Common Sense Media Review
Orphaned girl finds treasure with Ojibwe lighthouse family.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
THE LUMINOUS LIFE OF LUCY LANDRY begins with newly-orphaned, 11-yr-old Lucy being placed within a large Ojibwe-French family who live in a lighthouse on a tiny island in the Great Lakes. Summoning all her imagination, she navigates loss, anxiety, and courage in her new life. Ultimately, she finds both a long-lost ruby necklace from a sunken ship and a sense of belonging.
Is It Any Good?
Inspired by her own historical research and Native culture, Anna Rose Johnson has crafted a highly-imaginative, empathetic heroine and chapter book story that brings to mind Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables and Francis Hodgson Burnett's A Little Princess. The writing is engaging, warm, and full of fascinating historic details and rich cultural language. This is an endearing book for children who enjoy a happy ending and may also be facing their own grief or needing to find their own courage.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about and find pictures of lighthouses like the one in The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry. Can you imagine living in a lighthouse? What kinds of things would you like to do on a small island?
In the story, sometimes Lucy pretends that she is a queen, a princess, an heiress, or a waif to help her respond to different situations in her life. Do you like to sometimes pretend to be something else? Why?
When Mrs. Martin plants corn, squash, and beans together in her garden, she says these three things grow better together. Do you remember why? Do you remember the fourth thing she planted alongside them later?
Lucy has to make some decisions when she feels anxious, usually about being on water. Sometimes she just needs help, like when she held Mr. Martin's hand on their boat ride over to the lighthouse. Sometimes she decides to be especially brave. When did she show courage in the story? Is there a time when you've needed help or when you decided to be brave?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Historical Fiction
- Topics : History
- Character Strengths : Courage
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Holiday House
- Publication date : March 5, 2024
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 192
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : April 19, 2026
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate