Peter Geye Brings ‘A Lesser Light’ to Drury Lane

My TBR (to be read) list stretches endlessly. With so many stories and so little time, I tend to rush through pages, eager to move on, and never intending to linger too long. But when a book tru­ly captures me, I slow my pace as I near the end, sa­voring the final moments as if to hold back the inevitable goodbye. I know I’ll miss its world once the covers close.

I set aside the final chap­ters of A Lesser Light the night before I was scheduled to interview its author, Peter Geye. I had spent most of my weekend with my nose in its pages and my mind in another time and place— though the place felt familiar all the same. The book had drawn me in deeply, and as I approached the end, I felt both anticipation and reluc­tance. I wasn’t quite ready to leave its world behind—but I was eager to speak with the person who had created it.

Geye’s sixth novel is set in the early 20th century, along Minnesota’s North Shore in a fictionalized version of Split Rock Lighthouse called Gininwabiko Light.

The Minneapolis-born author has spent many va­cations on the shore and in the Boundary Waters, plac­es that have long fascinated him, especially the iconic lighthouse. That fascination runs deeper than scenic ap­peal. For Geye, the land­scape holds both personal memory and narrative po­tential: a setting both harsh and majestic, remote yet fa­miliar, shaped by history and wild weather. A place ideal for fiction.

“Like most kids who grew up in Minnesota and grew up going up there, it’s al­ways been this thing I’ve wondered about, as a kid just with a child’s curiosi­ty,” Geye said, of Split Rock Lighthouse. “But the old­er I get, it seemed like the perfect place to put a novel. Like the perfect little exper­iment. Something so isolat­ed and so beautiful and so rugged. It just seemed like a great place to set a story.”

The story itself is a bit isolating, beautiful, and rugged. Geye spins a tale about Theodulf Sauer and his new wife, Willa, who are stationed at the newly commissioned lighthouse. It’s quickly clear that it’s not an ideal situation for anyone involved. The lighthouse, perched above the vast and often unforgiving lake, mir­rors the isolation felt in their marriage and the harshness of the world they’ve entered.

Willa is a young pianist with a fascination for the cosmos. She had been study­ing on the East Coast when her father’s death sum­moned her back to Duluth. Her marriage to Theodulf, a “deeply Catholic man who doesn’t believe in God,” as Geye described him, offers her stability, but it’s a future that quickly begins to feel bleak.

Theodulf is a complex character—one I found myself sympathizing with, even when I didn’t want to. Geye described him as “sin­gle-minded at the expense of other people, or churlish,” among other traits. I asked if writing such a difficult char­acter made the process chal­lenging.

“It’s unpleasant to spend time with people like that in real life,” Geye explained. “It’s also unpleasant to spend time creating them at times. But it’s one of the responsi­bilities of being a novelist. Especially when you bring them into the world of your creation—they’re going to be there, so now you have to deal with them.”

However, it is through these challenging characters that Geye finds his greatest lessons. Spending so much time with them and explor­ing their motivations, flaws, and contradictions becomes a form of education.

“It’s one of the things I love best about writing,” he said. “I don’t often have to deal with people like that in real life, but creating them and contemplating how they operate has been a life lesson for me as much as, hopeful­ly, for the reader.”

There is much to be learned from A Lesser Light, and Geye devoted signif­icant time to researching the lighthouse—its history, technology, and the lives of the keepers who tended it.

In a flashback, the novel vividly brings to life the his­toric 1905 Mataafa Storm, a fierce tempest that claimed nearly 30 ships, including the steamship Mataafa itself. This devastating storm had a profound impact on shipping safety along the North Shore and was a key reason behind the commissioning of the Split Rock Lighthouse.

The story also weaves in the tale of the Madeira ship­wreck, located just north of the lighthouse, which adds depth and historical weight to the plot, grounding Geye’s fictional narrative in real events that shaped the region.

Geye’s dedication to au­thenticity shines through his detailed portrayal of the lighthouse. He explained, “The most interesting part of the research in this book was just becoming an expert in the lighthouse itself, both its commissioning and why it came to be. Also, the light­house itself, the technology, the lives the keepers led up there, it’s all just endlessly fascinating to me.”

The author’s attention to detail was confirmed when he received a letter from Lee Radzak, the light­house’s keeper from 1982 to 2019. As the longest-serving keeper, Radzak’s praise meant a lot to Geye and gave him a sense of validation for his work.

“He actually sent me a note saying he had just read the book and I was honestly terrified he was going to tell me all the things I did wrong,” Geye admitted. “But he was ac­tually super generous and complimented me on the authenticity.”

The novel deeply weaves in the social his­tory of the North Shore, capturing how the customs and social hierar­chies of the early 1900s shaped everyday life and influenced the characters’ choices. Geye was fas­cinated by the dynamics of the wealthy families in the region and how their power extended beyond their estates, particularly in indus­tries that dominated the area. This backdrop adds a rich layer to the story, providing insight into the social forces at play during that era.

“The social history of what it looked like at the turn of the last century, and some of the wealthy families, and the influence and power that they wielded, especial­ly where industry is con­cerned,” Geye said. “That was all pretty fascinating.”

Geye also explores themes such as watches and time­keeping, astronomy, and music—elements that emerged naturally from his characters rather than from a pre-planned outline.

“For example, if I’m go­ing to write about the light­house in the kind of detail that I did, I need someone as a character who’s inclined to understand it, to be able to operate it,” he explained. “What else would a mind like that be curious about? One of the first things that came to mind was watches.”

The moon itself almost becomes a character in the novel, casting its quiet light over the story’s unfolding events. Beethoven’s Moon­light Sonata, too, serves as the novel’s soundtrack, weaving its haunting melo­dies through the pages. This musical thread was not part of Geye’s original plan but gradually found its way into the narrative.

“I didn’t know that was going to become one of the major subjects and themes in the novel, but all of a sudden, I’m listening to the Moonlight Sonata every day while I’m working, and it finds its way in,” Geye said. “It’s sort of serendipitous, I guess, that a lot of these things feel like they work together. They all come to­gether, all these subjects, in a kind of harmonious and hopefully interesting way.”

The North Shore is more than just a setting in Geye’s novels, it’s a place close to his heart. He and his fam­ily have visited frequently over the years, making last­ing memories in the rugged beauty of the region.

“From the time my kids were born, they’ve been vacationing up the North Shore,” said Geye. “You know I feel like there’s two classes of Minnesota vaca­tioners: the people that come up to the Brainerd Lakes area, or the people who go up the North Shore. We were always North Shore folks.”

It’s his time spent on the North Shore that has contin­ually inspired Geye’s writ­ing. When he began writing a couple of decades ago, he chose to focus on the shore because of his deep appreci­ation for the area.

“As someone who loves the shore and thinks of it as one of the most magical places on earth, I thought it deserved representation in literature,” he explained. “I want to continue to bring that place life and I, of course, want to be respectful and honor it.”

This desire to bring the place to life in his work is paired with a strong sense of respect and responsibility to honor its history and people. That respect is evident in the dedication he’s put into researching and accurately portraying the region and its significance.

Geye is especially mind­ful of historical accuracy, working hard to ensure the story reflects the true histo­ry and timing of the North Shore. While small liberties were taken here and there for storytelling purposes, he aimed to create an authentic portrayal of a time and place that played a significant role in shaping the region. This commitment to accuracy is his way of honoring the peo­ple who call the North Shore home—those who make their living there, raise their families, and maintain the spirit of the place.

The author’s deep connec­tion to the North Shore ex­tends beyond the pages of his novel. Geye is excited to return to the area for an author reading and Q&A at Drury Lane in Grand Marais on July 12th at 6 PM.

“I love Drury Lane,” he said. “It’s one of my favor­ite spots in the world. I’m so grateful they continue to invite me up there. I can’t wait.”

If you plan to attend the reading, be sure to bring your questions for Peter Geye who enjoys having conversations with readers. I encourage you to ask about his next project, which will transport readers to the 18th century to witness the story of the first ship built on Lake Superior. It promises the same rich historical detail and vivid storytelling found in A Lesser Light.

Finishing A Lesser Light was one of those rare mo­ments when I found myself lingering, reluctant to turn the last page. Peter Geye’s vivid portrayal of the North Shore and its complex char­acters drew me in so fully that saying goodbye felt like leaving a place I wished I could stay for awhile longer.

It reminded me why, de­spite my ever-growing TBR list, some books de­mand more than just a quick read—they invite you to slow down, to truly inhabit their world, and to carry a piece of it with you long af­ter the cover closes.

For more information about Peter Geye, visit petergeye.com.