The Lamplighters Review
The Lamplighters is inspired by the real-life creepy disappearance of three lighthouse keepers in the Outer Hebrides in 1900. Emma Stonex has set her story in dual timelines in the 1970s and the 1990s. The writing style does not have much punctuation, which takes some getting used to, but overall adds to the Spartan feeling of the story. This reimagining follows lighthouse keepers Arthur, Bill, and Vincent and their lives at the lighthouse, as well as their female partners, Helen, Jenny, and Michelle, left on land. After Arthur, Bill, and Vincent’s mysterious disappearance, Helen, Jenny, and Michelle do their best to pick up the pieces of their now irrevocably altered lives. Twenty years into the future, a writer attempts to re-investigate the disappearances for a book and contacts the three women, bringing them in contact again.
The vibe of this book was very creepy and kept me guessing throughout. There was a feeling of intense loneliness and claustrophobia on the lighthouse and it was well done. On the mainland, Helen, Jenny, and Michelle have had a complicated history, dealing with their own loneliness while their partners are on the lighthouse. In the 1990s timeline, each of the women reflects on their relationships with each other and their partners. There were of course some explanations floated by various characters for the disappearance, but I found none of them convincing.
Though I thought the narrative ran out of steam halfway through, the ending was strong and brought the narrative full-circle.
To find out about the original mystery of men missing from a lighthouse, listen to the episode of the Stuff You Missed in History Class podcast.
