Lampje

Lampie, the lighthouse keeper's daughter, has largely taken over his responsibilities after the death of his wife (her mother), but one day she forgets to buy matches, and that night a ship crashes into a rock in a storm. Augustus tries to take responsibility, but the townspeople are vengeful: they take Lampie to work in Admiral Black's house for seven years to pay off the cost of the ship, and lock Augustus in the lighthouse.

Lampie is afraid of the monster rumored to live in the Black house, but at first, she only meets Martha, the cook; her son Lenny, who doesn't speak; and Nick, a kind but taciturn gardener/carpenter. Finally, Lampie does meet the monster, but she thinks he is more boy than monster; what he insists is a "deformity" show more is clearly a tail. A trip to see the "phenomenal freaks" at the fair helps to convince him that his mother was indeed a mermaid, but just as he begins to embrace his newfound ability to swim, Admiral Black returns home and threatens the delicate equilibrium of the house's inhabitants.

A wholly original fairy tale that draws on Beauty & the Beast and The Little Mermaid, with echoes of The Secret Garden.

Quotes

She always has so much inside her head: songs, stories, things she has to learn, things she wants to forget but that keep coming back. When she needs to remember something, she often forgets it, but she always remembers whatever she wants to forget. (16)

Wishing is not going to help. What he wanted most of all did not happen. And the one thing he really, truly did not wish for, well, that did happen. No one ever listens to him. (27)

Something is keeping her here and making her do things she does not really feel brave enough to do. (127)

She knows pirates? He can't imagine that at all. So she must be lying. (192)

You know, the thing about the past, the whole world whispers in her ear, is that it's over. (211)

But people don't come into this tent to change their minds; they come to be frightened. (223)

I can do this, she thinks. I've learned how. And maybe this is why. (Lampie, writing, 312)

But Lampie is tired. Tired of pushing against the world; she cannot keep it up. (341)

Sometimes when you really, really want something for a very long time and then you finally get it, a sort of silence descends, a moment of stillness when no one knows what to do. (349) show less

Trigger Warnings: child abuse and neglect

Emelia, or Lampie as she is known, is the young daughter of the lighthouse keeper. Her mother died a few years ago and since her father is disabled, it is now her job to climb the stairs and light the wick. But one day she forgets to replace the matches to light the lamp and a storm comes. She tries to run out and get some more, but the storm is quite vicious and she doesn't make it back to the lighthouse - she gets knocked unconscious on the rocks. When she wakes up the next morning, she finds a boat has crashed into the rocks and the Sheriff isn't happy. He decides that Lampie and her father are responsible for paying for a new one, a task that will take them seven years each. Lampie's father show more is nailed into the lighthouse. Lampie is sent as a maid to the Black House, where legend is that a monster is kept in the tower. But what if that's really true?

I really enjoyed Lampie in this novel. She's such a fun, strong-willed, young girl, whom I don't see myself forgetting anytime soon. Her and Lenny (oh how I wish to see his masterpieces in real life!).

Annet Schaap did a wonderful job at tackling some tough subjects (loss, regrets, apathetic adults, self-image and belonging) but still keeping in mind the middle grade readers. Even though I haven't been a middle grade reader for quite some time, I still very much enjoyed this book.

The writing style was a bit different for me but I quickly picked it up. Gave me more of a Hans Christian Andersen vibe for sure. I wasn't the fondest of the change of POV though, even if it gave us a bit more insight to why other characters were doing what they were doing.

Overall, a very fun and enchanting and adventurous book. The translation from Dutch was fairly well done. I would recommend this book to middle grade readers who love mermaids and pirates, but also to anyone who likes a twist of an old tale! show less

Waarom leest een volwassene een kinderboek? Omdat het 1 van de weinige boeken is die mijn dochter niet kreeg uitgelezen. Het maakte me zo benieuwd. Ik was eerst wat gechoqueerd door het heftige begin. Begrijpelijk dat een boek dat met kindermishandeling begint niet echt ieder kind aanspreekt. Maar het loont de moeite om verder te lezen, want Lampje is een echte heldin, je maakt kennis met een bijtende zeemeerman, er is een bont kermisgezelschap dat aan "The greatest showman" doet denken, er zijn echte piraten enz.

De personages ontwikkelen zich voortdurend en kunnen veel meer dan je op het eerste zicht zou denken. Om te beginnen is Lampje natuurlijk veel dapperder dan wij allemaal samen. Er is ook Lennie die helemaal open bloeit. Op het show more einde zit hij helemaal niet meer enkel in kranten te knippen. Zelfs Augustus, de vader van Lampje, ondergaat een metamorfose eens de alcohol uit zijn leven is verdwenen.

Wat krijg je als een illustratrice een verhaal schrijft? Een beeldend boek en terechte winnaar van verschillende prijzen. Beetje bij beetje kom je dingen te weten en je kan het boek niet weg leggen. Een ***** aanrader! show less

Of Salt and Shore is an atmospheric and dark fairy-tale of a story. It starts out with a grim premise-Lampie,- a 12-year old lighthouse keeper's daughter struggles to take care of her angry, crippled father but due to a series of misfortunes including being hit by her father, is sent to live as a servant in a foreboding mansion. She meets the ornery housekeeper and her mentally disabled son, and learns of a monster that lives on the top floor. Lampie eventually meets and befriends the creature, who is half-boy and half-mermaid, and by the end of the story, we're thrown thick into mermaids, pirates, circus side-show characters, and saving both family and friends. The writing style is visceral and immediate, immersing the reader in the show more character's worlds and thoughts show less

Mijn dochter van bijna acht kwam met tranen in haar ogen de trap af. Ik had haar in bed gestoken, maar ze las liever verder over Lampje. Na die tranen, ben ik zelf ook beginnen lezen. Twee bladwijzers: een voor mij en een voor haar! En ik heb ook een paar tranen gelaten... De sfeer van dit boek blijft nazinderen. Prachtig hoe weinig woorden Annet Schaap nodig heeft om veel te vertellen.

Of Salt and Shore is a story of pirates and sideshows and secrets and loss. But it’s also the story of Emalia aka “Lampie,” a spunky little girl with the same kind of moxie that makes Pippi Longstockings so endearing. I was hooked like a fish on a line. The story is emotionally engaging, and I didn’t want it to end. I love when a book makes me feel something toward the characters, and reading this made me want to hug Lampie, smack her daddy, and drop a bag of flour on storekeeper Mrs. Rosewood’s foot, and that’s just within the first couple of chapters. Lampie has to overcome a lot of obstacles, and she takes a lot of knocks, but she keeps getting herself back up and pushing ahead. No matter what happens, she just keeps show more moving forward. Her life is full of action, adventure, tragedy, and, eventually, kindred spirits and camaraderie. I think the knickname Lampie fits because, no matter how dark a turn things take, she finds a way to shine a light into the situation.
I could easily see Of Salt and Shore being made into a movie, perhaps something along the lines of A Monster Calls, only not quite as dark. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and stayed up late reading into the wee hours because I couldn’t put it down.
I received an ARC from Netgalley for an honest review, and that’s exactly what my review is: honest. show less

Emilia, or Lampie as everyone calls her, grew up in the lighthouse. Her mother is dead, and her father is missing a leg, which makes it hard for him to climb the steps, so Lampie mostly tends the light. On one stormy evening, Lampie realizes that they are out of matches because she forgot to go out and buy them. She tries to get to the store and back, but the storm overwhelms her. Worse, a ship crashes on the rocks because the lamp wasn't lit. As punishment, Lampie's father is imprisoned inside the lighthouse, and Lampie is sent to work at the Black House on the cliff, the Admiral's residence, where it's said a terrible monster dwells. What Lampie finds there, however, is something she never could have expected...

This book has the feel show more of historical fiction, but once Lampie is at Black House, the fantastic elements start inching their way in. The story reminded me a lot of The Secret Garden, though it nods toward The Little Mermaid as well. This book is a translation from the Dutch, and I felt that the writing generally flowed well. If you're intrigued by the premise, it's worth a look! show less