The Light on the Island

by Helene Glidden, Helene Glidden

Readers can once again enjoy Helene Glidden's classic, "The Light on the Island" as this 50th Anniversary Edition retells the touching story of a young girl growing up on Patos Island in the San Juan Archipelago. Her parents raised thirteen children while her father served as the Patos Island lighthouse keeper from 1905 - 1913. Helene reminisces about the adventure and heartbreak experienced on a beautiful but remote island where smugglers, old timers, and "God" weave in and out of their lives. The book was originally published in 1951. This 50th Anniversary Edition has added historical photos and a postscript with biographical information about Mrs. Glidden and her family.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Autobiography, History, Book Club, Outdoors, Biography

216 pages, Paperback

First published March 27, 2001

Reviews

[Mical · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm very partial to this book because it is part history of my family. It's a tale of my Great Grandfather and Great Grandmother on Patos Island with the 13 children. This is a very special book to me written by my Aunt Helene.

[Mally · Rating 1 out of 5]

Odd book that features killing a baby seal and torturing an octopus. . .

[Eileen Breseman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable read about the childhood of Helene Glidden, lighthouse keeper's daughter and her 12 siblings that move onto Patos Islands of the San Juan Islands, Washington 1905-13. Her many adventures and misadventures are classic and sometimes surprising. Set in a turn of the century period, when Washington was still the rugged frontier of Natives, smugglers, make-do hermits and homesteaders, it's an eye opening tale of courage and character, nature, simple activities of fun and at times, survival. It's a child's paradise and also a living on the edge, hard scrabble existence. (They rowed 12 miles across the bay to Bellingham for groceries!)
This was the 50th anniversary edition which included an afterward about the book and author.
I live near Puget Sound and plan to visit the island next month on a sailboat.

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a blending of fact and fiction about family life on Patos Island from 1905-1911. Patos Island lies near the border with Canada, north of the larger Orcas and Lummi islands. Patos Island had only a few inhabitants, most of whom were the author's large family (her father was the Lighthouse keeper). Helene (Angie) was only about 5 years old at the start and most of the book covers her wanderings around the island, and events that befall the family. The edition I read (2018) had a final postscript that separates some of the fact from fiction. I generally enjoy autobiographical books about family life in earlier times, especially those at the edge of wilderness - and this was no exception. I like the window into our recent past, and enjoy the straightforward narratives.

[Valerie Suwanseree · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm guessing it's an interesting blend of real-life stories that actually happened in the author's unique childhood and also some fiction thrown in. It is set in the early 1900s and does tell many interesting details about rural life in that time period. In a way it is a west coast version of Anne of Green Gables, but it is not quite as charming as that classic. Maybe because the characters are based on real life! They are well depicted and endearing in many ways. The whole book is definitely a fun story that is full of surprises, so I can see why readers have enjoyed it for generations.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a treasure of a read. A client recommended this wonderful story and I am so glad she did. It is the story of a large family growing up up Plato's island in the San Juan. It is told from a young girls view growing up in the island during a whole different era. I love this story and will be buying the book.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had read this book as a young adult and loved it. As I grew up on Orcas Island, I enjoyed hearing about familiar places. Patos became a magical island I could see from the north shore of Orcas. What a wonderful childhood!!

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received this as a gift from someone who lives out in Washington. Having traveled to the San Juans myself, I could easily picture the story while reading. It was overall well-written and I enjoyed reading about life as a family on an island.

[Johnny Bennett · Rating 3 out of 5]

While totally enjoyable, this book allows the reader to walk away without ever feeling the need to finish. A collection of vignettes that informs as much about a society as progressing character growth. Some language but nothing overly graphic. Death of children is also a problem.

[Linnet · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a child's eye view of living on Patos Island in the San Juan Islands at the turn of the 20th century. Angie's father was the light house keeper there and his many children led a tumultuous life with little supervision most of the time.

[Julie Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful & well crafted story of the author's childhood on Patos Island in the early 1990's.

[Katharyn Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written enjoyable read. Does have lots of swearing in it - tho it's in a how dad talked way and people are always saying stop swearing to him.

[Julia Clarke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historical novel about life on Patos Island in early 1900s. Unsettling racists comments about Native Americans. Appreciated the historical analysis in postscript.

[Bonnie · Rating 1 out of 5]

This had a request so I had to return it, but I wasn't enjoying it, so I won't check it out again.

It's an autobigraphy of a woman who spent 8 years of her life, from 5 to 13, on Patos Island. Patos is a 1 and 1/2 mile island in the San Juan chain, the closest to Canadian waters. Her father was the lighthouse keeper, so her family, including her 13 brothers and sisters, grew up there in the early 1900's.

All the kids did, though, was run around killing animals, including baby seals, so it ended up not being my cup of tea after all.

[Diane · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a fun little book originally published in 1951 by the daughter of the Patos Island lighthouse keeper from 1905-1913. My problem with the book is that I don't know if it is a true memoir or a little bit memoir padded with stories. The epilogue to the new edition provides some historical context but it too asks what is true and what might not be. Still worth reading for the Pacific northwest angle.

[Darcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It felt like hearing stories from my Great-Gran that was born in the same year as the author and similarly to a family with 12 siblings. I have a much deeper appreciation for the folks living in remote San Juans and working as lightkeepers. Thoroughly enjoyed the photographs added to the 50th anniversary edition. A Must-Read I would certainly recommend to PNW friends, and anyone enjoying local history.

[Loretta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It was written by the author for her children so that they would know all about her life on Patos Islands while she was growing up and her father was the lighthouse keeper there. She was a mischievous little girl and had lots of adventures. There was a lot of sadness, too. It was fun to read it after having sailed around the San Juan Islands and being at many of the places mentioned.

[Heather Weinert · Rating 3 out of 5]

A memoire of life on Patos Island by the daughter of the lighthouse keeper. It takes place in the early 20th century when a place like this was truly remote - no Internet, phones, regular boat service, etc. It is still remote today, and one of our family's favorite stops on our annual sailboat cruise to the San Juan Islands.

[Madison Dillery]

I really liked this book, I'm a fan of history books. It was supper cool how the books setting was where we live and I didn't realize how different time was back then compared to now. The way the family lived and did things was really interesting and kept me hooked the whole time.
215

[Linda Gaines · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting tale of life on an island in the San Juans. Was all of it what really happened? Religious impulses of Angie (Helene) were nice. Did Teddy Roosevelt really visit and did her fathe really take care of all the children when her mother got jealous and left?

[Marina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though some of these stories are undoubtedly embellished, it's a sweet piece of Pacific Northwest History. Helene is a wonderful story teller and this book provided lots of laughs on my morning commute.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was interested in this book because of it's setting.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now I have a strong desire to visit Patos Island in the San Juan Islands, where this amazing family story occurred.

[Brandi Waters · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did enjoy this book and maybe more than others due to it written about my father in-laws family.

[Brynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Only extreme love of the San Juans kept me going. Not well written.

[Jamie M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very charming story about life in the early 1900s in the San Juans.
I really enjoyed the inside look into a light house keepers family, especially told from the perspective of the young girl Angie.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very quaint story about the life of a large family living on a remote island in the San Juan islands.

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book. I keep imagining my grandmother, who grew up in this time.

Having been to Patos made it even more interesting.

[Ronald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story about growing up on little Patos Island, the northernmost of our San Juan Island group. Delightful surprise ending.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fall 2020: To the Lighthouse Without Virginia Woolf EdCC Creative Retirement Institute