The book was based on the real life disappearance of 3 men from the Flannan Isle lighthouse in the Outer Hebrides in 1900 and represented in a poem by in 1912 by Wilfrid Wilson Gibson; 'Flannan Isle’.The story in popular culture has also been widely referenced including a Dr Who episode and a Genesis song to name but a few!

All felt that the glimpse into life on a lighthouse prior to them being automated, much later than expected! was a positive aspect of the book; the men together in such a confined space, the hierarchy, having to keep the space tidy, the sleeping arrangements together with having to keep the light going and the foghorn sounding!

The women we agreed were also very isolated and again 'thrown together' with others that might not have otherwise been their choice. It was a book of its time in remembering how there would have been no communication, not a quick text!, once the men were on the Lighthouse. This seemed even more challenging for the women given that they could see at all times the Light house, especially at night, knowing the men were on there.

Our main discussion was how the author 'fed' parts of information throughout the story that gave the reader some 'Oh!' moments; some in the group liked this and kept them reading the book, some did not.

The characters, both men and women, were complex in their own way; again this was understood more fully as to why as the book developed

The role of the company was discussed in depth and the impact it had on the women's actions over the years due to the financial dependency the women had on the company. The company was extremely controlling and did not want its reputation tarnished; a practice that regretfully still happens today

All felt that the ending was disappointing, feeling a little rushed and not as strong as it could be. It was felt that more 'loose strings' could have been left to let the reader decide on their own ending.

A bit of a 'marmite' book it was agreed and this was represented in our scores ranging from 4-9 with an overall score of 6.8.