Young Ida Lewis loved the sea and longed to go with her father, a lighthouse keeper, to check the light. He would only take her if she could row the distance from shore, so the stubborn, determined girl set out to prove she could. “It was slow. It was hard. Her shoulders ached and her hands blistered.” But she did it. From that day on she regularly accompanied him, often rowing to improve her strength and skill. She was fifteen when her family moved to the Lime Rock Lighthouse. When her father became ill, Ida and her mother took over the light, and Ida kept watch for boats in distress. When she saw a sailboat capsize, sending four boys into the ice cold water, Ida enacted a dramatic rescue, rowing out and hauling them all safely into her boat. In an author’s note following this account, Marissa Moss notes this was the first of a number of rescues with which Ida was credited over her lifetime. Moss’s lively narrative is illustrated by Andrea U’Ren, whose illustrations are particularly adept at capturing land- and seascapes. (Ages 5–8)

Ida Lewis loved everything about the sea, so when her father became the official keeper of Lime Rock Lighthouse in Newport, Rhode Island, she couldn’t imagine anything better.

Throughout the years, Ida shadowed her father as he tended the lighthouse, listening raptly to his stories about treacherous storms, drowning sailors, and daring rescues. Under her father’s watchful eye, she learned to polish the lighthouse lens so the light would shine bright.  She learned to watch the sea for any sign of trouble. And, most importantly, she learned to row.
 
Ida felt ready for anything—and she was.
 
Award-winning author Marissa Moss pairs up with award-winning illustrator Andrea U’Ren in a stunning collaboration that sheds light on a remarkable piece of history. Based on the true story of Ida Lewis, who was dubbed “the Bravest Woman in America” and who was recognized with the Congressional Life Saving Medal and the American Cross of Honor, this inspiring and unforgettable tale of courage and real-life heroism is a tribute to brave women everywhere.