Eleven year old Lucy Landry is an orphan living with a guardian and when she dies, Lucy is sent to live with the Martins, a large Anishinaabe family living in a lighthouse in the middle of stormy Lake Superior on the small Harmony Island. Lucy doesn't feel like she fits in, although she tries at first. She tries to help and always seem to mess things up. Her father always told her the story of a ruby necklace that had been on a ship that sunk, and Lucy is sure she will find it somewhere on the island. When she and two of the boys visit another part of the island, they are late getting back and the lighthouse is late being lit. The Martins had gone to the mainland that day and left their oldest son to light the lamp, but he was with Lucy. Is Lucy to blame if Mr. Martin is fired? When disaster strikes, Lucy steps up to save the day. Has she finally found a new family to belong to?

I liked Lucy. Although she is eleven, many times she seems much younger than that. She is half Ojibwe/half French, and doesn't know a lot about her native culture. She has quite the imagination and when she is upset, or feeling left out, she becomes one of her imagined personas. Lucy is also frightened to be on the water, as her father drowned when the ship he was on sank. I liked the Martin family. They were loud, loving and welcoming, but Lucy didn't see it. The mystery of the necklace adds an interesting plot and introduces new characters, but isn't the main storyline. This is a story about finding your place in the world, found family and acceptance. With six children already in the Martin family, it isn't easy to add another, for either Lucy or the Martins. Each of the children have a different personality, such as the baby, friendly, nasty, welcoming etc. I enjoyed getting to know them. I think Mrs. Martin's desire to teach the children about their culture and the Anishinabe language was wonderful and important. We are now realizing how important it is that culture is celebrated and language learned. The writing is descriptive, and helped me to picture the area, home and characters. Overall this was a delightful book. This is one that I wish I had the physical book as well as the audiobook. There is a glossary that I would have liked to see, as well as a map of the island. I think a read/listen would have been a better experience though.

I'd like to say that if any of you aren't at least a little bit tempted by a description that encompasses 1) a heroine reminiscent of and L. M. Montgomery character, 2) a big family story, 3) a treasure hunt, and 4) A LIGHTHOUSE… well, you might be human but are you actually a happy person? ;) Those elements make me very, very happy as a reader. They really made this story so beautiful and so much fun.

I won't write at length today about each of the lovely elements of Lucy Landry. But I do want to focus on the big family aspect, as that's solidly in my wheelhouse. A lot of big family stories capture the chaos and fun of a family of many siblings. Many get the sibling rivalry spot on, and most portray the firm bond of love between brothers and sisters. Few, in my experience, capture the way that it's not just the good things about us, but also our flaws and failures and annoying little habits that allow us to help each other grow. Family is a school of love and a school of life. Without rubbing up against each other's rough edges, we wouldn't have the chance to smooth out our own. ​The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry portrays this aspect of big family life more accurately than any story I've ever read. Lucy is a very flawed character. The Martins are, too. They don't get along very well at the onset, and it's not just a misunderstanding they grow out of—it's their flaws, front and center, there for everyone to see. But Lucy and the Martins are also, well, wonderful. They are more virtuous than they are flawed, and those virtues do a lot to ease that work of softening edges. And of course, you can't go wrong when you throw in a good adventure and a treasure hunt!

I was expecting a lot more of this story but it didn’t engage me as much as I’d hoped.
The narrator was good, though.

What a delightful middle-grade historical fiction. Lucy is an orphan and when her guardian passes away, she goes to live with the Martin family, a lighthouse manager, his wife and six children. Lucy is a wildly imaginative child, who is terrified of boats, as she lost her sailor father to the sea. She has a difficult time adjusting to her new family and their life managing a lighthouse. She is a great teller of stories, so the children have a difficult time discerning which stories are Lucy's fancy, and which are the truth. Lucy is determined to track down a ruby necklace from a shipwreck close to the lighthouse in hopes of keeping her father's memory alive, but this treasure hunt causes trouble with the Martin family and Inspector King, who threatens Mr. Martin's job. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this story, my one quibble is the hunt for the ruby necklace felt a bit rushed, but despite being under 200 pages, I felt Johnson did a great job making the reader care for Lucy and the Martin family (especially Forrest). I would recommend this to young readers who enjoy historical fiction with a bit of adventure, but not too much, as well as those who love L. M. Montgomery's stories, the Boxcar Children. And if a reader wanted to read more stories about the Ojibwe, I would recommend, the Birchbark House series by Louise Erdrich.

This audiobook gives life to a story already brimming with it! I listened to it with my younger sister (who's in the age range this book is written for) and she LOVED it!! She asked to listen to it again and again *and* for a physical copy of the book 😜

She agrees with me that this is one of our top books for 2024!

A heartfelt historical fiction children's novel, with a beautifully crafted adoptive family and MC character development.

Lucy Landry is a recently orphaned young girl who is deathly afraid of the Great Lakes where her father died. She must face her fears when she is adopted by a family who lives on a lighthouse island, spurring a story of mystery and connections old and new.

Lucy's story is highly reminiscent of Anne of Green Gables; she's a young, spunky, imaginative orphan who begins the story joining a new family, soon learning lessons through often embarrassing trial and error, and eventually builds relationships through her bravery and compassion for others. Lucy's story also shares Anne's joy and charm, made even better with an Ojibwe lead and family. The audio narration by Elise Randall Monica conveyed the light, curious tone of the story expertly, and maintained a pace friendly for all ages of listeners.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the audio arc!

Orphaned Lucy is sent to a new home at the lighthouse on Harmony Island, where the large Martin family welcomes her in. Lucy is both joyful and terrified to be at the lighthouse. Terrified because she's afraid of water. Joyful because she's close to where the Elva Jane wrecked many years ago, and her papa told her many, many stories about the Elva Jane and the treasures that sank with it. Wouldn't it be delightful if she could find some of those treasures washed ashore? If only she were brave enough to go exploring!

Lucy has a huge imagination and copes with different life circumstances by pretending to be different characters. This reminded me very much of another famous orphan by the name of Anne Shirley. I believe fans of Anne and Lucy Maud Montgomery will fully enjoy Lucy's adventures.

I won't spoil the story, but let's just say Lucy gets into plenty of trouble but also experiences plenty of triumphs. Toward the end I actually teared up several times, and the ending itself made me full-on cry. I hope if you're at all inclined to read middle grade fiction that you'll give Lucy a try. You're in for a fully vintage treat!

I received my copy of the book from the author and NetGalley. All thoughts in this review are my own.

This was such a charming read! It has the feel of classics like Anne of Green Gables and A Little Princess while being a completely new story with its own wonderful elements. The main character is in the same vein as Anne Shirley and is endearing with her big imagination and big dreams and tendency to land in trouble.

I loved the setting with a big family living in a lighthouse. I am really fascinated by lighthouses and lighthouse keepers so I loved this take on it. There were relatable themes of wanting to fit in and be loved while also having grand dreams.

Children's fiction is not a normal genre for me, but everything about this book drew me in, it was so magical! I could not be more grateful to NetGalley for allowing me to get early access to the audiobook.

Lucy Landry is a lot of things: an Heiress, a queen 👑 speaking to her subject, a meek girl who must do as she is told. Imagination carefully cultivated by a sea-stolen father, this girl had me seeing pirates and terrifying storms in my mind, great beautiful ships capsized by the untamed, unruly, angry sea ⛵.

A lost necklace gives this little girl purpose in her new lighthouse home, where she is now homeschooled and went from being alone to thrown into a home sprawling with children.

A fear of the water that once took her father threatens to take more from her. I adored the main character growth that got our brave MC to act to protect her newfound family, at the cost of meeting her father once again in bottomless depths.

A truly enthralling read. I could relate too well to our little actress. Lies that she was convinced were true, mere fairytales that others crushed. Loneliness and feeling different when in a house filled to the brim with noise and family.

Readers, I could not suggest a better, adventurous book! When I have a baby, be it a boy or a girl, I will definitely read this tale again and again! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 Stars!

The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry
by Anna Rose Johnson

The inspirational story of a young girl finding acceptance and family. The tragedy of Lucy's life has left her with little of her own. Especially after the death of her elderly custodial family friend. She has to face her greatest fears. Learn that although she makes mistakes she can still do good things for those she loves. Her stunk and creative mind not only helps her interact with the world, but it becomes what she always needed.
A great story showing family values with blended family structures.

This own voices middle grade historical fiction is a cross between the Austin Family Chronicles by Madeleine L'Engle and Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. It's sweet and slow-paced. I didn't quite finish the entire novel before the archive date on NetGalley, so I'll pick it up from the library when it becomes available.

Learning to function in a new and large family can be a struggle, especially when you are an imaginative child with your head in the clouds. Lucy has to learn to navigate siblings, noise, and expectations until one night, she saves the family she has come to love.

Selena Lucy Landry is an orphan. She is a spirited child. She is sent to live in a lighthouse with a family of many children, At first, she has a hard time fitting in but after a frightening night of danger, she proves that she is definitely one of them. This is a story of love, friendship, and adventure. The narrator does an excellent job making this novel come to life.

I loved this story! It made me think of Anne of Green Gables.
The story moved well and kept me engaged. I loved Lucy’s imagination.

In this sweet story that is very reminiscent of Anne of Green Gables, Lucy finally gets a family to welcome her into their lives. The only hitch is that they live in a lighthouse and Lucy, due to her father’s drowning, is deathly afraid of being on a boat. The other major issue is that the children in the family are generally unwelcoming and she needs to endure their constant barbs. Lucy is a likable character, who is going through so much trauma, yet she remains strong. Her quest to find the missing treasure that her dad had been after keeps her going and helps her make friends in the long run. It’s important to note that she is of Ojibwe descent, although there didn’t seem to be much emphasis on this aspect. I loved this book and highly recommend it especially if you have a fondness for Anne with an E.

The history is well researched and I adored the representations of the characters. This story teaches about growth and life experiences. I thoroughly enjoyed this adventure with Lucy.

The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry was a very good middle grade fantasy/historical fiction read with Anne of Green Gables feels. Lucy is quite the sassy, arrogant pre-teen who is trying to assimilate as an orphan with a new homeschooling family who lives in a lighthouse in Michigan. I enjoyed watching the growth and development of her character - a girl who makes a lot of mistakes but does begin to grow and find her identity by the end of the story. The other characters were enjoyable as well. Both the writing and narration were perfect for this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Anna Rose Johnson for an audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to read and review The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry on NetGalley.

Published: 03/05/24

Narrator: Elise Randall Modica

Stars: 5

Lovely.

The narration was spot on. I cannot imagine anyone else playing the part. Beautifully done.

The story is multifaceted. In addition to what is written in the synopsis are the human emotions that are an intricate part of the story. A 10-year-old facing yet another foster family after another death. Where is her break? She is placed with another family and while scared and trying to fit in, one mishap after another occurs. These are not comical. This is so well written and realistic.

I choked up several times. I laughed too.

This story is for mature audiences.

This book was everything I would want in a book that is likened to the vibes of an L.M. Montgomery book! The setting, the precocious orphan, the scrapes she gets into and the heroine adventures she embarks upon are wonderful.

Lucy is sent to live on a lighthouse island in the middle of Lake Superior with a large and loveable family of French Anishinaabe family. She herself is part of the Objiwe people and has never explored that side of herself. She lost her dad to a storm on the lake and has a healthy fear of the water, but wants to find this lost treasure that her father was seeking to remain close to his memory.

Along the way, Lucy finds herself trying to fit in, leading to disastrous results, but eventually she finds her place in this family, and maybe a key to solving the mystery of the missing ruby necklace.

I loved every moment of this story and the audio book was phenomenal; I would highly recommend, especially for anyone who loves Anne of Green Gables or any of LMM’s other delightful heroines.

An imaginative girl named Lucy moves in with a lighthouse keeper family on Lake Superior.

It is an interesting setting, but I had a hard time finishing it. Lucy is super bossy, pushy, Always right, and self focused. She is eager to help, but consistently makes life more difficult for her foster family. She causes a lot of troubles, doesn’t take responsibility for it, and ends up as a hero.

On a positive note, the lighthouse family is sweet and it gives a pretty realistic view of homeschooling.

Huge thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.