The true story of Connecticut lighthouse keeper Kate Moore is captured in this inspiring picture book biography. At a time when girls were expected to learn how to keep house and find a husband, Kate "traded in her skirt for a pair of pants and got to work." She braved bad weather and dark nights to make the journey from her home out to the lighthouse, then hauled buckets of whale oil up the steep steps to fill the lamps and light them. That trip had to be made four times each night to keep the lamps burning and the "way to safe harbor" illuminated. The watercolor illustrations show Kate climbing the circular stairs to the top of the lighthouse; readers must turn the book sideways to see the steps circling inside the walls of the tower. Images also capture Kate's battle against the waves as she rows out to rescue shipwreck survivors.
Back matter includes a photo of Kate, a timeline of her life, photos of the lighthouse, an author's note, selected bibliography, and a few more details of Kate's extraordinary life. During the course of her career she "plucked from death" twenty-three sailors, but she told those who asked, "I wish it had been double that number."
Whether you are looking for stories that exemplify bravery, books about women who defied societal expectations and took on what were considered men's jobs, or titles about life on the Atlantic coast in the 1800s- this book does all that and more.
No comments:
Post a Comment