Stories of lighthouse women from around the world and through the centuries, collected by New Zealand author Shona Riddell, including heroic female keepers, isolated families, dedicated caretakers – and the lingering ‘ghosts’ of old lighthouses. As evidence of our ongoing fascination with coastal lights, accompanying these stories are more than 100 photos, paintings and portraits, and also extracts from poems, books, and old newspaper clippings.

“From darkness to light, light to darkness.”

Shona Riddell “Guiding Lights: The Extraordinary Lives of Lighthouse Women”. Published by Exisle in 2020. Bought by the Sea Library 💙

Photos by Anna Iltnere / Sea Library