THE SENTINELS

Grief, hope, and transformation echo across three short stories in which lighthouses serve as guides for lost souls as well as ships.

Marchi’s collection opens with a story that follows A’Neew K’Colrom, a boy who lives on a dying planet. When he was younger, his mother told him fairy tales about the Water Spinners, celestial beings who gave the oceans to the planet’s inhabitants. But now, with every water source dried up, only A’Neew’s grandfather believes that the defunct lighthouse he tends “is a sign of hope.” The townspeople view the lighthouse differently, claiming that it reminds them of what they’ve lost. Despair inspires a mob to march up the cliff to destroy the structure. Inside, the grandfather reveals his secret: He has built a rocket in the lighthouse. The next tale focuses on Lila Gardner, a grieving mother still grappling with the death of her son, who goes on a trip with her husband. Unfortunately, Lila is unable to relax once she meets a strange couple looking for their lost daughter. She quickly realizes they’re ghosts and becomes determined to figure out why they’re haunting her. Lila’s investigation steers her to a lighthouse. The last story centers on Nathan, an aging lighthouse keeper whose impending forced retirement feels more like a death knell than a reprieve. There’s still one thing he hasn’t done in his decades of service. “I’ve never saved a life,” he confesses bitterly to his wife. His chance to change this arrives when a phantom ship appears in the night. Will he be able to save the crew and vessel or is he as obsolete as the lighthouse he mans? Placed together, these stories are deeply human with distinctive characters. While the book delivers some familiar plot elements (a dying planet, ghosts, retirement woes), the writing is grounded and the emotional beats land with purpose. The high point of the collection is Lila’s story. The mystery unfolds at an enjoyable pace—plucking at readers’ heartstrings as Lila learns to let go after an intense period of mourning—offering catharsis without a tidy conclusion. The engrossing tales reflect not only people’s attitudes about lighthouses, but also their need to believe in something that will shine brightly through hardships.

An engaging, thought-provoking collection that features heartache and hope.