61 ratings | 16 reviews | avg rating:4.15

Willard’s Year In Books

Willard’s 2025 Year in Books

Take a look at Willard’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

Go to Willard’s 2025 Year in Books

Willard Thompson’s Followers (144)

Willard’s Bookshelves

to-read (1)
currently-reading (7)
read (74)
the-huntress (1)

Willard’s Friends (18)

Lisa Angle

1,248 books | 1,450 friends

Shedevilreads Bookstagram

29,834 books | 3,940 friends

Anna Faversham

182 books | 343 friends

Pamela Allegretto

866 books | 263 friends

Dale Stamos

81 books | 217 friends

Sharon Stockwell

308 books | 491 friends

Alex Weinstein

4 books | 17 friends

Nigel Gallimore

0 books | 133 friends

More friends…

Willard Thompson

Goodreads Author

Born

in Jamaica, New York, The United States

Website

http://www.willard-thompson.com

Genre

Historical Fiction, History, Fiction

Influences

John Steinbeck, A.B. Gutherie, Jr. Wallace Stegner, Louise Erdrich

Member Since

April 2015

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/willardthompson

edit data

Willard Thompson is an award-winning historical fiction writer, lecturer and historian living in Montecito, California with his wife Jo. His Newest novel, THE GIRL FROM THE LIGHTHOUSE, will be published in March 2019. In it he tells the stroy of a young California girl who goes to Paris during the Belle Epoque to become an artist with the Impressionist painters.
Raised at a desolate California lighthouse by men, when abandoned by her mother, Emma Dobbins was never trained to be a dutiful wife, but at an early age she discovered her rare artistic talent. When she goes to Paris, France, in 1869, Frenchmen fall in love with her beautiful face and lustrous dark hair. Some want to paint her, others to court her, but either way she does not abide ...more

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask Willard Thompson questions, please sign up.

Combine Editions
Willard Thompson’s books

Average rating: 4.06 · 81 ratings · 13 reviews · 34 distinct works

	Their Golden Dreams (THE CHRONICLES OF CALIFORNIA Book 3) 4.10 avg rating — 20 ratings — published 2015 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Girl from the Lighthouse: A Novel 4.33 avg rating — 18 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dream Helper: A Novel of Early California (THE CHRONICLES OF CALIFORNIA Book 1) 3.92 avg rating — 13 ratings — published 2008 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Delfina's Gold: The Chronicles of California 4.17 avg rating — 6 ratings — published 2010 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Mountains of Gold, Mountains of Silver really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 2011 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Day Jack Powers Turned Outlaw 4.33 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2010	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	John and Jessie Frémont: The Couple Who Won the West and Lost Everything Else really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 3 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	FINDING JUANA MARIA it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Last Cattle Drive liked it 3.00 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2009 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Keepers of the Light: The Story of the Point Conception Lighthouse 3.50 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2013 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Willard Thompson…

13 posts
Willard Thompson's Blog

Memorable Characters

For as long as people have been telling stories to other people, the debate has raged about what’s more important in a good novel: plot or characters? Indeed, you can’t have a good story if the characters don’t have unusual, adventurous, romantic, or dangerous things to do. But I think those unusual, adventurous, romantic, and dangerous activities usually fade quickly into the recesses of our mind Read more of this blog post »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on November 23, 2019 10:28

View all 13 posts »

Willard is Currently Reading

Willard Thompson is currently reading

Is there a Dry Drunk in your life?: and other unsettling questions...and answers

by Carole Bennett

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Nov 01, 2022 04:13PM

Willard Thompson is currently reading

The Paris Apartment: Fated Journey (The Irish Heart, #3)

by Juliet Gauvin (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Dec 04, 2020 09:08PM

Willard Thompson is currently reading

A Tree Grows In Brooklyn

by Betty Smith

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Dec 05, 2020 04:38PM

rss
Willard’s Recent Updates

Willard Thompson rated a book it was ok A Moveable Feast: The Restored Edition by Ernest Hemingway	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 20, 2025 04:39PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Willard Thompson rated a book did not like it A Kiss Before Dying by Ira Levin	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 09, 2025 09:19PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A Kiss Before Dying by Ira Levin. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A Kiss Before Dying by Ira Levin <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Willard Thompson rated a book liked it I Still Dream About You by Fannie Flagg	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 28, 2025 09:33PM · like
Willard Thompson rated a book it was amazing The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 14, 2025 09:23PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Willard Thompson rated a book it was amazing Can't Wait to Get to Heaven (Elmwood Springs #3) by Fannie Flagg	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 08, 2025 05:28PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Can't Wait to Get to Heaven by Fannie Flagg. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Can't Wait to Get to Heaven by Fannie Flagg <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Willard Thompson finished reading Standing in the Rainbow (Elmwood Springs, #2) by Fannie Flagg	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 08, 2025 05:27PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Standing in the Rainbow by Fannie Flagg. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Standing in the Rainbow by Fannie Flagg <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Willard Thompson rated a book it was amazing Their Golden Dreams (THE CHRONICLES OF CALIFORNIA Book 3) by Willard Thompson (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 28, 2024 10:15AM · like
Willard Thompson rated a book it was amazing La Paloma by Willard Thompson (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 19, 2024 04:36PM · like