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Amid the 1900 Galveston hurricane, one woman’s perseverance is tested in this captivating story from the author whose work has been called “intelligent and arresting” (Foreword Reviews) and “historical fiction as it is meant to be told” (Library Journal).
“Old Galveston shines in this beautifully written tale of a woman’s quest to both lose herself and find herself.”
---Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Shelterwood
Galveston, Texas. September 1900. Only months ago, Kathleen McDaniel returned from finishing school in Switzerland to her family home in New York’s Hudson Valley with a future of promise and privilege set before her. But one horrific event shattered her picturesque life. Now she has fled as far as the train line and a pocketful of money would take her, finding refuge at the St. Mary’s Orphan Asylum on Galveston Island, where she helps the nuns care for their young charges and prays her past will not find her. Despite her tenuous standing at the orphanage―and the grief and betrayal that drove her from home―Kathleen slowly begins to make friends. There is Emily, the novice nun she rooms with; Maggie, the tempestuous young girl who only bonds with Kathleen; and Matthew, a kind, handsome man recently employed by Isaac Cline at Galveston’s office of the US Weather Bureau.
Then in one fateful day, Kathleen’s fragile new life begins to crack as it becomes clear that she can’t run far enough to escape the reach of her former life. Meanwhile, as troubling news about a storm crossing the Gulf from Cuba swirls in the Weather Bureau offices, Matthew holds fast to Cline’s belief that no hurricane can touch Galveston. But as darkness falls on the island, Kathleen must gather her courage and reach for a strength beyond her own if she―and those she loves―are to survive.
Publisher's Weekly
"Wright’s tightly plotted historical offers a nuanced exploration of how faith can serve as a cudgel for submission or a source of salvation. Wright’s fans will be riveted."
Donna Everhart,
USA Today Best-selling author of
The Saints of Swallow Hill
"Historical fiction fans, get ready to fall in love with Last Light Over Galveston!... In this lyrical, uplifting novel, Wright showcases such human moments and excavates matters of the heart with the precision of a surgeon. A superb, compelling read.”
The Library Journal
"In this Bonnie-and-Clyde tale with a redemptive twist, Wright (Come Down Somewhere) proves her literary chops and puts herself on the level of historical-fiction favorites like Susan Meissner and Fiona Davis."