I've just read this wonderful book and I was sorry that it came to an end. It does exacly what it does on the cover, tell the tale of this young man and his adventures as a lighthouse keeper. There's a lovely build-up to him taking the job, spurred by the inevitable question, how did you get a job like that? As someone who grew up with a lighthouse outside my living room window (this island, the Bass Rock, gets a couple of mentions!), I have always been fascinated by them. It's a job you never see advertised any more, for in Scotland at least, where this book is set, all the lights are automated.
Peter Hill describes the camararaderie that the men who worked the lights shared so well, which is warms the cockles of your heart. He sprinkles the stories that the older keepers tell him as he's learning the ropes, and we read of both adventurous and mundane lives lead. It's humourous, informative and well-written. Apparently the author is planning a book on Australian lighthouses next, collecting keepers' stories. Can't wait!
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