The Light a Candle Society - Ruth Hogan - ★★★.¾

AUTHOR: Ruth Hogan

NARRATOR: Mark Elstob

GENRE: Contemporary Uplit

PUBLICATION DATE: December 6, 2025

RATING: 3.75 stars.

In a Nutshell: A contemporary fiction about a group of people coming together for the titular purpose. Good characters (mostly older in age), great concept, genuine emotions. Found family trope. Heartwarming, though a bit too sentimental at times. A nice option for fans of the uplit genre, though not the best by this author.

Plot Preview:

Widower George McGlory has tried to make the best of his life after the passing of his wife two years before. He works as a part-time librarian and has an active presence in the community. So when he sees a ‘public health funeral’, with no mourner in attendance and no flowers or candles for the deceased, he is determined to take action so that those who die alone receive a meaningful goodbye.

Joining George on his noble quest are several locals/friends such as Roxy the librarian, Elena the florist, Niall the government employee in charge of the funerals, and Edwin the undertaker, among others. Together, they plan how to tackle such funerals with appropriate compassion. As they begin this journey, they also find themselves having to confront some of their personal issues.

The story comes to us in the third-person perspective of several characters.

I don’t often read the uplit genre as the cynic in me finds saccharine sweetness tiresome at times. But during tougher periods when my mind wants something easy, such books work well enough. This was one such case.

Ruth Hogan is one of the better authors in this genre, and to date, I haven’t been disappointed by her works, even if they will never be my top favourites simply due to my reading preferences. But I must add, this is the least favourite of her books I have read so far.

Bookish Yays:

🕯 The concept – doing something special for those who die alone. All my love for this idea!

🕯 George. A wonderful character to a great extent. And a refreshing one too. Unlike most old men in contemporary fiction, he isn't cantankerous. He loves colourful shirts, he speaks aloud to his late wife Audrey without any qualms, he is jovial and not a recluse from society. We need more fictional geriatrics such as George.

🕯 The other characters in the book, whether human or canine. A bit too sweet to be true to life, but that is standard in this genre. I love how the characters were diverse without their diversity being thrown into our face. It is also nice to see a good age range in the characters, though most ages aren’t specified. A special shoutout to Captain and his dog Sailor – possibly my favourite of the secondary characters.

🕯 The highlight on public health funerals for those who die alone. I love how the book demonstrates that people dying alone doesn't mean people having no one or being alone in their final years.

🕯 The details of the ‘Light a Candle’ society and how it all comes together. A bit too smooth at times, especially in how conveniently George finds the appropriate business owners that can assist in the funerals, but works for the genre. I love the name of the group!

🕯 The interlude chapters coming from the POV of the people who died alone in this book. Bittersweet!

🕯 The found family trope being put to good use, not just in terms of who comes together but also how they have to work beyond their personal hesitations. There’s quite an extended family in this one!

🕯 The warmth of the emotions evoked by the story. Perfect when you feel disillusioned by this crazy world.

Bookish Okays:

💐 The large number of characters. They are somewhat needed in a story that spans so many deaths and funerals and subplots, but the going does get confusing at times, especially on audio. Plus, each character has their own baggage, so you need to remember who is linked to whom and who is dealing with what.

💐 Given that the plot is character-oriented, the pacing is on the slower side. It doesn’t drag too much (except in the final quarter which feels never-ending at times), but it also doesn’t push forward easily.

💐 As is usual in the genre, the main characters are almost perfect and the scenes are almost overly sentimental. Works for those who love Hallmark; might annoy those who prefer realism.

💐 Many deaths in a single book - surprising for an uplit yet not so surprising considering the title and core concept. This gets heartbreaking at times. Of course, the deaths are handled sensitively and the book is successful in turning this sad theme into a life-affirming one.

Bookish Nays:

⚰ The plot is somewhat minimal. I struggled even to frame my ‘Plot Preview’. If you keep the title in mind, you already know a major chunk of what’s going to happen.

⚰ Forced romance arcs. Might satisfy those who love characters getting together, but this never works for me. In this book especially, most of the love tracks just weren’t needed.

⚰ The few disparaging comments about Dubai. Even if coming from George’s character and offering more insight into his personality than about the location, the remarks are still judgemental, misinformed, and annoying.

🎧 The Audiobook Experience:

The audiobook, clocking at 8 hrs 32 min, is narrated by Mark Elstob. His performance is excellent when it comes to the male characters. Whether George or Edwin or the Captain or Niall or the various other minor male characters, he gives them each a distinct voice and accent and helps us picture them well. I wish I could say the same about his voices for the female characters. But oh my! <<clutching my pearls!>> Not a single female character is voiced convincingly. They don’t even sound realistic, forget about sounding like women. The voices are either too nasal or too masculine. For a book with so many character POVs, a narrator more adept at voicing men as well as women ought to have been chosen.

Overall, the book delivers almost exactly as promised, with an excellent concept, loveable characters, heartwarming scenes, and much camaraderie. Despite the deaths that keep occurring on the page, the overall tone of the book is more like a balm, soothing in all the right ways. I only wish the final quarter or so had been more tightened, because in the absence of a concrete plot, the ending seemed to extend needlessly.

Definitely recommended to readers looking for a sweet and emotional read despite the morbid content. This isn't for those who prefer some mystery around the proceedings as it’s more about the journey than the destination.

My thanks to Dreamscape Media for providing the ALC of “The Light a Candle Society” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.