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Qualities of Light: New Edition
Young artist Molly Fisher predicts another boring summer at her family cabin on Cloud Lake in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate NY. But weeks before her sixteenth birthday, a boating accident almost causes her little brother's death. He falls into a coma and Molly's family, deep in tragedy, blame her. Overcome with grief and guilt, Molly befriends a newcomer to the lake, Zoe Novato. The two become best friends, then the unthinkable Molly falls in love with Zoe. Qualities of Light explores the budding of unexpected romance in the face of family tragedy, the forging of a new relationship between a daughter and her gifted, difficult parents, and an adolescent girl's confrontation with her own qualities of light and darkness.
290 pages, Paperback
First published August 25, 2009
About the author
Mary Carroll Moore
6 books101 followersMary Carroll Moore is the Amazon-bestselling and award-winning author of three novels: A Woman's Guide to Search & Rescue (2023), Last Bets (2024), and the PEN/Faulkner-nominated young adult novel, Qualities of Light (2009). Her writing has been featured on NPR and in the New York Times. She received her MFA from Goddard College and has taught throughout the US and abroad at various writing schools and universities since 1998. Her writing-craft book, Your Book Starts Here, won the New Hampshire Literary Awards “Reader’s Choice” award.
Before moving into fiction, she worked as a chef, a cooking-school owner, a cookbook author, and a syndicated columnist for the Los Angeles Times. Her first cookbook won a Julia Child/IACP award. Over two hundred of her essays, stories, and articles have appeared in magazines and literary journals.
She lives in New Hampshire with her family.
Before moving into fiction, she worked as a chef, a cooking-school owner, a cookbook author, and a syndicated columnist for the Los Angeles Times. Her first cookbook won a Julia Child/IACP award. Over two hundred of her essays, stories, and articles have appeared in magazines and literary journals.
She lives in New Hampshire with her family.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
December 30, 2023
I loved this artful, atmospheric and sensitively written, coming of age story about teenage Molly, her complicated family relationships with a younger brother and her difficult parents. During an annual summer trip to Cloud Lake, high in the Adirondack mountains, a serious boating accident leaves Molly’s brother in a coma. The parents blame Molly, leaving her emotionally isolated and struggling with terrible worry about her brother and guilt over the accident. Vulnerable, she turns inward, spending time out on the water trying to sort through complicated feelings when she meets and befriends Zoe, a newcomer to the summer community. Their friendship intensifies over the summer and a budding romance begins between the young women. Like the ever changing weather on gorgeous Cloud Lake, Molly begins to understand the qualities of lightness and the darkness inside her and what she brings to her relationships with others.
December 21, 2023
I greatly enjoyed this book, Qualities of Light by Mary Carroll Moore, and am looking forward to reading the sequel that just came out, A Woman's Guide to Search and Rescue. I love the way Ms. Moore paints the scenes, set on Cloud Lake in the Adirondacks. I can see them so clearly. And I was surprised by how close I came to feel to Molly and her family, and to Zoe, her new friend, although their lives are so different from what mine has been. Ms. Moore portrays them with great sensitivity, compassion, and understanding. Suddenly thrown into an extremely difficult situation, she shows how they struggle with the challenges, each facing them in their own way, and how it changes them, and we see possibilities for the future. So I'm eager to see Molly all grown up in A Woman's Guide to Search and Rescue.
January 3, 2015
I read this book because I took a writing class with the author. The class was called ¨How to plan, write and develop a book¨. I wanted to see what her books looked like. Even though Mary Carroll Moore is mainly a non fiction writer, I picked her so far, only novel to find out. Yes, the book is a prototype of what comes out if you follow her teaching. It is definitely very carefully crafted, but it has some flaws.
Sixteen year old protagonist Molly Fisher tells the story of a eventful summer at a lake. Molly's voice sounded too mature for a sixteen year old; here is very little teenage slang. Moore does every effort to keep the language poetic and 'clean', which hampers the credibility of the teenage point of view. There are delicate descriptions of nature, but when it comes to describing people and events the descriptions tend to get superficial and stereotyped. I want to try one of Moore's non fiction books.
Nevertheless, if you are looking for a gentle beach read, this is a good choice.
Sixteen year old protagonist Molly Fisher tells the story of a eventful summer at a lake. Molly's voice sounded too mature for a sixteen year old; here is very little teenage slang. Moore does every effort to keep the language poetic and 'clean', which hampers the credibility of the teenage point of view. There are delicate descriptions of nature, but when it comes to describing people and events the descriptions tend to get superficial and stereotyped. I want to try one of Moore's non fiction books.
Nevertheless, if you are looking for a gentle beach read, this is a good choice.
April 25, 2015
Qualities of Light follows Molly through the summer when her life basically falls apart; her young brother ends up in a coma and her parents blame her. Her friend Chad tries perusing her but she is too focused on the new girl, Zoe.
Personally, I felt like this book just missed the mark. The first half was slow and felt like a chore to read through. Molly seems to cycle between two feelings: "It's all my fault my brother is in a coma" and "Who is this Zoe and why won't she pay attention to me?". The second half sped by so quickly I would have to reread parts. The last few chapters went incredibly fast.
Many of the characters felt incredibly flat, including Zoe, who's back-story appears way too late in the book, for my taste. However the exploration into the relationships we got to see were interesting in concept: her mother dreaming of flying away, her father dealing with past griefs, and her aunt trying to hold things together from the sidelines. However a lot of these character 'facts' seemed to just be tossed in at will and left a lot to be desired.
Personally, I felt like this book just missed the mark. The first half was slow and felt like a chore to read through. Molly seems to cycle between two feelings: "It's all my fault my brother is in a coma" and "Who is this Zoe and why won't she pay attention to me?". The second half sped by so quickly I would have to reread parts. The last few chapters went incredibly fast.
Many of the characters felt incredibly flat, including Zoe, who's back-story appears way too late in the book, for my taste. However the exploration into the relationships we got to see were interesting in concept: her mother dreaming of flying away, her father dealing with past griefs, and her aunt trying to hold things together from the sidelines. However a lot of these character 'facts' seemed to just be tossed in at will and left a lot to be desired.
January 3, 2024
I recently read Mary’s wonderful new book “The Women’s Guide to Search and Rescue”. By the end I'd become so invested in the main characters and their story that I wanted to go back and reread Mary's “Qualities of Light” where it all began for Molly and Zoe. It’s a wonderful coming of age story that brought back memories of that time when your whole life is ahead of you and you’re trying to sort out who you are, what truth is, and what matters most. A beautiful, perceptively written book with a complex plot intertwining challenging family dynamics, trauma and romance. It's been a rewarding journey to follow these characters and see how they and other family members have grown and changed as they navigate their life experiences. I highly recommend this book and can't wait for the next sequel...
March 7, 2011
Qualities of Light
By Mary Carroll Moore
Spinster’s Ink (2009)
9781935226062
Young Adult/ Lesbian Romance
PEN/Faulkner nominated book
From the jacket: “An early summer morning, a forbidden boat ride. An accident that puts Molly Fisher’s seven-year-old brother in a coma. And Molly’s life plummets out of orbit.”
Review:
Sixteen is difficult, and the summer of the sixteenth birthday Molly Fisher is plunged into life-altering situations she could never have foreseen. Life in general has become more and more of an uncertain trail leading who knows where. She is convinced her pilot mother and her artist father are splitting up, and Molly and her parents have become distant from one another. She feels as if her family is splintering apart.
A more-or-less normal, teen-angst-filled summer at the lake takes a horrifying turn when Molly yields to her little brother’s pleas to take him for a secret birthday boat ride on the lake. Sammy adores his big sister and the feeling is mutual. They slip out at dawn; Molly is sure she can get the speedboat back to the dock before her father wakes up. Laughter and forbidden fun suddenly shatter in one of those split seconds that change lives. As Sammy leans out to reach something that fell into the water, he falls overboard, and he is trapped underwater. He is rescued by his sister and one of her friends, but the rescue took precious seconds of his life.
For the next few weeks Molly and her parents take turns sitting vigil at the bedside of the silent, unmoving little boy, not knowing if he will ever awaken, not knowing if the time underwater without oxygen will leave him with brain damage. Ms. Moore portrays the thoughts, situations, and emotions surrounding Sammy and his family in such a realistic and honest way, that the reader really cannot predict the outcome for Sammy.
Molly not only is guilt-ridden over her part in her brother’s life or death struggle, she is dismayed to realize that the rift between her parents has become wider. Will she lose her brother and also her family before the summer is over?
At this time, a newcomer shows up at the lake—beautiful, athletic, grey-eyed redhead Zoe Novato, who is a champion water skier. Brash and outspoken, Zoe is the opposite of the introspective and shy Molly. At seventeen, Zoe’s a tad more than a year older but she’s years older in life experience. Zoe, as you might expect, becomes Molly’s close friend, and before the story is over, she becomes more than a friend. They do make love in a dark cabin, but it’s not sudden, it’s not exploitive, it’s not seduction. The scenes involving love and sex are beautifully written, touching in their portrayal of vulnerable first love.
Will little Sammy ever again hide beneath the cab in’s porch and make up happy little songs? Will Molly’s parents split, as happens so often when there is a major trauma, or will they find their way back together? Will Molly ever again feel close to her parents? And will she be able to confide in them the explosive discovery she has made about herself this summer? Will Molly and Zoe go their separate ways at the end of summer, and have to face that what they had was just a sweet, fleeting teen romance ? Or will it turn out to be more than that? Please read this lovely book and find out.
Although it’s considered a Lesbian romance, it’s much more than that. It’s most of all a story of a young, vulnerable girl and her family who are facing the most devastating situation any family can face.
Molly and her father are both born artists, and the author permeates many scenes and many of Molly’s thoughts and feelings with color and light the way a painter permeates a canvas. It’s an elegantly simple book. Lovely in every way.
By Mary Carroll Moore
Spinster’s Ink (2009)
9781935226062
Young Adult/ Lesbian Romance
PEN/Faulkner nominated book
From the jacket: “An early summer morning, a forbidden boat ride. An accident that puts Molly Fisher’s seven-year-old brother in a coma. And Molly’s life plummets out of orbit.”
Review:
Sixteen is difficult, and the summer of the sixteenth birthday Molly Fisher is plunged into life-altering situations she could never have foreseen. Life in general has become more and more of an uncertain trail leading who knows where. She is convinced her pilot mother and her artist father are splitting up, and Molly and her parents have become distant from one another. She feels as if her family is splintering apart.
A more-or-less normal, teen-angst-filled summer at the lake takes a horrifying turn when Molly yields to her little brother’s pleas to take him for a secret birthday boat ride on the lake. Sammy adores his big sister and the feeling is mutual. They slip out at dawn; Molly is sure she can get the speedboat back to the dock before her father wakes up. Laughter and forbidden fun suddenly shatter in one of those split seconds that change lives. As Sammy leans out to reach something that fell into the water, he falls overboard, and he is trapped underwater. He is rescued by his sister and one of her friends, but the rescue took precious seconds of his life.
For the next few weeks Molly and her parents take turns sitting vigil at the bedside of the silent, unmoving little boy, not knowing if he will ever awaken, not knowing if the time underwater without oxygen will leave him with brain damage. Ms. Moore portrays the thoughts, situations, and emotions surrounding Sammy and his family in such a realistic and honest way, that the reader really cannot predict the outcome for Sammy.
Molly not only is guilt-ridden over her part in her brother’s life or death struggle, she is dismayed to realize that the rift between her parents has become wider. Will she lose her brother and also her family before the summer is over?
At this time, a newcomer shows up at the lake—beautiful, athletic, grey-eyed redhead Zoe Novato, who is a champion water skier. Brash and outspoken, Zoe is the opposite of the introspective and shy Molly. At seventeen, Zoe’s a tad more than a year older but she’s years older in life experience. Zoe, as you might expect, becomes Molly’s close friend, and before the story is over, she becomes more than a friend. They do make love in a dark cabin, but it’s not sudden, it’s not exploitive, it’s not seduction. The scenes involving love and sex are beautifully written, touching in their portrayal of vulnerable first love.
Will little Sammy ever again hide beneath the cab in’s porch and make up happy little songs? Will Molly’s parents split, as happens so often when there is a major trauma, or will they find their way back together? Will Molly ever again feel close to her parents? And will she be able to confide in them the explosive discovery she has made about herself this summer? Will Molly and Zoe go their separate ways at the end of summer, and have to face that what they had was just a sweet, fleeting teen romance ? Or will it turn out to be more than that? Please read this lovely book and find out.
Although it’s considered a Lesbian romance, it’s much more than that. It’s most of all a story of a young, vulnerable girl and her family who are facing the most devastating situation any family can face.
Molly and her father are both born artists, and the author permeates many scenes and many of Molly’s thoughts and feelings with color and light the way a painter permeates a canvas. It’s an elegantly simple book. Lovely in every way.
October 30, 2009
A poetic and original take on first love. I fell in love with MC Moore's fully-realized 'summer on the lake' and her organic prose. Like the main character, Molly, I didn't want to see it end.
What's really interesting and authentic about this novel is the push and pull in Molly's life. Dealing with family hardship, while finding herself attracted to the indelible Zoe? Life rarely hands out joy and despair in evenly-spaced helpings. And that's what makes this a good read. The writing is accomplished, and yet not formulaic.
I look forward to what's next.
What's really interesting and authentic about this novel is the push and pull in Molly's life. Dealing with family hardship, while finding herself attracted to the indelible Zoe? Life rarely hands out joy and despair in evenly-spaced helpings. And that's what makes this a good read. The writing is accomplished, and yet not formulaic.
I look forward to what's next.
October 30, 2016
I adore Mary Carroll Moore’s writing. Her explorations of relationships are authentic and riveting. Additionally, her ability to depict the natural world is uniquely fabulous and heartwrenching. I fall in love with her characters as well as the spaces they occupy. A must read.
January 4, 2010
A sweet coming-of-age story. Beautiful writing!
January 14, 2024
What a difference a day makes
There are pivotal moments in our lives which shape us and propel us in directions not envisioned beforehand. Moore explores such a pivotal moment in the life of Molly, a teenager, summering with her family at their lake house. Although the focal point is a teenager and her coming of age story the novel feels mature and appealed to me as an adult.
This story has layers, depth, light and shadows which at first surprised and then delighted me. The author is herself a painter and her prose reflects what Molly‘s artistic eyes see: there are the paintings of her and her famous father, there are the evocative descriptions of nature, tender moments and tangled emotions of a young teenager, a teenager caught in the tangled web of peer expectations guilt, family dynamics and first love. It‘s not high drama, but captures the inside and out of this moment in time perfectly.
This was quality fiction and can be read as a prequel to A Women‘s Guide to Search and Rescue (another great read by Mary Carroll Moore).
I received an ARC. The review is left voluntarily.
There are pivotal moments in our lives which shape us and propel us in directions not envisioned beforehand. Moore explores such a pivotal moment in the life of Molly, a teenager, summering with her family at their lake house. Although the focal point is a teenager and her coming of age story the novel feels mature and appealed to me as an adult.
This story has layers, depth, light and shadows which at first surprised and then delighted me. The author is herself a painter and her prose reflects what Molly‘s artistic eyes see: there are the paintings of her and her famous father, there are the evocative descriptions of nature, tender moments and tangled emotions of a young teenager, a teenager caught in the tangled web of peer expectations guilt, family dynamics and first love. It‘s not high drama, but captures the inside and out of this moment in time perfectly.
This was quality fiction and can be read as a prequel to A Women‘s Guide to Search and Rescue (another great read by Mary Carroll Moore).
I received an ARC. The review is left voluntarily.
December 21, 2023
A tender, introspective book about family dynamics and coming of age. This story is about how a family can so easily fracture under trauma and how each of its members reacts in their own unique way. When her little brother almost dies in an accident she believes is some fault of hers, Molly, the narrator, realizes her parents are in so much pain, they can't comfort her, and she takes on the guilt of what happened. At the same time, she meets her first love and has to reconcile her feelings about liking a woman more than the boyfriend who is pursuing her. There's a good amount of art, discussion about color and form in a poetic way. The Adirondack mountain setting is described almost as a character and is profound in how it influences the story. I loved the gentleness of this book and how the really deep emotional issues were talked about in a way I could learn from.
December 31, 2023
i read and thoroughly enjoyed Qualities of Light by Mary Carroll Moore, when it was first published years ago.
With the publication of her latest novel, A Woman’s Guide to Search and Rescue—truly a page turner—I decided to revisit Qualities of Light because some of the characters are in both books.
Qualities of Light, takes place during a summer in the Adirondack mountains. It follows 16-year old Molly as she navigates a family tragedy both she and her parents blame her for. To be 16 years old and find your way through such an experience is heartening. To see one's family navigate it, each in their own way—is extraordinary.
Illuminating the journey is the gift of this novel.
With the publication of her latest novel, A Woman’s Guide to Search and Rescue—truly a page turner—I decided to revisit Qualities of Light because some of the characters are in both books.
Qualities of Light, takes place during a summer in the Adirondack mountains. It follows 16-year old Molly as she navigates a family tragedy both she and her parents blame her for. To be 16 years old and find your way through such an experience is heartening. To see one's family navigate it, each in their own way—is extraordinary.
Illuminating the journey is the gift of this novel.
January 31, 2024
I recently read this earlier work of Mary Carroll Moore, and was delighted to discover that her keen storytelling skill was in play even then. Qualities of Light offers a glimpse into the mind and heart of a teenager trying to figure out who they are amidst the drama of a family trauma, and the expectations of friends and parents alike. Carroll Moore's particular gift of poetic prose weaves the action together beautifully, and her sensitive handling of budding teen sexuality felt realistic, appropriate, and tasteful. All in all, a lovely read.
December 31, 2023
I think this book would be of interest to young adults and adults alike. The way of entering a relationship or even entering near a possible relationship can be a tricky thing, especially when the love is between two people of the same sex and you're navigating other family relationships also. Glad to see that his book can serve a unique purpose in the pantheon of YA fiction.
October 25, 2019
Couldn't tell if this was supposed to be YA or not. It was a quick read with some strong writing, but there just wasn't quite enough conflict for me, and few of the relationships felt fully explored or developed.
February 12, 2024
Such a lovely book--a must-read if you enjoyed Moore's "A Woman's Guide to Search and Rescue."
March 26, 2010
A sweet coming of age story about falling in love, and learning how your actions affect those around you. I confess: i only read this for the lesbian romance angle, and I think my teeth rotted out from all the sap. Some of the teen angst felt really manufactured, especially in light of the greater tragedy happening with Molly’s family. More than the romance, I appreciate the attention to the individual relationships with each of her parents, something rarely seen in young adult literature.
October 25, 2017
certainly entertaining. Not the most original story. Some little images were really nice and sweet.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews