Harbor Lights
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- Create Date：2023-12-30 07:21:40
- Update Date：2025-09-14
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- Author：James Lee Burke
- ISBN：1797176161
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Summary
A dynamic， gripping collection of short stories from “America’s best novelist” （Denver Post）， the New York Times bestselling James Lee Burke
Harbor Lights is a story collection from one of the most popular and widely acclaimed icons of American fiction， featuring a never-before-published novella。 These eight stories move from the marshlands on the Gulf of Mexico to the sweeping plains of Colorado to prisons， saloons， and trailer parks across the South， weaving together love， friendship， violence， survival， and revenge。
As an atmosphere of suspicion pervades their Louisiana town， a boy and his father watch a German submarine sink an oil tanker。 A girl is beaten up outside a bar as her university-professor father navigates new love and threats from a group of neo-Nazis。 A pair of undercover union organizers are hired to break colts for a Hollywood actor， whose “Western hero” façade hides darkness。 An oil rig worker witnesses a horrific attack on a local village while on a job in South America and seeks justice through one final act of bravery。
With his nuanced characters， complex prose， and ability to write shocking violence in the most evocative settings， James Lee Burke’s singular skills are on display in this superb anthology。 Harbor Lights unfolds in stories that crackle and reverberate as unexpected heroes emerge。
Harbor Lights is a story collection from one of the most popular and widely acclaimed icons of American fiction， featuring a never-before-published novella。 These eight stories move from the marshlands on the Gulf of Mexico to the sweeping plains of Colorado to prisons， saloons， and trailer parks across the South， weaving together love， friendship， violence， survival， and revenge。
As an atmosphere of suspicion pervades their Louisiana town， a boy and his father watch a German submarine sink an oil tanker。 A girl is beaten up outside a bar as her university-professor father navigates new love and threats from a group of neo-Nazis。 A pair of undercover union organizers are hired to break colts for a Hollywood actor， whose “Western hero” façade hides darkness。 An oil rig worker witnesses a horrific attack on a local village while on a job in South America and seeks justice through one final act of bravery。
With his nuanced characters， complex prose， and ability to write shocking violence in the most evocative settings， James Lee Burke’s singular skills are on display in this superb anthology。 Harbor Lights unfolds in stories that crackle and reverberate as unexpected heroes emerge。
Reviews
Andy Krahling
，
I'm kind of mixed on this offering， as I really like the author and have enjoyed several of his latest novels。 This collection was a mixed bag for me。 All the tales were dark， pretty gloomy， moral struggles of right and wrong， many set in the not-too-distant past， mostly Southern in setting and feel。 Not being Southern， it is news to me that many from the South have an ingrained guilt about past history， mostly as it relates to the effects of slavery。 I guess I can understand that on an intellec I'm kind of mixed on this offering， as I really like the author and have enjoyed several of his latest novels。 This collection was a mixed bag for me。 All the tales were dark， pretty gloomy， moral struggles of right and wrong， many set in the not-too-distant past， mostly Southern in setting and feel。 Not being Southern， it is news to me that many from the South have an ingrained guilt about past history， mostly as it relates to the effects of slavery。 I guess I can understand that on an intellectual level， but I personally don't get it。 Several of the stories are infused with this guilt that carries over， apparently into every aspect of life。 I just don't get it， so it's hard to empathize。Burke writes beautifully， creating lyrics with words。 There aren't many who do it better。 To appreciate the author fully I think one needs to be open to the lament and pain suffered in the past。 Some of us can do that better than others。I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher and NetGalley， and my review is being left freely。 。。。more
Abibliofob
，
Even though I had read most of these stories previously they are good enough to read again。 Harbor Lights by James Lee Burke is a short story collection of great stories and they are mostly very dark。 Burke is one of my all time favorite authors and he has a way with words few others have。 Some of the stories are a little supernatural but even though I don't usually read that stuff I love it when Burke is writing them。 I have not come across another author that can write so effortlessly despite Even though I had read most of these stories previously they are good enough to read again。 Harbor Lights by James Lee Burke is a short story collection of great stories and they are mostly very dark。 Burke is one of my all time favorite authors and he has a way with words few others have。 Some of the stories are a little supernatural but even though I don't usually read that stuff I love it when Burke is writing them。 I have not come across another author that can write so effortlessly despite what time he sets his stories in。 I must thank Atlantic Monthly Press， Ingram Publisher Services， Netgalley， Grove Atlantic and Edelweiss for letting me read this great book。 It's highly recommended by me。 。。。more
Andrew Smith
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Any new book published by James Lee Burke is an event worth celebrating。 I really prefer his longer fiction， but a collection of short stories is still， for me， a satisfying feast。 This collection features at least one story I’d read before （there may be others， but I’ve been reading his material for so long I really can’t be sure）。 There’s also a novella that is published here for the first time。As is the way with JLB， the themes are consistently dark and feature acts of extreme violence。 The s Any new book published by James Lee Burke is an event worth celebrating。 I really prefer his longer fiction， but a collection of short stories is still， for me， a satisfying feast。 This collection features at least one story I’d read before （there may be others， but I’ve been reading his material for so long I really can’t be sure）。 There’s also a novella that is published here for the first time。As is the way with JLB， the themes are consistently dark and feature acts of extreme violence。 The settings and timeframe vary but a certain bleakness， or at least a sense of threat， permeates every tale。 One of my favourite stories is set in a prison， where an inmate tries （unsuccessfully as it turns out） to mind his own business and simply get through his days peacefully。 Another tells of a man who wishes to publicise an event he’s witnessed in order to forewarn others， but as a result he finds himself pitted against the forces of evil。 As I worked through these tales a I noticed that a degree of metaphysical activity started to creep in。 This is the 42nd book penned by this author that I’ve read， and my experience is that this element is a relatively new component in his writing - although it’s fair to say that his novel In the Electric Mist With Confederate Dead （1993） strongly featured such elements。 The novella – entitled Strange Cargo – is a direct follow-up to his 2022 novel Every Cloak Rolled in Blood。 Novelist Aaron Holland Broussard has now purchased an antebellum home built by his ancestors in Southern Louisiana， where he continues to be regularly visited by the spectre of his late daughter， Fannie Mae。 As is frequently the case in Burke’s tales， a bully – this time in the form of the local sheriff – is to become a threatening figure in his life。 In addition， Aaron starts to find himself visiting places and meeting people who haven’t existed here for many years。 It’s a haunting story which features the author’s recurring themes of regret， loneliness and an ache for things to return to the way they used to be。 It’s a not a collection I was able to work through at any pace， partly because each story here takes it’s emotional toll。 Also， although the writing is beautiful， if stubbornly uncompromising， the author’s constant references to historical events kept interrupting my flow as I researched yet another happening of which I was previously unaware。 I’m a huge admirer of Burke’s writing and I’d urge anyone who hasn’t yet dipped into his catalogue， but who enjoys literary crime fiction or who simply appreciates top quality writing， to give him a go。 My thanks to Grove Atlantic for providing an early reader copy of this book， via NetGalley， in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Patricia Becker
，
James Lee Burke continues to be one of our greatest writers and I always enjoy his short story collections。 Jesus Out to Sea remains a favorite。Burke's writing is trending darker these days; while always edgy and engaged with the struggle between good and evil， light and dark， those themes are now so much more intense。 This is a great story collection and classic Burke with his atmospheric details and extended phraseology。 A must-read！ James Lee Burke continues to be one of our greatest writers and I always enjoy his short story collections。 Jesus Out to Sea remains a favorite。Burke's writing is trending darker these days; while always edgy and engaged with the struggle between good and evil， light and dark， those themes are now so much more intense。 This is a great story collection and classic Burke with his atmospheric details and extended phraseology。 A must-read！ 。。。more
Laura
，
Anyone who reads through my reviews knows I am a HUGE James Lee Burke fan！ I was lucky enough to receive this book as an ARC from Atlantic Monthly Press and the author。 All opinions are my own。This book of short stories and one novella is as thought provoking， sometimes eerie， but always beautifully written as any of JLB's full length novels。 As anyone who has read several of JLB's novels can attest， the supernatural and the fight of good vs。 evil play heavily in them。 This collection is no exce Anyone who reads through my reviews knows I am a HUGE James Lee Burke fan！ I was lucky enough to receive this book as an ARC from Atlantic Monthly Press and the author。 All opinions are my own。This book of short stories and one novella is as thought provoking， sometimes eerie， but always beautifully written as any of JLB's full length novels。 As anyone who has read several of JLB's novels can attest， the supernatural and the fight of good vs。 evil play heavily in them。 This collection is no exception。 My favorite was "A Distant War，" the novella in this collection。 It has all of the elements mentioned above and then some。 I will say no more here so as not to spoil it for those who have yet to read this collection。 。。。more
Sam Sattler
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Harbor Lights， which includes seven short stories and one novella， is the first collection of short fiction from James Lee Burke since 2007 when the author published a ten-story collection titled Jesus Out to Sea。 Burke's stories， no matter their length， have always focused on the very real battle between good and evil， and have featured main characters incapable of ignoring evil when confronted with it。 At one point in "Strange Cargo，" the novella's central character explains this impossible to Harbor Lights， which includes seven short stories and one novella， is the first collection of short fiction from James Lee Burke since 2007 when the author published a ten-story collection titled Jesus Out to Sea。 Burke's stories， no matter their length， have always focused on the very real battle between good and evil， and have featured main characters incapable of ignoring evil when confronted with it。 At one point in "Strange Cargo，" the novella's central character explains this impossible to deny obligation to directly confront evil when it drops into his lap by saying that he really doesn't want to do what he is about to do， but knows that if he doesn't do it he will never again find peace of mind or be able to live with himself。 This is typical of a James Lee Burke hero。 The author's books have always been darker than most， with the very real forces of evil， no matter what form they take， portrayed as formidable obstacles for good people to survive， much less overcome。 Now， if anything， Burke manages to up the ante with Harbor Lights。In one story， a man is just trying to get his son home safely after their car has broken down in the middle of nowhere， and he has to seek the help of threatening strangers。 In another， a college professor is drawn into the fight when his seventeen-year-old daughter comes home in a taxi after being brutally beaten outside a local bar。 What both men will learn is that sometimes there is simply no one turn to for help， even those paid to do so; that if they are not willing to fight back， they and those closest to them will lose everything。 The evil that Burke portrays in Harbor Lights often exists in the form of corrupt law enforcement officers。 Some of these stories expose the utter darkness of prison life dominated by brutal guards who exploit the system and the inmates。 One is about WWII federal agents who try to destroy a man after he reveals details to the press about the enemy submarine he and his son watched sink an oil tanker off the U。S。 coast。 The stories in Harbor Lights are a reminder that evil does not always appear where it is expected， that it is often embodied by the very people tasked with the difficult job of fighting it。 Readers of the Holland Family series of books will recognize some of the central characters in these stories as direct descendants of Hackberry Holland often reflect on their gunfighter ancestor， a man who himself teetered on the border of good and evil during his lifetime。 By my count （far from official）， James Lee Burke has now published forty-seven books， and I have read some thirty-eight of them。 For that reason， I knew what to expect from Harbor Lights。 What I did not expect is how much a page-turner it is， or how much I enjoyed it。 I highly recommend this one to Burke fans， and I warn the rest of you to hang on tight because Harbor Lights is a wild ride。 。。。more
Ira Smith
，
James Lee Burke’s new book， Harbor Lights， is a set of short stories and one novella that is bleaker than many of his other books。 There appear to be two central themes running through the book: stories of revenge， and stories of how the ghosts of the South’s past continue to haunt its present （In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead comes to mind）。 Like other collections， there are outstanding tales （such as Harbor Lights， and the novella Strange Cargo）， and some that just didn’t work for me James Lee Burke’s new book， Harbor Lights， is a set of short stories and one novella that is bleaker than many of his other books。 There appear to be two central themes running through the book: stories of revenge， and stories of how the ghosts of the South’s past continue to haunt its present （In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead comes to mind）。 Like other collections， there are outstanding tales （such as Harbor Lights， and the novella Strange Cargo）， and some that just didn’t work for me。 But even these not so great stories are filled with Burke’s outstanding writing。 This collection is not light reading， but despite the despair present in many of these stories， I found myself engrossed in them and not able to stop reading。My thanks to Grove Atlantic and to Netgalley for providing an ARC of Harbor Lights。 。。。more
Sheri Metzger Karmiol
，
Harbor Lights is the first James Lee Burke book I have read。 Strictly speaking， this book is not a novel。 It is， instead， a series of vignettes。 Some are focused on a single character’s life， while others are varied by time or location。 These stories cannot be classified as uplifting。 Just the opposite。 These are stories of despair about people whose lives have too often reached rock bottom。 Burke shows readers a side of life not often the focus of fiction。 This is literary studies， which is lik Harbor Lights is the first James Lee Burke book I have read。 Strictly speaking， this book is not a novel。 It is， instead， a series of vignettes。 Some are focused on a single character’s life， while others are varied by time or location。 These stories cannot be classified as uplifting。 Just the opposite。 These are stories of despair about people whose lives have too often reached rock bottom。 Burke shows readers a side of life not often the focus of fiction。 This is literary studies， which is likely where Burke’s stories belong。 While these stories depict lives many readers would prefer not to see， I have no doubt that these stories would ring true to many people。 Perhaps that proves their worth。 Maybe we all need a greater appreciation and understanding of our fellow man。 Truthfully， there is a grittiness to this life I might not want to recognize， but I am still glad that I read this collection of stories。 。 Thank you to the author and to Grove Atlantic for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review。 This was not an easy book to read， but I am glad I read it。 These are the stories students should read。 Thank you to NetGalley for making it so easy for me to access this book。 。。。more
T Olsen
，
The good thing about this book， is that it's like the author's other books in transporting you to the south。 There are also lots of colorful characters， but the stories are not for me。 The first ones are strange， the last ones are too much nonsense， and even though I like history， I like my novels set in the present。 The good thing about this book， is that it's like the author's other books in transporting you to the south。 There are also lots of colorful characters， but the stories are not for me。 The first ones are strange， the last ones are too much nonsense， and even though I like history， I like my novels set in the present。 。。。more
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Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Harbor Lights
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Harbor Lights&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Harbor Lights&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0