Lighthouse Island: A Novel - Hardcover

Jiles, Paulette

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0062232509 ISBN 13: 9780062232502

Publisher: William Morrow, 2013

Synopsis

Paulette Jiles's novels have been called "beautiful," "unforgettable," "impeccable," "pitch perfect," "life-affirming," "deeply relevant," "Homeresque," "remarkably engaging," "glorious." Now the acclaimed poet and New York Times bestselling author of The Color of Lightning, Stormy Weather, and Enemy Women limns new territory with this captivating and atmospheric story set in the far future--a beautiful and engaging literary dystopian tale resonant with love and hope.See the rain forests . . . northern beauty, misted nights. Come to Lighthouse Island . . .In the coming centuries, the world's population has exploded and covered the earth with endless cities. Animals are nearly all gone. Drought plagues the land and cloudy water is issued by the quart. There are no maps, no borders, no numbered years. On this urban planet the only relief from the overcrowding, the petty informers, and the harsh rule of the big Agencies is the television in every living space, offering dreams of vanished waterfalls and the promise of virtual vacations in green spaces for the lucky few.It is an unwelcoming world for an orphan like Nadia Stepan, abandoned by her parents on a crowded street when she was four with only a drawing of the constellations of the Big Dipper--Cassiopeia's Chair and the North Star--and her mother's parting words: "Look to the North Star, and we will always be there." Shuttled from orphanage to orphanage, foster family to foster family, Nadia grows up dreaming of the vacation spot called Lighthouse Island, in a place called the Pacific Northwest where she believes her long-lost parents must be. As her obsession grows, so too does her determination to find her way there.In the meantime, this bright and witty orphan falls into the refuge of old and neglected books; the lost world of the imagination filled with characters who can't disappear, or be arrested, or hurt her. And there is the voice, bounced from an abandoned satellite, that patiently reads, over and over,

About this title

Review:

"A gripping, deeply relevant book."--New York Times Book Review on THE COLOR OF LIGHTNING

"A rousing, character-driven tale."--Kirkus Reviews on THE COLOR OF LIGHTNING

"Jiles's prose is a striking match for the barren landscape of this moody adventure tale."--"Publishers Weekly "on LIGHTHOUSE ISLAND

"A remarkably engaging story. . . . Jiles's description is memorable and evocative."--"Denver Post "on THE COLOR OF LIGHTNING

"[A] meticulously researched and beautifully crafted story . . . this is glorious work."--"Washington Post" on THE COLOR OF LIGHTNING

"A gripping, deeply relevant book."--"New York Times Book Review" on THE COLOR OF LIGHTNING

"A rousing, character-driven tale."--"Kirkus Reviews" on THE COLOR OF LIGHTNING

"Jiles' spare and melancholy prose is the perfect language for this tale in which survival necessitates brutality."--"Seattle Times" on THE COLOR OF LIGHTNING

"Lighthouse Island is a beacon of hope for Nadia, the clever, resourceful young heroine of Paulette Jiles' spellbinding new novel. . . . Jiles' writing is crisp and vivid as always, and although her setting is vastly different, her themes--independence, individuality, love of the land--remain intact."--"San Antonio Express-News" on LIGHTHOUSE ISLAND

"Nadia's wandering journey maintains that hopeful anticipation of deep sleep. . . Jiles ("Color of Lightening; Stormy Weather") has created a fascinating dystopic vision of a future world."--"Library Journal" on LIGHTHOUSE ISLAND

About the Author:

Paulette Jiles is a novelist, poet, and memoirist. She is the author of Cousins, a memoir, and the novels Enemy Women, Stormy Weather, The Color of Lightning, Lighthouse Island, and News of the World. She lives on a ranch near San Antonio, TX.

About this edition

• Publisher: William Morrow
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 0062232509
• ISBN 13: 9780062232502
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 352