Disclosure: I received a free copy of the book for review. Post contains affiliate links; if you make a purchase, I may earn commission. Opinions shared are mine.

In my experience, it’s rare that second book in a series is even better than the first. While I enjoyed Phoebe’s Light, the first book in Suzanne Woods Fisher’s series about the 17th century whaling industry on newly formed Nantucket Island, book 2 — Minding the Light — surpassed my expectations!  

Connected characters

I started reading Minding the Light with Phoebe on the brain, since she was the main character in Fisher’s last book.  This time, though, the reader is whisked off to the 19th century to hear about journal-writing Great Mary’s descendants.  At first, it was a bit confusing since some of the names are repeated. It took me a while to figure out that Tristram Coffin was not Tristram Macy!  There were some connected characters, though, which enriched the story.

Learning about the Light

There are so many interesting subplots in Minding the Light.  I loved learning about the cultural norms of island life, and how society’s rules played out among the social classes.  Reading historical fiction is a fun way to be a lifelong learner.  Instead of doing my own research, I just benefit from the hours of research done by fabulous authors!  For example, do you know what a Cent School was?  I’d never heard of one before!  The author’s note in the back of this book is definitely worth a read.  I also enjoyed learning about the Quaker beliefs.

Historical fiction readers and inspirational romance fans are in for a treat with the Nantucket Legacy series.

Many thanks to Revell for sending me a copy of this book.