When a storm brings down his father's boat, Digory Beale is forced to leave home to discover his fate. For if Digory has been orphaned, he can never go home again.

On his journey, Digory becomes the apprentice to a charming stranger whose life's obsession is to save sailors' lives. Digory must face his fears of the sea to help Henry bring candles to the lighthouse he's built on a killer reef. But who could have known the force of a monster storm heading their way? In this poignant page-turner, Digory comes to understand the many facets of courage -- and what it means to be a true hero.

Note: This historical fiction is based on the true-life exploits of Henry Winstanley, who was the Walt Disney, Ben Franklin, and P.T. Barnum of his day. He created an amazing fun house with rides and amusements never before seen in his time. And he built a whimsical lighthouse full of whirlygigs and decorations on bare rock on the Eddystone Reef to save the lives of sailors. For four years, no sailor was lost to the reef. But alas, it was the storm of the century that toppled the lighthouse and took the showman's life in a final, horrific exit.

Author's Awards:

*Carolyn Field Book Award; The Florida Sunshine State Award; Children's Crown Classic Christian School Award; The Black-Eyed Susan Award; Maude Harte Lovelace Award; the Arkansas Charlie May Award; IRA Teachers' Choice

The Memory Coat:

2000 Carolyn Field Book Award (PA); CBC/NCSS Notable Selector's Choice; Smithsonian's Notable Books for Children; IRA Teachers' Choice