A despondent ship merchant struggles with rebuilding his life and finding the resolve to sail passengers through the unlit and treacherous seas off the Scottish coast. Weaving together three stories of 19th-century lighthouse-building, the grim realities of coastal wrecker life, and discovering a new reason to love, 'The Lamplighter' reveals a tale of ordinary people's wealth and poverty inspiring a brilliant young writer to produce such famous works as Shipwrecked, Kidnapped and Treasure Island.