For those who have always dreamed of owning a lighthouse but realize the dream isn't likely to come true, reading Our Island Lighthouse is a good way to capture the experience vicariously. Bernice Richmond (Robinson) and her husband, Reg, were living in Manhattan in 1939, when they read in a newspaper clipping of a chance to purchase an island lighthouse in their home state of Maine. The couple jumped at the opportunity, and spent the next several summers at their new home in Winter Harbor.

In the book, Bernice details life on the island during the summers of 1942-1945. While Reg was still employed, Bernice would spend much of the summer alone on the island with their two cats, John and Willie. Life on the island was difficult as they had to row their boat Geranium to and from the island, and their eleven-room lighthouse was in constant need of repairs and upkeep. However, one easily gets the impression that all the work was rewarded many times over with the joy found in island explorations, lobster bakes, sunsets, and even the occasional violent storm.