Set off the treacherous Outer Banks of North Carolina during the final
days of the First World War, "Hatteras Light" is the compelling story of
the dedicated keepers of the Hatteras lighthouse and their tightly knit
community. For generations these men have drawn their livelihood from
the sea, served in the rescue of shipwreck victims, and gaurded seagoers
from the hazardous shoals. Their wives and daughters endure a difficult,
solitary life, their fortitude constantly tested. Loyal to one another
and to a traditional way of life, the islanders are suspicious of
outsiders and censorious of those who leave.
The insular world of these Hatterasmen disrupts when a German U-boat
reveals itself offshore, indiscriminately sinking civilian and military
vessels, challenging the courage of the lifesavers, and signaling the
dawning of a darker, less honorable age.
Over a few crucial days, we become intimate with these men and women,
and with the German officers aboard U-55 who have made the islanders'
lives hell.
What emerges is an adventure story full of wisdom and compassion, a
novel unfailingly accurate in portraying the struggle of man and sea,
man against man, and of men and women. Based on historical fact, Phillip
Gerard's novel is a powerful book whose storytelling represents the most
human tendencies in life and art.
