The Light Between Oceans (edition 2012)

What would you do in this situation? Thatis the question to be asked after reading this book. A childless couple who have suffered miscarriages, who are good people that we really like, find a baby washed up on their lighthouse island. It's the "perfect storm". They keep the little girl Lucy and the inner battle of right and woring begins for the couple. each have a different way of looking at it. Complications rather predictably arrise when they bring their child home to the small town and discover the anguised birth mother who lives close by. So we feel for this woman as well who has not given up hope of finding her family. everything unravels for Tom and Isabel and their daughter Lucy is returned to her mother and is now Grace. I found it silly how Hannah poorly copes with her daughter not seeming to understand the situation she has put Lucy in. everyone's concious plays on each of the characters who each do what in my opinion is the right thing and it all works out in the end. A satisfactory ending in my opinion. Thank goodness as I like a good ending. ( )

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. ( )

3-3.5 stars

'The Light Between Oceans' was kindly provided to me by Netgalley for Simon & Schuster, Inc.

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'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. ( )

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. ( )

Forgive the very slow start and keep going - you wont be sorry. ( )

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. ( )

The ending was good, I found the first half unbelievable and the dialogue uninteresting. So much heartache could have been avoided if they had made the right moral decision (at least what I believe the right moral opinion to be) to report the finding of the baby.
( )

Very good. Not fond of the ending, but I suppose it's the only way it could end. At least I didn't read the last chapter first, like I sometimes do. ( )

I loved this book! Stedman does a wonderful job making you see all sides of this story and having empathy for all the characters. I cried at the end, I do not usually do this. ( )

My favorite book of the year thus far....It encompassed all my fav's the sea, a moral dilemma, and very well written real characters. Bravo to this debut author, BRAVO!! ( )

I read this for a book discussion group, and I really enjoyed it. Of course, you know from the description of the story what is going to happen. Tom and Isabel live at the lighthouse, where Tom is stationed. They are isolated from their family and friends. Together, they endure multiple miscarriages, leaving Isabel sad, and Tom even more withdrawn. One day, a boat washes ashore with the body of a dead man, and a living, newborn baby. Isabel convinces Tom to keep the baby and pass her off as their own. From this point on, the book has many discussion topics. What would you do? What about the baby's family? Could you keep a secret for years? I thought the ending of the book was well done, and it even had some pleasant surprises. I was really expecting a cliched ending, but this one didn't end the way I thought it would. Overall, the writing was well done, and the characters, though deeply flawed, were very real and universal. ( )

Basically this was a very sad book. That said the writing was stellar. The characters were so
flawed but immensely well drawn. It just might make it's way onto my top 10 list by the end of the
year! ( )

This novel features a series of excellent ethical dilemmas, as the two central characters (Tom and Isabel) are first confronted with the consequences of a choice they made for their own happiness that has come with a heartbreaking loss for another, and then must face a series of escalating, harrowing decisions as a result. It's one of those books that really causes you to wonder what would you do if you found yourself in the same situation. The author does a good job of demonstrating the pain on all sides that comes to the characters, and the burden of a guilty conscience.

But I had a lot of difficulty in buying into the premise. Yes, a lighthouse isolated from the outside world is a well chosen scenario for experimenting with choices that can be made without society's judgment a concern. But I could not believe that both characters, portrayed throughout the book to be fundamentally good people, would ultimately choose to do something so clearly wrong. While I can believe that being so far away from the rest of the world might cause one to lose one's moral compass a bit, these were two people who mutually seemed to lose sight of right and wrong. Even when they learn of the devastation they have wrought, they do not turn back, at least not at first. And this was enough to take me out of the book and left me more or less shaking my head in disbelief as this narrative path continued.

Well written and a decent bit of fiction, but when your entire plot hinges on an unbelievable decision (which could have been made very believable if either of the main characters were not so seemingly saintly) it drags the effort down a bit. ( )

This was my favorite book of 2013, so far. What an emotional book about the love between the mother and the child and between a wife and husband. The isolation of Janus Rock came across loud and clear. This would make a great movie. ( )

An incredible book that broke my heart and made me cry.

The story of a couple who so desperately want a child, that they do the unthinkable by keeping a child that arrives unexpectedly on the shore of their island where they are lighthouse keepers. The wife convinces the husband to keep the child and cover up an accident that has killed the child's natural father.

They live a life of bliss together however the father is continually haunted by the crime they have committed. So much so that over the years he leaves hints for the child's natural mother when they visit the mainland. This eventually leads to unbelievable consequences.

Beautifully written and heart wrenching. ( )

Amazing writing, gripping story and characters. Its a touching story of love, and family, and life on a remote island and at the same time its this gripping drama just full of heart wrenching tragedy and everyone just being SO MISERABLE, but not in an annoying way. Its more complicated and true to life than that; its about consequences to the choices we make, its about how when you absolutely love someone you put them entirely before yourself. Amazing, enthralling right to the end. A wonderful read. ( )

A tragic, poignant tale of deep pain, deep love and the consequences of both. Stedman creates characters who are oh so human, who make horrid choices and must live with the consequences, yet are good souls at heart. It is an engaging tale with the isolation of the lighthouse keeper's life mimicking the solitude with which one endures guilt, feels sorrow and also experiences love. Very nice debut! ( )

Incredibly powerful book that makes you gage your own interpretations of right and wrong under the circumstances presented by M.L. Steadman. ( )

Beautifully written. Heartbreaking but beautiful. In the 1920's, an isolated lighthouse keeper and his wife on an island off the Australian coast suffer miscarriage after miscarriage. When one day a boat washes ashore carrying a dead man and a live infant, the wife thinks her prayers have been answered; the husband is uneasy and wants to report it immediately. The wife convinces him that the baby's parents must be dead, they keep the baby and raise her as their daughter. When they discover that the child's birth mother is still alive, the wife rationalizes that they can't possibly tear their daughter, now four, away from the only life she's known. The husband's guilt is overwhelming and he seeks ways to make the situation right. Of course, there is no way to make the situation right, and that is the beauty of this book- the author pursues an issue so heartbreaking that there can be no way to right it. Life is filled with situations where there is no right or wrong, or where there is no way to truly right a wrong that has impacted so many lives, and Stedman has embraced this moral truth and steered it to a conclusion that felt, to me, most acceptable. As I read, I didn't think the conclusion could possibly be tolerable, but it was. This would be a great book for a book group-- lots to discuss-- and it is definitely one that provokes you to ask "what would I do?" Stedman is an amazing storyteller. This book was painful-- it's the first book that has made me tear up in a long time-- but worth it. ( )

Excellent read. FIlled with moral dilemmas. ( )

This book was simply AMAZING! It is not something that I would have ever picked up to read on my own, but I am so glad that I joined the book club and read it! It really had a spell-bounding story that did have a bit of a slow start, but from Chapter 3 on, I found it quite difficult to put it down each night! This author did jump from subject to subject rather quickly sometimes, but I think that kept you interested! You can't help but wonder exactly what you would do if you were in Tom or Izzy's shoes and then later on Hannah's shoes and your heart aches excruciatingly bad for poor little Lucy! Even though the story is based in the 1920's, the writing reflects modern language, which I myself personally really appreciated! I finished this book hours ago and it has left me with lingering thoughts about the story and how it ended! It was so nice to see that Tom and Izzy truly had an ever-lasting love and took their for better or worse, in sickness and in health vows very seriously! I consider myself extremely lucky to be able to add this book to my collection of read books! This is probably by far one of the best books I've ever read! ( )

“He turned his attention to the rotation of the beam, and gave a bitter laugh at the thought that the dip of the light meant that the island itself was always left in darkness. A lighthouse is for others; powerless to illuminate the space closest to it.” (Ch 20)

In 1918, having spent four excruciating years on the Western Front, Tom Sherbourne returns to Australia and takes a job as lighthouse keeper on remote Janus Rock. The isolated island, a full half day’s journey from the coast, is the home to which he brings his new wife, Isabel – young, bold, and mysterious. Years later, after their lives have been jarred by two miscarriages and a stillbirth, Isabel hears a baby’s cry on the shore. A boat has washed up, carrying a dead man, a living, crying baby, and a woman’s cardigan. Tom, ever meticulous with his duties as lighthouse keeper, proceeds to report the incident immediately. But Isabel has latched the tiny infant to her breast, and begs Tom to waylay his report. Eventually, against his better judgment, Tom agrees to raise the child with Isabel, and they name her Lucy. Alas, there still exists a world outside of the timelessness that is Janus; and their actions will devastate the life of at least one other.

“Hundreds of feet above sea level, he was mesmerized by the drop to the ocean crashing against the cliffs directly below. The water sloshed like white paint, milky-thick, the foam occasionally scraped off long enough to reveal a deep blue undercoat. At the other end of the island, a row of immense boulders created a break against the surf and left the water inside it as calm as a bath. He had the impression he was hanging from the sky, not rising from the earth. Very slowly, he turned a full circle, taking in the nothingness of it all. It seemed his lungs could never be large enough to breathe in this much air, his eyes could never see this much space, nor could he hear the full extent of the rolling, roaring ocean. For the briefest moment, he had no edges.” (Ch 3)

The Light Between Oceans is beautifully written. Stedman creates a sense of timelessness, of infinity on Janus that is just lovely. And the irony of the light, capable of illuminating the way for distant others, but powerless to illumine its immediate space, is effective. I did not care for the denouement of the novel – a little too contrived for my taste. That said, it is certainly a worthwhile read, and I highly recommend.

“Right and wrong can be like bloody snakes: so tangled up that you can’t tell which is which until you’ve shot ’em both, and then it’s too late.” (Ch 20) ( )

A husband and wife live on an island. The husband works as a lighthouse keeper. They experience the loss of three babies and suddenly one day a baby and her dead father appear on the secluded island.

The story of the choices we make and how they affect the lives of others, this was a beautiful story about the love a parent has for their children and the love spouses have for each other. Set in Australia, I highly recommend reading this before it comes out as a movie! ( )

I took me over a 100 pages to really get into this book, but once I did, it was engrossing. This novel is filled with sympathetic, flawed characters who struggle with the pain that the war and life caused them, trying to find happiness and also do the right thing in a situation where everyone seems to be getting hurt. At different times, the characters all really struggle to do the right thing.

Some quotes I really liked.

"History is that which is agreed upon by mutual consent." (p. 155)

"You only have to forgive once. To resent, you have to do it all day, every day. You have to keep remembering all the bad things...We always have a choice. All of us." (p. 323)

"We've put things right as well as we can. That's all we can do. We have to live with things the way they are now." (p. 333) ( )

A really beautiful read. The story of two people who make a very bad decision out of love and desperation--but one the reader can understand and relate to--that has consequences for more people than they could ever imagine. Stedman is a fantastic writer...the kind who knows her characters well and lets her reader know them too. I was afraid to finish this book because I was terrified to see how it would end...but it was a beautiful one.
I do have to say, I went from sort-of liking Isabel to absolutely hating her. She makes extremely selfish and appalling decisions in this story. Even when people are begging her to see the other side of things, she refuses and chooses to stick to her delusional view of the situation. I don't care how much her heart was broken, she acted like a horrible human being. For me, that was a testament to Stedman's ability to make me feel something for the characters. It's not a good book if you don't get angry at one or more characters, I always say. And I hated Isabel..right up to the end. ( )