22/5/26
Isabel had two miscarriages and one late-term stillbirth. that rendered her unable conceive.
Tom seeks solitude, peace, and order following the intense trauma of serving as a soldier in WWI. The remote, structured life on Janus Rock allows him to escape his memories, avoid human connection, and find purpose in a rigid, meticulous job. She marries him, she fears life is fleeting and is eager to marry and build a life with someone dependable, rather than waiting for a "perfect" moment.
The book starts in 1926. Tom returned from fighting in WW1 and becomes the light house for Janus Rock to live an isolated life after what he saw in the war. At Point Partageuse before he left to the light house he met Isabel. Ralph and Bluey, who run the supply boat to Janus every three months, and this is his only contact with the outside
Because the light rotates in a bath of mercury ,this poisons workers and in can be detected in their handwriting becoming less steady, a hazard for lighthouse keepers.
Tom happened to meet Hannah on a ship when she was molested by returning soldiers and he told her the soldiers all had problems not to prosecute them. We know that Hannah had lost 2 brothers in the war and so had Isabel. Hannah had a sister Gwen.
Tom married Isabel and she was happy on the island but had 2 miscarriages and a stillborn baby, where medical help was not available. 2 weeks after the still born a boat with Frank arrived on the island with the baby that they adopted. Isabel told Tom not to record this in his log. The child makes Isabel a caring mother and Tom who had an abusive childhood a loving side of him comes out.
A light house keeper signs on for a 3 year term after that he would get 3 month leave while a relief to over. On the island they kept a milk cow and egg chickens. The only contact was a Morse code radio.
The Swan River Colony of 1829 was a free settler colony (not of convicts) and became Western Australia in 1901. The WW1 is mentioned frequently as an example a woman whose husband returned to his family affected by gas on the Somme. After a few years hung herself deserting her family. Her husband could still not grip his fork.
Tom felt guilty when he found out that the real mother was Hannah. He could not get over the guilt and dropped off a letter informing Hannah to be relieved that the baby is healthy and not dead. When an investigation started Tom admitted that he was the one who had insisted that his wife look after the baby and did not want Isobel to suffer the legal consequences. This was despite the fact that the penalty for kidnapping and perhaps murder of Frank could lead to the death penalty. He had not reported the arrival of the baby or dead body. Isobel felt that Tom had betrayed her because he knew Hannah from previously.
The book ends with Hannah asking for clemency for both of Tom and Isabel, she tells the policeman that is trying to prosecute them. that she is tired of being told what to do . Who she can marry by her parents, by her sister that she should return the baby Grace to Isabel as it is the only mother she knew.
Isabel and Tom are released after a few months and they move away from Partageuse, . Toms father and brother both die a short time after each other and he inherits enough to buy a small farm. Isabel is dying of cancer. Soon after the funeral a car arrived driven by Lucy Grace, she has come from Perth and is looking for Lucy and Tom. She has with her 3 month old Christopher who looks like Lucy when she was a baby. Tom presents her with a box of girlhood memorabilia that his wife had saved. Tom feels content with his life now.
No comments:
Post a Comment