Island when we went, so we'll have that one to add to the list to see the next time we get up that way.

[Lynnis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating 3.5 I certainly always enjoy historical fiction and loved learning of this time period of the Horton (Hortons) Lighthouse and Stella’s part of keeping the
beacon light going in spite of her father.
Some parts of the story dragged on for me.
? Name Charry Ann or Chary Ann

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've lived on Long Island my whole life and didn't know any of the history of lighthouses. It was a wonderful story which drew me in from the beginning. The characters are well developed and the pace was just right. I highly recommend this book.

[Jocelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary Korpi crafted a delightful story of Ms. Stella Prince, and the way life was in Southold Long Island. Rich with details and believability, Stella is a head of her time, selfless and strong. I loved reading about her and wanted more after reading the very last pages.

[RICARDO · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely family-friendly story about a real woman lighthouse keeper in Southold, Long Island. The author is being nominated for local author by Dan's Paper and frequently holds readings in the area. Catch one of her engaging talks.

[Andrea Volinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was wonderful ready about local history

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was great. It’s about a lady lighthouse keeper. A friend of mine from grammar school is the author.

[Greta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice family friendly story.

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book from start to finish! I loved reading about Stella and Lucy growing up and seeing Stella become the lighthouse keeper she was bound to be despite the challenges she faced!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful historic detail in a relatable family story. Loved by many! Written by me!