Books & Company presents Peter Geye for his new novel, A Lesser Light

Books & Company welcomes Peter Geye back to Oconomowoc for the a summer event celebrating his new novel, A Lesser Light.

Set on the shore of Lake Superior in 1910, A Lesser Light tells the story of a newly commissioned lighthouse station, its keeper, and an ill-suited arranged marriage. Theodulf Sauer and his new wife, Willa, couldn’t be less similar, but they build a life together, and Willa finds solace in the cosmos and their neighbors across the cove. As Theodulf reckons with the past and Willa begins to forge her own path to happiness, tragedy comes to their remote beacon, and the future plunges into the dark unknown.

A Lesser Light is a deeply atmospheric and affecting novel, with a looming foreboding that only grows more and more tense. This all under the coming Halley’s Comet, at the foot of a new lighthouse, and as old stories and histories begin to come to light. As the novel travels backwards in time as well, there are some remarkable set-piece moments; especially the storm of 1905 and the sinking of the Mataafa off the harbor at Duluth. Also, in a time and place where independence is rare, Willa’s journey to claim her own life raises timeless questions about identity and self-discovery.

Purchase a copy of from Books & Company HERE. A Lesser Light publishes on April 15, 2025. Our event is in June, giving you plenty of time to read the book and ponder questions to ask Peter Geye.

Peter Geye is the award-winning author of , , , , and (Minnesota, 2022). He lives in Minneapolis with his family.

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