By the Light of the Bluff - Book Club Discussion Guide

Discussion Questions

1. Jesse arrives on Saint Simons Island carrying both visible and invisible wounds. What does the island offer her that she could not find elsewhere?

2. How does the construction of the lighthouse mirror Jesse's own rebuilding throughout the story?

3. In what ways does the novel explore faith, grace, and redemption without becoming overly sentimental?

4. How does Saint Simons Island function as more than a setting in the novel?

5. Which relationships most shape Jesse's transformation, and why?

6. How do the children, Eliza and Daniel, change the emotional stakes of Jesse's journey?

7. What role does community play in the novel?

8. How does the lighthouse operate as a symbol of warning, hope, memory, and endurance?

9. What moments in the story most strongly connect to Southern historical fiction traditions?

10. If your group could ask Blake one question about the book, the setting, or the writing process, what would it be?

Suggested Discussion Themes

- Finding home after loss
- Faith, redemption, and second chances
- Saint Simons Island and Georgia coastal history
- Lighthouse construction and maritime life
- Community, resilience, and belonging
- Writing fiction rooted in real places

For book club visits, signed copies, or discussion inquiries:
blake@blufflight.com
blakegunnels.com/book-club