Lovers of history, lighthouses, and the struggles of making it in this big world will enjoy this gorgeous novel of a young girl's rises and falls in Paris. I loved the setting and the characters.

Enjoyed the book but the ending seemed a little abrupt. Overall, a good read.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Deserted by their wife and mother Emma Dobbins is raised by her father the lighthouse keeper at Point Conception in California. There are three other lighthouse keepers there and after her father's death she must leave her only home she has ever known and make it on her own.
Fascinated with art since an early age when she would sketch everything she saw around her she is thrilled when she receives an invitation to study art in Paris. A lost invitation makes for a sad and lost girl once she arrives in Paris especially since she has no where to live.
Feeling adrift in a sea of business in Paris she can't get into art schools there, men are the only artist they are interested in.
As luck would have it she finds a working class girl that convinces her family to take Emma into their family. She must learn French as coming from America she has no knowledge of the language.
She becomes and accomplished artist.Emma experiences great joys and devastating lows, loves lost and found. You feel as if you are experiencing this right along with Emma, the descriptions are fabulous. From the French baguettes to the fancy French gowns to the magnificent landscape it's all here at your fingertips when you read this.

Published March 20th 2019 by RINCON PUBLISHING.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

The cover of this book is lovely. I enjoyed the story of the main character searching to become an established artist and learn her craft by traveling to Paris. I did however feel there was not enough development or depth to the main character in the beginning of the book. The characters seemed to jump from situation to situation in bursts of conversation without me creating a relationship with them in order to pull for them.

The Girl From The Lighthouse
At the age of 5 Emma Dobbins arrives at a lighthouse with her mother and father, where her father will work as a lighthouse keeper. Her mother dissatisfied with the turn of events that brought her to this place at the edge of California, abandons both her husband and child. At the age of 13 Emma's father dies and she is left on her own. Her passion is art, sketching and water color scenes are her forte, however, she really wants to learn to become an artist, one who paints with oils. At 17 years of age, we find Emma en route to Paris with a chaperone, one who she will model for, with hopes of going to art school. Unfortunately, her chaperone becomes ill, has to be quarantined and is forced to go to a hospital in Rouen, leaving Emma on her own. Arriving in Paris with no place to go, with no understanding of the language, she befriends a young woman who works at the train station and comes to her aid.

We are now in the heart of the Belle Époque the years between the 1860's and 1870's. For Emma, who has hopes of learning to become an artist, she is now disillusioned as the conventions of the time do not allow women into these institutes. Yet Emma is undeterred in her pursuit to become an artist, learning her skills through other artists of the times, modeling when she is able, to earn enough money to survive. She is definitely forthright, perhaps even outspoken in her beliefs, finding it difficult to understand the French way of life. For her, growing up mostly on her own, there are no rules.

The history here is written brilliantly...the Franco-Prussian War, the Commune Uprising and the distinction between the working class citizens and the elite. There is much to learn here about the impressionist artists during that time...Renoir, Degas to name a few...their efforts to be noticed, to sell their art. Stepping into the past, with the history of France at that time just before WWI, you feel as if you are actually there as a witness. For fans of historical fiction, this is one of the best...the character development and how Emma evolves is not just interesting, but absorbing as well. For art lovers, this will be a treat!

My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.