Welcome to my eight-part blog series about the main themes in A Long Lost Time. You may have read my previous blog series on the themes in the other books in the series so now it’s time for the final one. This week I’m going back to the themes of Atlantic Split and seeing how things have changed now in A Long Lost Time.
Warning: This blog contains spoilers.
Prejudice still plays a massive part in A Long Lost Time, but it’s Luke’s quest to fight against it that really takes centre stage. Throughout the book, even at his lowest moments, he knows he has to stand up against it, and in the end…things start looking a little Brighter.
Luke’s at his most mature in A Long Lost Time, even though at times he might not feel like it. The man he’s returned as is so different to the boy he was when he left. His parents and family are in awe of who he’s become, and everyone starts taking him much more seriously. Sure, his journey into adulthood wasn’t the most traditional one, but it’s one that certainly shaped him into the person he wants to be.
Optimism is something that Luke finds hard to hold onto, and in fact, in this book it’s Vi who has to hold onto it for him quite a lot of the time. With his depression, everything seems dampened and he struggles to keep up hope when he’s facing life imprisonment. Yet, he’s never lost faith in the cause he believes in and that’s what drives him to keep himself together and look at the ‘Bright’ side. A world united – it’s all he wants and he knows to get there, he has to keep himself going, no matter how hard that may be.
Luke’s courage shines through in this book in so many ways. When he stands up to his family, to Chrissie, in the courtroom, even to himself as he battles with his own demons. Even at his lowest points, Luke is incredibly brave and everyone admires him for it, especially his friends. But without them by his side, he couldn’t be the man he is today.
In A Long Lost Time, Luke gets to see so many old faces – the friends he made along the way on this epic journey. Yet, he has to say goodbye to them all, and he has no idea whether it’ll be permanent or not. It’s a hard choice for him to make, because despite wanting to see his family, he never had friends back home and they were the ones who supported him in his time in the USA. Steve especially struggles with it and when they finally reunite in person, Luke couldn’t be happier. There’s huge moments in the book for both James and Steve, and James especially gets a fantastic moment towards the end of the book that really cements the trio’s friendship. After all, it’s what began this all, it’s fitting it’s where it ends.
The motivation for Luke to return home – to see the family he left behind all those months ago. When he returns to his parents, he realises how much has changed and despite loving and missing them all, he finds it hard to fit back in with them. His sisters have moved their lives forward without him and the life he used to live there has gone. Despite all that, just being with them is enough. They’re his family and they love him no matter what. It’s wonderful to see them all together again for Luke’s sake.
This one’s a big theme in the book, especially since the one and only Brad Baxter makes an appearance. He bullied Luke for years at school, and when Luke’s face to face with him again in jail, Luke finds it hard to know how to react when Brad wants to make amends. It turns out Brad’s exactly what Luke needs and now the two of them are more mature and the pain is lessened they can put things right. The other bully of course is Marco, and he certainly shows a nastier side in this book. But everyone has a reason to act they way they do, and now we know what Marco’s is.
Luke’s morals are something that remain consistent throughout this book. Even though in the past he has wavered from his job, he knows deep in his heart the right thing to do is to fix the Atlantic Split. To do whatever he can to make things right in the world, even if it means sacrificing things that are important to him. He knows how important his role is and what he means to the world. And when he comes out the other side, still with the drive and determination to make a difference, everyone’s full of respect for him, because he absolutely deserves it.
Thank you for reading this blog, and next Thursday, I’m going back to At Liberty To Live and how the themes in that book recur in this one! See you then!
At Liberty To Live Theme Blog Series Links:
- New Beginnings
- Inner Strength
- Following Your Passion
- Rushing in too quickly
- Feminism
- Self Discovery
- Making a Difference
- Previous Themes
An Undercover Dream Theme Blog Series Links:
A Long Lost Time Theme Blog Series Links:
All four books in The Luke Bright Series is available to purchase NOW! Please follow me on my blog and social media links below, and use the links on my website to purchase a copy of each if you have not done so. Don’t forget to leave a review! Thank you once again for taking the time to read this blog post
N.A.K
Neil A. King 