59 pages • 1 hour read
Lily Brooks-DaltonThe Light Pirate
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2022A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
Published in 2022, Lily Brooks-Dalton’s The Light Pirate is an adult dystopian fiction/magical realism novel. Climate change accelerates, pushing Florida into a future where hurricanes are fiercer, rising sea levels reshape the landscape, and the state faces apocalypse. The story follows the Lowe family and Wanda, an unusual child born during a catastrophic storm, as they navigate the collapse of civilization. The novel is a Dayton Literary Peace Prize Nominee for Fiction (2023) and explores themes of survival, family, and the beauty and violence of an untamable wilderness. The book contains depictions of the deaths of children and parents.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Lily Brooks-Dalton's The Light Pirate captivates with its evocative prose and richly developed characters, set against a hauntingly plausible near-future. Positively, readers praise its atmospheric tension and emotional depth. However, some critique its pacing and feel the narrative occasionally meanders. Overall, it's a compelling, thought-provoking read.
Who Should Read The Light Pirate?
Readers who would enjoy The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton are drawn to atmospheric, character-driven narratives that blend touchingly human stories with elements of environmental and speculative fiction. Fans of Emily St. John Mandel's Station Eleven and Barbara Kingsolver's Flight Behavior will find this novel particularly resonant.