Keeper of the Isis Light

Keeper of the Isis Light introduces Olwen, a young woman who has grown up alone on the distant planet Isis, her only companion a robot named Guardian. Genetically altered by Guardian to survive Isis's harsh environment after her parents' death, Olwen is excited for the arrival of settlers from Earth. However, her transformed appearance leads to fear and disgust among the new colonists, particularly after a tragic accident and the death of her beloved alien pet. The novel deeply explores themes of profound loneliness, the pain of prejudice, and the struggle for identity when one is fundamentally different. It's a poignant story about finding acceptance, not necessarily from others, but within oneself, and the essential human need for connection, even for those who seem self-sufficient.

In this addition to the Isis series from Phoenix Award-winning author Monica Hughes, settlers from Earth are finally coming to join Olwen on her planet, but will they accept her after discovering what she’s become? It was her tenth birthday on Isis. Though Olwen Pendennis had never been to Earth, she knew it would be her sixteenth birthday on the foreign planet. She was born on Isis and since her parents’ death, Olwen had lived there alone, manning the Isis light—a “light-house” in space designed to aid ships and bring settlers from Earth. Now, on the day of her tenth year, the settlers are coming at last. Olwen is ready to welcome them, but are they ready for her? She was once human like them, but the harsh climate of the alien planet has changed her, transforming her into something else that the settler could never be prepared for….