Olivia Hawker is a first read author. I have enjoyed the well researched historical novels and this one is no different. Grab this one if you enjoy historical religious novels as this one is focused on Mormon religion. OW has great knowledge of the religion and helps her readers understand as well. Set in 1975, this brings us to a new time for OW's characters and how music was such a force during the time. You'll relate to the characters and have all the feelings. Well done!

Arriving in Rexburg is Linda Duff, an outsider from Seattle hoping to plant new roots far from the bitter ones of her childhood. She’s quickly taken with Aran, in no small part because of his talent. But when they fall in love, Linda is drawn into a family more damaged than the one she left behind. She also becomes privy to a secret Aran and Tamsin share that could dismantle everything everyone holds dear. Upsetting the precarious balance in the Rigby home, Linda becomes an unwitting catalyst for the upheaval of Gad’s oppression. Now it’s time for them all to break free of the past, overcome the unforgivable, and find a new way forward―whatever the price.

I originally gave this title only two stars for its sentimentality and melancholy. But, since I can’t stop thinking about it, I’m adding a star. Hawker writes from her history. And her heart. The Rise of Light may seem only a melodrama of the family of a hard man, but ultimately I was touched by the individual characters and their love and care for one another.

A slow burn of a novel( in a good way) exploring the dynamics and tensions in a family where not only personalities are in play, but the expectations of the Mormon community. Everybody trying to live up what they think is expected of them - and woe betide you if you dare to be different. The book is very well-written. I could relate to all of the characters and their individual perspectives. I danced with joy and cried with sympathy as events unfolded. This is the first book I have read from this author, but her other two have been added to my TBR list. 5 stars from me.

4 " emotional, sensitive, at times off the mark" stars !!

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and Lake Union Publishing for providing me an e-copy. I am providing my honest review. This was released August 2021.

I want to start off with my one major criticism before I start to gush. The climax of the piece did not work for me for the most part. After creating such nuanced characters the climax felt overly dramatic and unbelievable to this reader. Normally this would have knocked the book down to three stars but because this book was so exquisite in so many ways I cannot rate it less than a four. This aside....

Ms. Hawker has a way with words with creating word paintings of landscapes that are breathtakingly sensual and visual that impart to the reader a sense of place in the here and now. You are not reading about 1975 but are living it. You feel immersed in the Mormon Community in Rexburg Idaho and are part of the community.

This is an amazingly poignant and resonant family drama that pulled at my heartstrings and caused me to weep several times...sometimes bitterly but more often sweetly. We are presented with characters that are complex and damaged and doing the best they can for the people they love.
Ms. Hawker has huge awareness of human emotion and the language to convey all the nuances to the reader. This is a story that is quiet but important. The good, the bad and the ugly.

A wonderful family drama and love story that with some editing could truly have achieved American literary greatness. I would definitely read more by Ms. Hawker !

I had a difficult time reading this one. I wanted to love it so much but it just wasn't engaging for me. I kind of got lost in so many POV's, the father was so overbearing so I couldn't stand his character. I hate it when parents are so intimidating to their children that the kids live in fear. I am a woman of faith and typically love reading books that are faith-based/religious but in this case it was too dark for me. I did like that it was set in Idaho in the 1970's and I got a little info on how the Mormons theoretically lived, so that I found curious.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an e-ARC for my opinion.

This was a slightly unexpected and different read from Olivia Hawker. I did like the characters and found the story interesting, however it was not my style. I would still recommend it to others who enjoy drama genres more.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

This is a great read (thanks to NetGalley and the Author for the ARC!). The Rise of Light details the drama and intricacies of a family on the cusp change in a rural Mormon community in eastern Idaho in the 1970's. I'm not typically drawn to dramatic family literature in my reading habits, but this one hit me in the feels in many ways. Having been raised in the Mormon faith, its culture, dealing with the inherent expectations and resulting traumas, the characters and their journey's all spoke to me.

Hawker's prose is elegant and flowing. She captures her environments in an ancient and visceral way, so expect to be transported as you read this. The Rise Of Light is a slow burn, aiding to the growing tension within the story.

The Rise of Light is excellent for many reasons, but I especially appreciated the exploration of the inherent misogyny, abuse, and restrictions within Mormonism. Several storylines allow for a deep exploration of this and many other topics from different perspectives.

I found myself horrified several times by the use of religion to enable men to exert their control over not only their own families but the women who dare to act even slightly unexpectedly. And 'unexpectedly' is anything that isn't 100% subservient, demure, or apologetic, as is evident in Gad's interactions with his wife, daughter, and Linda before he even knows her. She is a stranger on the street, and he treats her with contempt solely because she doesn't immediately submit to his obvious male privilege and dominance.

"That was why her father feared and hated worldly things. Tamsin understood it all now. The world was much bigger than Rexburg. The world was nothing any man could control."

Gad is the head of the household, a prominent leader within the church, and riddled with issues. Some of these are generational, thanks to the abuse and ideals forced on him by his father. To smother his feelings and misgivings, he holds a tight, demanding control over his entire family. But, unfortunately, with human nature being what it is, it's only a matter of time before this control slips and everything starts to fall apart.

The Gad-Aran storyline was difficult to read because of the continuation of this generational abuse. Gad attempts to control how Aran spends his time by forcing him to work in the family business and abandon any dreams unrelated to the family or church. He tries to tell him first who he should be dating and then who he most definitely should not be dating once Linda enters the picture. It ramps up even further when he discovers Aran is finding success as a painter. Instead of being proud that Aran found a way to follow the dream Gad's father forced him to abandon, Gad becomes vindictive. He twists his beliefs to allow himself the ability to take revenge without guilt - instead, he feels it is his responsibility, maybe even his calling, to knock Aran down a peg and teach him a lesson. What makes this even more terrible is that while Gad is sure in his convictions, Aran spends the entire book worried that he is being tempted away from the 'truth' thanks to years of brainwashing.

Linda's story was very relatable. She's searching for a sense of family she's never felt, willing to go to extreme lengths to find it. She leaps into the unknown to find what she is looking for, and I found her incredibly strong and brave. Because even while she is willing to do a lot to create her own sense of family, she still has a strong sense of morality and doesn't give in to the brainwashing attempts by those around her. She's able to recognise something good in Aran, and she finds a way to make things work, even when confronted by the absolute craziness of Gad and the control he attempts (mostly successfully) to exert over his family.

"That was the funny part, the strange part: how they both just stayed. As if they expected that something would be different this month, this Sunday, this any-day-of-the-week. Nothing was ever different. Not here."

The most heartbreaking storyline is certainly Tamsin's. There is so little hope here at all times. She's the most intelligent person in this story, the most certain in her own beliefs. Where Aran questions the church and Gad's rules, Tamsin openly denies and defies them. Unfortunately, her age and her gender work severely against her ability to escape. Tamsin has the most basic dream to leave home and go to college. While this is almost a given for most teenagers in the United States, she knows that her father will never let her go.

"Amen, the congregation answered - even Tamsin. There were no bars on the cage, but a good girl always stayed."

I highly recommend The Rise of Light - what appears to be straightforward at first develops nuance and takes many directions I was not expecting. It stays true to human nature and its unpredictability while delving into religion, abuse, and complicated family dynamics. I felt immersed in this community, sometimes to a terrifying degree, and while the narrative did feel like it dragged on at times, it painted a vivid picture (no pun intended).

I have enjoyed previous books by Olivia Hawker and her release, The Rise of Light, does not disappoint. Five stars.

A family bound by religion. A patriarch with grips on the community and passionate about art once has passed his talent to a son who escaped once, only to return to shame.. Linda has come to this place whose whole social framework is bound by rules strict and oppressive. Aran whose talent cannot lay dormant,Linda who is looking for a sense of place as long as freedom is part of the package. Tasman a sister , daughter, rebel, makes leaving this place her mission. The cost of that escape traps more than one life .

The Rise of Light by Olivia Hawker was nothing like I thought it was going to be when I chose it from the NetGalley Read Now section. I started and stopped reading it several times before I actually finished it. I’d say the first 3/4’s of the book was a real struggle for me. It centers around a community with strong Mormon beliefs. It’s about a very dysfunctional family, with the father being overly strick towards his wife and children. Very controlling, or so he tries to be. It isn’t until the last part of the story that I felt it got better and actually held my interest. It’s not a story I would recommend although I’m sure that even though it wasn’t to my liking or taste, others will probably enjoy reading it. Because the tailend of the story improved and held my interest, I have decided to give it a 4 star rating. I did feel that the authors writing was very good also.

Thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union for the ARC
The novel tells the story of a Mormon family in Rexburg, Idaho in 1975. Two of the children (Aran and Tamsin) are struggling with their father's expectations, Aran is supposed to take of the family business even though he dreams of being an artist and because of Tamsin's rebelliousness she is constantly at odds with her father. The book is very well-written. The descriptions of landscapes and Aran's art are very vivid. Because of the multiple POVs it's easy to emphasize with each family member. I especially liked that each family member had a different attitude to religion and the community.

The rise of Light, is a story that follows the lives and struggles of Aran and Tamsin Rigby as they navigate the emotional abuse and temper of their father, Gad. Olivia Hawker delivers a peek into family life steeped in religion and the impact of community. This is an emotional journey that explores both the damage and redemption a family can experience.

Olivia Hawker has this incredible gift to describe scenes in such clear detail that it simply brings them to life in your imagination. Her writing is beautiful and once again she has delivered a novel absolutely worth reading!

I love this cover and think it's beautiful. But the story just wasn't for me. There were far too many POV. It kept the story jumbled and I felt like a lot of the conversations and thoughts were only halfway given through the story.

The father was awful and painful to read. The poor kids, especially Aran - it was good to read the story and watch them grow up. I'm not sure I believe there would be a testimony later with a lot of remorse and confessing but I was willing to set aside my doubt and roll with it. The flood sounded terrifying and I definitely think I'll look up more information about it.

<i>A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.</i>

This was an excellent family drama. The writing is beautifully atmospheric. There is a controlling father and the Mormon religion. At the heart of this novel. The author is adept at wringing emotions from the story.
Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Olivia Hawker has done a very good job writing this book. She appears to have direct knowledge about what she writes. The characters and situations are very real to me, as if I were actually there. I highly recommend this book.
My thanks for the free copy I received in exchange for my honest review.

1975 is a time of immense change in the lives of the Rigby family in Rexburg, Idaho. Aran, back from his Mormon mission, paints in secret while working for his angry father Gad. He's considered the black sheep of the family because of an incident when he was a teen but little does Gad know the extent of his daughter Tamsin's thoughts. An outsider-Linda- arrives in town having joined the church in search of family but she struggles for acceptance. I've been a fan of Hawker for her unique take on situations as well as her writing. While both are true here, this is also a bit slow- but still a rewarding read. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. I'd love to know what eventually happened to everyone.

This book is filled with family drama and secrets. The more that I read, the more invested I became in the characters. I was drawn in and wanted to know what happened next. I liked the theme that expectations and perceptions are not always what they seem. It is a powerful study on the bonds that are forged by loyalty.

The Rise of Light is a family drama by Olivia Hawker. The setting for the novel is Rexburg, Idaho, in 1975. The Rigby family comprises the father who is called Gad, mother Arletta, son Aran, daughter Tamsin, and 19-year-old twin boys Brig and Ondi. They are Mormons and they vary in their following of the religion. Aran is an aspiring artist and Tamsin is a bit of a rebel, still at high school, but intends to leave Rexburg as soon as possible. Things change with the arrival of Linda Duff from Seattle...

This is a well-written story, told from different perspectives. The author describes Aran's paintings so beautifully as well as the locale, making it seem as if I were present. The characters are multidimensional and very real. The dynamics of the Rigby family are fully explored and the story progresses to a surprising conclusion.

Disclosure: Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for providing a digital ARC of The Rise of Light by Olivia Hawker, via Netgalley for review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.