Description
Lucy, a spirited French-Ojibwe orphan, is sent to the stormy waters of Lake Superior to live with a mysterious family of lighthouse-keepers—and, she hopes, to find the legendary necklace her father spent his life seeking…
Selena Lucy Landry (named for a ship, as every sailor’s child should be) has been frightened of the water ever since she lost her father at sea. But with no one else to care for her, she’s sent to foster with the Martins—a large Anishinaabe family living on a lighthouse in the middle of stormy Lake Superior.
The Martin family is big, hard-working, and close, and Lucy—who has always been a dreamer—struggles to fit in. Can she go one day without ruining the laundry or forgetting the sweeping? Will she ever be less afraid of the lake?
Although life at the lighthouse isn’t what Lucy hoped for, it is beautiful—ships come and go, waves pound the rocks—and it has one major advantage: It’s near the site of a famous shipwreck, a shipwreck that went down with a treasure her father wanted more than anything. If Lucy can find that treasure—a priceless ruby necklace—won’t it be like having Papa back again, just a little bit?
But someone else is hunting for the treasure, too. And as the lighthouse company becomes increasingly skeptical that the Martins can juggle Lucy and their duties, Lucy and the Martin children will need to find the necklace quickly—or they may not have a home at all.
The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry is a timelessly sweet tale of found family from rising Ojibwe voice Anna Rose Johnson, author of NPR Best Book of the Year The Star That Always Stays. Perfect for fans of L.M. Montgomery and Karina Yan Glaser!
My Thoughts
Reading this lovely book took me back to my early reading days with Laura Ingalls Wilder and Louisa May Alcott and to my early librarian days with the Dear America series. There was definitely that vibe around this. The story is fanciful and features the familiar trope of young child left alone after terrible tragedies who finds a new and fruitful life.
I found the main character appealing as she tried so hard to mask her fears and insecurities with imagination (“I am a Princess of Acadia!”) The quest she set for herself in finding the lost necklace was a good element to move the story along, and the lighthouse setting was wonderful. The star here, though, is the family dynamic. The Martin family is big and loud but also loving and responsible. Readers will want to be a Martin!
There were many touchstones in this story for me (a 61 year old reader), and I hope this will appeal to middle grade readers looking for adventure. This could also spark some interest in Great Lakes history, especially those who live on the shores of those lakes.
“Lucy Landry is a charming and fanciful heroine reminiscent of Anne Shirley, who reminds us that even in dark times, we can be a light for others.”—Alyssa Colman, author of Bank Street Best Book of the Year The Gilded Girl
Publication Date: March 5, 2024
Published By: Holiday House, Peachtree, Pixel+Ink
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy
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