I loved Shors's debut novel Beneath a Marble Sky and though I can't say I fell for his second endeavor, Beside a Burning Sea, quite as hard, I did enjoy it.

A historical, set during the most strategic time of WW2 in the pacific theater, BABS is a gripping story of a group of mostly strangers stranded on an obscure island in the pacific after the hospital ship Benevolence is attacked and sunk to the bottom of the ocean.

In the heat of battle, two sisters stationed as nurses on the Benevolence are led to safety by a Japanese soldier who had been under their care during the time of the attack. Stalwart Isabelle is sure her husband, the captain of the Benevolence, is lost with all the hundreds of others who didn't make it off the ship in time, but she has her sister to think of and it's that which drives her through the cruel sea.

Annie never had the strength of her sister and almost doesn't survive the arduous swim to safety, but the mysterious man who some would call their enemy aids her even though weak and wounded himself.

When they reach the island, they are relieved to find they are not the only survivors of the wreckage and Isabelle's husband is among them. The captain knows he must keep the survivors safe even though he's sure they've landed on a key island to both the Japanese and American fronts, but his guilt over the fate of his ship gnaws at his soul. Suddenly, in the midst of all the turmoil, bittersweet hope arises when Isabelle reveals she's pregnant and Annie and the noble Akira, the man who saved her, fall in love against all odds.

But unbeknowst to all, there is a betrayer among them and his treacherous ways takes on a psychotic edge as he menaces the rag tag group throughout their time on the island. Will they survive the harrowing days til rescuers arrive or will the evil of one man overtake them all?

The theme of this story is as old as The Tempest by William Shakespeare, which it bears a resemblance too, and feels a bit done before. But Shors does a fine job of adding perilous tension and poignant moments of humanity to keep the pages turning.

Although I don't consider it a stellar second outing by John Shors, it is a good enough read to get a 4 out of 5 from me. ( )

I like the way John Shors writes, so this was an easy choice to read. The book itself is beautifully designed, a pleasure to look at! The story is set during WWII, somewhere in the Pacific. It has pathos, mystery, and love - nicely written. Shors uses words well in order to paint mental images.I enjoyed this book and would recommend it! ( )

This book is now a sentimental favorite! There is so much that made this book a wonderful experience for me. Between each chapter was a haiku. They were beautiful. My favorite...
The earth is burning.
Blackened by machines and men.
Raindrops are lost tears.

This book takes place during WWII so there was death and war, but when death strikes the characters by heart broke. I loved each and every one of them (except the traitor). It actually made some of the parts hard to read, just because I did not want to know what was enevitably going to happen. I loved the love stories... husband and wife, the love that crossed the bounds of race and war, and a man and a boy comforting each other.

Furthermore, Shors wrote in his acknowledgments that "he hoped that the booked moved you.." and it did. ( )

The beauty of this book left me haunted at its end. I found myself longing to know more about each character, and wishing that Shors would have included several additional scenes, especially concerning Ratu and his father. The haikus that began each chapter were beautiful and compelling. I enjoyed the way in which Shors included several different relationships, or kinds of love. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys stories rich with detail and emotion. ( )

http://www.book-blog.com/2009/06/shor... ( )