January 2013 Book Club

The book centers around Tom Sherbourne, a Lighthouse keeper stationed on a tiny island, Janus Rock, about a half day’s boat ride from the coast of Western Australia.  The job post is a three year commitment, with supplies arriving every few months and shore leave every year.  Alone on an isolated and weather ravaged island, Tom’s wife, Isabel suffers two miscarriages and one stillbirth.  Shortly after her stillbirth, a small row boat washes ashore with a dead man and a newborn baby girl.  Isabel immediately takes to the child and wants Tom to wait to report the discovery in his meticulously kept log book.  Much to Tom’s guilty conscious they bury the dead man and raise the child, that they name Lucy, as their own.  When they return to the mainland they find out that the dead man and Lucy are Hannah Roennfeldt’s husband and daughter, who is devastated and ruined by the loss of her family.  How do Tom and Isabel react when they find out  their “daughter” Lucy has a family?  What would you do in the situation?  It was one of our most talked about books with everyone adding their thoughts, wisdom and debating the topic.