Lighthouse Families (1997)
Gone are the days when lighthouses were manned by the likes of the noble Ida Lewis and other brave souls charged with keeping the lights burning to warn ships off dangerous rocks, shoals, and coastlines. Today, ship pilots rely mostly on GPS and modern navigation technology, but the US Coast Guard continues to maintain many of these old lights as they are still useful warning beacons; it's just that none are manned by keepers any more. A recent article indicated that, of the 170 lighthouses in New England, 140 are still lit; "most mariners and fishermen still use the lighthouse as a backup on top of their electronic equipment, sort of like double-checking the street signs while driving using a GPS."
Author Shelton-Roberts and her husband, a lighthouse historian and photographer, have chronicled the story of those who have lived the often solitary experience of lighthouse families, some residing in a peninsula off a mainland but others in a house located atop an island or shoal, truly isolated from the mainland. The houses are all over the United States, most on sea coasts, but some on lakes and rivers as well. This is a truly fascinating look at a bygone way of life, and the authors include a recipe from each family.
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