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Loading... The light between oceans : a novel (edition 2012)by M. L. Stedman
Work detailsThe Light Between Oceans by M L Stedman
A great read if a little soap opera-ish. Life on the tiny island where the lighthouse stands is full even though it starts with only a sole person and eventually there are three. Lots happens on this little island and you need to read it to find out what. The story takes many twists and turns. It is not literature but it is fun to read. (  ) SigmundFraud | May 10, 2013 |  3-3.5 stars 'The Light Between Oceans' was kindly provided to me by Netgalley for Simon & Schuster, Inc. Interested in more of my reviews? Visit my blog! 'There are times when the ocean is not the ocean - not blue, not even water, but some violent explosion of energy and danger: ferocity on a scale only gods can summon. It hurls itself at the island, sending spray right over the top of the lighthouse, biting pieces off the cliff. And the sound is a roaring of a beast whose anger knows no limits. Those are the nights the light is needed most.' 'The Light Between Oceans' is a historical fiction story with a dash of enough 'contemporary lit' to keep both fans of the genres entertained. This is the story of Tom Sherbourne and his wife Isabel who together made a tough decision years back but are only now being confronted with the fact that their decision was life-changing and unknowingly had a drastic impact on someone else's life. The story starts off one-sided telling the story of Isabel and Tom and the boat carrying a dead man and a baby just a few months old that they found washed up on the shores of Janus Rock. When on leave from Janus, Isabel and Tom discover the truth that Lucy's mother, Hannah, is still alive. Her side of the story is finally told and it's revealed just how Lucy came to be in a boat washed up on shore. Both sides of the story are truly heart-breaking and good luck trying to determine a 'side'. Isabel has lost 3 children after 2 miscarriages and 1 stillbirth and fears that she will never be able to mother a child like she's also dreamed of. After learning about Hannah, Isabel becomes resolved to continuing life as they have been because she feels it's far too late to do anything at this point. Tom is not as easily convinced but doesn't wish to take Isabel's 'only child' and doesn't want to take Lucy away from the only life she's ever known. Isabel nor Tom can be easily painted wrong. I was mesmerized at how this heartbreaking tale could possibly end. 'Time and again, Tom wondered at the hidden recesses of Isabel's mind - the spaces where she managed to bury the turmoil his own mind couldn't escape.' The writing was quite beautiful despite the beginning being pretty slow going with all the details of Tom's army days and his days alone on the island before Isabel joined him. There were also some detailed sections regarding the lighthouse and the upkeep and the overall importance of them. It didn't go overboard with the details either but gave you enough detail to keep it interesting. So why only 3 stars? I was completely wrapped up in this story and couldn't put it down, but then I'm not quite sure where exactly, but it veered into what I like to call 'Lifetime movie territory'. Doesn’t mean the story went bad or anything but it just lost me a bit with the overabundance of drama. It seemed inevitable how this story would and should end and it felt like it was drawn out too much. Intriguing story, yes, but wasn’t anything that necessarily blew me away. (  ) bonniemarjorie | May 7, 2013 | Not a particularly happy book because in the end there are no easy answers for anyone. Sometimes what seems right might not be the best after all. A poor baby girl washes up on the shore of a small island where the lighthouse keeper and his wife find her. Since the couple have been unable to have a child of their own, Isabel convinces Tom that they should keep the baby for their own. Of course, over time Isabel's love for the baby and Tom's guilt grows. Now, so much time has passed that the little girl no longer remembers her birth mother and is attached to Isabel and Tom, so the question of what is right becomes murky and the decisions so much harder. Stedman skillfully exposes the story from multiple points of view, forcing the reader to question their own thoughts about what is the best course of action. Much to contemplate here. ( ) sassafras | May 2, 2013 | Forgive the very slow start and keep going - you wont be sorry. ( ) Angela.Kingston | May 1, 2013 | Quite a gripping tale. I fell in love with Tom and Izzy. The descriptions of the lighthouse life pulled me right in. I felt their pain and moral decisions along the way. Although very sad, I thought the ending was perfect. ( ) bibliobethica | Apr 27, 2013 |
 Light" is a story you want to finish, despite some predictability problems. I cared about Tom and Isabel, and cheered for them even as they betrayed each other. And I was charmed by the supporting cast of characters (Bluey and Ralph in particular). Stedman's grasp of the dialect of the region's inhabitants and dialogue fitting for the era are admirable. Her writing is sound, if sometimes uninspiring, but every so often she throws out a gorgeous line that you have to stop and read twice to appreciate, like this one: "A goblin thought jumps onto her shoulder: what's the point of tomorrow?" Or, "The rain is falling more heavily, and in the distance, thunder grumbles at being left behind by the lightning." Nice. First-time novelist Stedman did what all good writers should do: She got her readers emotionally invested in her story. As if you needed it, here's more proof that this novel is worth your time: The film rights have already been picked up.  The miraculous arrival of a child in the life of a barren couple delivers profound love but also the seeds of destruction.......A polished, cleverly constructed and very precisely calculated first novel As time passes, the harder the decision becomes to undo and the more towering is its impact. This is the story of its terrible consequences. But it is also a description of the extraordinary, sustaining power of a marriage to bind two people together in love, through the most emotionally harrowing circumstances. Light Between Oceans' is tough to shake off....And to the author's credit, Light's resolution is neither sensationalistic nor overly tidy. Everyone in this book has to make tough choices, including the little girl. By letting neither her readers nor her characters off the hook easily, Stedman creates a bond that makes her book tough to shake off.
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"A novel set on a remote Australian island, where a childless couple live quietly running a lighthouse, until a boat carrying a baby washes ashore"--
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