The Girls of Lighthouse Lane

April 19, 2004
Kinkade spins off his Cape Light Novels for adults with this engaging if sometimes contrived debut book of a series set in the same New England coastal town, co-written with Tamar. Aspiring artist Kat, the daughter of the lighthouse keeper, stands watch in the tower one stormy night in 1905 when the lighthouse beacon suddenly goes out. Holding a lantern, the 12-year-old guides a floundering boat to shore, and the grateful sailors, a couple from Boston, thank their rescuer by securing her admission to an art school in their city—a dream come true for the heroine. Kat's father agrees to pay half the tuition money if Kat can raise the other half, which she uses her artistic talents to accomplish. But when her parents are not able to come up with their half, Kat stows away on a Boston-bound boat, determined to convince the headmaster to let her work at the school for the remaining tuition. In a stretch of credibility, the vessel sinks and Kat and the crew are rescued by her father, who sets out in another boat when he learns of Kat's whereabouts. The authors incorporate—at times laboriously—period details into the novel, which will be followed by tales focusing on Kat's cousin and friends. Readers are likely to find these characters sufficiently likable to justify another visit to Cape Light. Ages 10-up.