Sep 13, 2025
With the 125-year anniversary of the Galveston flood this year, a book about the events surrounding it? Sounds great to me. Listen in to see why I think Jennifer L. Wright is a perfect choice to do it.
note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.
Loved this chat with Jennifer (always do!). It was great to catch up, see what she's been working on, and learn all about her research into the Galveston flood. Oh, and don't miss the book she recommended, Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson.
Last Light over Galveston by Jennifer L. Wright
Galveston, Texas. September
1900. Only months ago, Kathleen McDaniel returned from
finishing school in Switzerland to her family home in New York’s
Hudson Valley with a future of promise and privilege set before
her. But one horrific event shattered her picturesque life. Now she
has fled as far as the train line and a pocketful of money would
take her, finding refuge at the St. Mary’s Orphan Asylum on
Galveston Island, where she helps the nuns care for their young
charges and prays her past will not find her. Despite her tenuous
standing at the orphanage—and the grief and betrayal that drove her
from home—Kathleen slowly begins to make friends. There is Emily,
the novice nun she rooms with; Maggie, the tempestuous young girl
who only bonds with Kathleen; and Matthew, a kind, handsome man
recently employed by Isaac Cline at Galveston’s office of the US
Weather Bureau.
Then in one fateful day, Kathleen’s fragile new life begins to
crack as it becomes clear that she can’t run far enough to escape
the reach of her former life. Meanwhile, as troubling news about a
storm crossing the Gulf from Cuba swirls in the Weather Bureau
offices, Matthew holds fast to Cline’s belief that no hurricane can
touch Galveston. But as darkness falls on the island, Kathleen must
gather her courage and reach for a strength beyond her own if
she—and those she loves—are to survive.
Learn more about Jennifer L. Wright on her WEBSITE. and follow her on GoodReads and BookBub.
Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at: