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Against the backdrop of complicated, beautiful South Africa in the 1960s, an epic family saga unfolds.
Eve Hunter has grown up on her family's dairy farm in the Lowveld, but she's inherited more than just a love of the land—she's inherited their sorrow. When her father is electrocuted while building a barn, the tragedy exposes the dark secret that has run beneath her family's sadness for years. Eve turns to Jack, her closest friend and neighbor, for comfort.
But Jack belongs to Kate, her older sister, at least that's what their families have always assumed. As Eve and Jack's bond deepens into something more charged, Eve faces an impossible choice to either honor her family’s expectations or to follow her heart and risk everything.
Then Kate comes to her with a devastating request that could change everything between them.
The Light Remains is a story about the weight of family loyalty, the price of independence, and the choices that define us when duty and desire collide.
“Samantha Keller’s THE LIGHT REMAINS soars high above the coming-of-age genre with its lyrical evocation of the beautiful but harsh natural world of mid-century South Africa. While her wide-eyed young protagonist learns hard universal truths about teenage love and family secrets, nature in its wisdom carries relentlessly on . . . and the cruelties of apartheid pulse menacingly in the background.” — Chris Belden, author of Shriver
“Keller’s novel will instantly transport you to a time and place in a way few other books manage to do. And it will move you deeply from the moment you get there.” — Mark Winkler, critically acclaimed author of six novels, including most recently The Errors of Dr Browne
“Poignant, authentic and utterly compelling. The Light Remains holds you until the very last word.” — Tanya Farber, multi-award-winning journalist, author and researcher
“I should probably say that I finished devouring your book—I started it and fell in love—the evocation of the landscape, the shocks Eve has to face and how she navigates them, the surprise of her gift to her sister—her many gifts—the blurring of religion, earth, and native beliefs--and so much more. It’s a *beautiful* book.” — Laurel Petersen, poet, writer English academic, Connecticut
"The Light Remains resonates because it understands something deeply human: people often carry heartbreak quietly while trying to protect those around them... This is not just a story about grief; it’s a celebration of resilience and the human spirit." – Rehana Rutti, IOL
"Set against the complex, beautiful landscape of 1960s South Africa, Samantha Keller’s debut novel The Light Remains is an emotionally rich story that explores family loyalty, first love and the quiet courage it takes to forge one’s own path. From a tragic death and long buried family secrets to a seemingly impossible choice – honouring lifelong expectations or choosing love by shattering everything held dear … a deeply moving read." – Kym Argo, Get It Magazine May Book Club
"The Light Remains is a sophisticated novel filled with beautiful imagery, metaphor, and deep emotion. Keller is a skilled author; the novel unfolds gracefully like a poem, the haunting descriptions of the natural world co-mingling perfectly with the troubled but loving relationships within the family home... Her characters are animated, realistic, and flawed in ways that make them both relatable and loveable." – BookLife Prize
Samantha Keller grew up in South Africa, and after a decade in London, moved to Connecticut, where she completed her MFA at Fairfield University. The Light Remains is Sam’s first novel, and it received an honorary mention by the Fairfield Book Prize. Sam’s short fiction won the Anthony Grooms Prize and appeared in The Connecticut Literary Anthology, 2024. Her work has been a Narrative Story of the Week, a contest finalist in American Short Fiction‘s Halifax Ranch Fiction Prize, and shortlisted for the Bridport Prize. Sam’s first children's picture book, Are You An Alien?, illustrated by her mother, was published in the UK in 2025. Sam is a developmental editor and teaches creative writing. She still lives in Connecticut, US with her husband Grant and children Thomas and Chloe.