The Mysterious Magic of Lighthouse Lane

Stewart, Erin. The Mysterious Magic of Lighthouse Lane

February 3, 2026 by Aladdin

E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus

Lucy has always been "sensitive", but after collapsing at the aquarium during an end of year 6th grade field trip, her parents decide that it would be best for her to spend the summer away from New York City, staying with her grandfather on Prince Edward Island. Lucy is glad to be away from everyone, especially her best friend Vienna, who didn't understand. Lucy's grandfather is a quiet man who likes to be alone, especially after the death of his beloved wife. He has agreed to take Lucy in, but doesn't seem to have any plans other than feeding her. Luckily, on one of her first journeys out of the house, Lucy runs into Poppy Anne Montgomery, who claims to be descended from Lucy Maud Montgomery, the author of Anne of Green Gables. Poppy also says that she has seven siblings, and that her family owns the lighthouse near the grandfather's house. After the grandfather gives Lucy her grandmother's old fashioned camera,  she finds that the pictures she takes and develops in the home dark room show secrets about her subjects. She takes one of young violinist John Paul, and feels that he needs help earning money. She and Poppy help him, and end up having him tag along with them. She also thinks that restaurant owner Candace wants a husband (the picture Lucy takes shows her wearing an engagement ring that she wasn't wearing in real life) and tries to set her up with her grandfather, not knowing that Candace was her grandmother's best friend! This ability isn't always helpful; Lucy doesn't realize that her grandfather's dog, Copper, is sick until it is too late, and the dog dies of stomach cancer. Lucy feels others pain acutely, so the pictures take their toll on her, especially when she has a disagreement with Poppyu, and when she takes a picture of her grandfather smiling when he never does so in real life. Trying to make her grandfather happy is very difficult, and ends with the two fighting and Lucy returning home. Lucy realizes that her mother always tries to "fix" her, and that she was trying to do the same to her grandfather. After she returns to New York, her grandfather comes to ask her to come back. Lucy returns, makes amends with Poppy, and tries to offer people support (in the guise of her grandmother's famous banana bread) rather than trying to fix them. 

Strengths: The cover on this was great! I love that Lucy got to go to Prince Edward Island, and the descriptions are gorgeous. I loved her grandfather, and would have loved to spend the summer with him when I was in middle school, especially since I was very invested in Anne of Green Gables at the time! Poppy is an exuberant character with some secrets of her own, and the girls falling out is realistic. Lucy's parents are a bit remote, and it seemed likely that they were just tired of all of Lucy's scenes and really did send her away so that they could have a break, especially since the mother is NOT a fan of Lucy's "meltdowns". 
Weaknesses: While the camera seems to be magical, I was a little confused about Lucy's empath qualities. Does she really feel people's emotions deeply enough to pass out? Or is it just her anxiety? Also, I sort of wanted the photos to be even more magical, and that they could have saved Copper. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like magical realism and summers with grandparents in books like Logue's Dreki, Badua's Ghoul Summer, or Traore's Children of the Quicksands.