A Light in the Storm

Amelia, nicknamed Wickie by her father, works side by side with her father at the lighthouse. We meet Wickie and her family enjoying Christmas morning 1860. However, tension is evident from the beginning between her parents due to differences in how Wickie should behave. Tension also lies in their political differences on the greater conflict over slavery in the border state of Delaware in 1860-61. Wickie receives a diary from her beloved Uncle Edward in which she begins to record the events that are about to unfold.

In addition to her duties at the lighthouse, she teaches school to the children on the mainland where the thralls of war are even more prevalent. The children are not immune to the political climate of the day and Wickie finds herself mediating their arguments while trying to come to terms with her own views on slavery, secession and the imminent war.

As time progresses, we see the trials of war wear upon Wickie. First, her students argue over the war leading to some withdrawing from school because of Wickie's abolitionist sentiments. The discord between her parents' ideals and political beliefs increases. While Wickie's father enjoys and encourages his daughter to work side by side with him, her mother feels differently. In addition to these societal values, their disagreements on slavery escalate to the point where it ultimately drives the family apart. Finally, the vulgarity and reality of war bear down upon her when her good friend, Daniel, joins the Union army and becomes part of the very event that is tearing her world apart.

Wickie finds herself caught in the midst of two wars: the Civil War and the war on the homefront. Through all these trials and tribulations, she remains strong and true to the values she holds dear. She learns what it means to be "a light in the storm."