Reviewed by Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite

By the Light of the Bluff by Blake Gunnels is a historical novel that takes the reader to the small island of Saint Simons off Georgia’s Atlantic coast just as the South is trying to rebuild after the Civil War. For Jesse Whitmore and her two young children, Saint Simons was to be a hiding place, a refuge, an escape from Jesse’s abusive husband. Since returning from the war, her husband, William, had become a different man, prone to unpredictable, extreme violence and abuse. Terrified for her safety and that of her children, she hopes Saint Simons might be far enough away from her Virginia home so that William can never find them. What Jesse discovers in Saint Simons is friendship, community, family, and a half-completed lighthouse that will play a massive part in her family’s future. 

By the Light of the Bluff is a powerful, sweeping narrative that will capture the reader’s attention from the very first lines. Author Blake Gunnels has painted a windswept but beautiful island where Jesse and her children can flourish and grow without the ever-present violence of their home life. Jesse is a wonderful character who portrays courage, spirit, and determination, but still manages to maintain dignity and humility, which makes her so appealing. To leave her husband, regardless of his violence, took immense courage in the 1870s. Under the law, a man’s wife and his children belonged to him - they were effectively chattels. I loved watching Jesse grow and develop from the mild, timid woman who first arrived on the island to the confident, self-assured member of the community of Saint Simons. The lighthouse, with its powerful beam cutting through the darkness, was the perfect analogy for the way the caring and loving community of Saint Simons managed to cut through Jesse’s darkness and flood her doubts, suspicions, and life with love and light. This is a wonderful story that I thoroughly enjoyed. I highly recommend this read.