The Brighter the Light

Great story and I enjoyed it immensely. This is my third book that I have read by this author. She wove the characters and the story so well, I almost felt like I knew them. It was a very enjoyable read. Will continue to read her writings.I think I want to go to the OuterBanks!

I just forced myself to stay up to finish this story, and for that reason I want to give the book 5 stars. It was a nice read about family lineage, the distaff side, amongst women who didn’t know they were related. Probably. Maybe? I’m not sure, so for that reason I’m going with 4 stars. I don’t know if it’s because I’m very tired, or if the story got too convoluted towards it’s end. The wrap up seemed very disorganized, and there were questions left unanswered that I thought were important. As usual, to pose those questions in a review would create spoilers. If I missed the explanations I’m looking for, then I wonder if it’s me needing sleep, or was it the author not being clear? I do know the dialogue was difficult to follow. I had to back up and re read several conversations to determine who was speaking; that drove me crazy!However, the setting for the story is beautiful and amazing. It’s set on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, in the Atlantic Ocean, during the summer of 1950, and also present day— earlier this year (2022). The characters were were beautifully developed, particularly the characters in the 1950’s. I loved the dynamics at play between the preteen cousins, and the stoic but loving Edna and her adopted daughter, Ruth. The story celebrates the value of hard work and loyalty to those you love. The story was written with beautiful prose, I thought, for the first half of the book. I felt like this dropped away some as the story progressed. In some ways it felt rushed, the way the last reveals were made. Initially, the author used a unique way of revealing to the reader before the main characters knew the story’s secrets. It seemed the story was unfolding beautifully and naturally, then was suddenly forced to hurry it up, leaving some loose ends.Still, a nice story, and worth staying up late for.

Loved the story and all of the characters. Beautifully intertwined. Serious sad, funny and hopeful. I highly recommend it. Thank you Mary Taylor.

Well written but a lot of characters to keep track of. The family connections felt a little unrealistic to me but I held on to the end and liked the ending.

The Brighter the Light by Mary Ellen Taylor is a dual-timeline story of one woman’s journey to discover the stories hidden in her family’s past. Legends say when a shipwreck surfaces, old secrets are discovered. It seems to be true in Ivy Neale’s hometown of Nags Head, North Carolina. When she inherits her family’s beachfront cottage after her grandmother Ruth’s death, she’s prepared to face Dani, her best friend, and Matthew, her boyfriend, that she left behind twelve years ago. As Ivy begins to shift through her grandmother’s belongings, a winter gale uncovers the shipwreck of the Liberty T. Mitchell. A strange series of events as Ivy finds clues to the family secrets so long held in silence. One particular secret brings forth the fateful events of the summer of 1950 as twelve year old Ruth experiences a summer that will change her life forever. Will the truth finally be revealed? Will Ivy discover a strength she didn’t know she had to make her home by the sea?I chose this book as my Amazon Reads title. I was dazzled by the beautiful cover and intrigued by the story description. The Brighter the Light is an emotional family drama with secrets galore along the North Carolina shore. Ivy is a young woman who desperately wanted to leave Nags Head at 18 and did. She never looked back until her grandmother’s funeral. Now she must deal with Ruth’s packed cottage. What she sees as useless junk appears to have deeper meanings as she finds connections to the summer of 1950. She also discovers aspects about her grandmother that she never knew and a strength she didn’t know she had. I enjoyed The Brighter the Light as I could not put it down. I enjoyed the added mysterious air of the shipwreck appearance. This book is my first by Ms. Taylor and I look forward to reading more of her books. If you enjoy family secrets and discovery of inner strength, I recommend The Brighter the Light.The Brighter the Light is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

My first exposure to this author was a welcome surprise with this unique story. Full of twists, loveable and complex characters, touching moments, all mixed with humour and mystery. A delightful and unexpected story that was not predictable or like any other book I’ve read!

This is such a heartfelt story, filled with all the twists and turns that real life brings. I closed the book sad that it was over.

A novel about two strong women Ruth and her granddaughter Ivy, set in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The author gives a good sense of time and place between the 1950's and the present day. I really enjoyed reading it once I adjusted to the two time frames. At first I wanted to gobble it up to solve the family intrigue but then I slowed to the pace of the novel and enjoyed it more.

Interesting storyline with a few twists which weren't predictable. The main characters throughout this book are strong, capable women, which I like. I enjoyed the two timelines and their intertwining stories.

This book has some likable and interesting characters that you do become invested in. There is a very long drawn out section about the past that doesn't seem justified. It sort of meanders through the past and takes a long time to get to anything that is revealing or that matters much in the end. The modern storyline is much more interesting and compelling. I would have liked to hear more about those characters and less about the 1950s characters.