The Light Between Oceans

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this one. The first third is amazing, the middle third was a bit of a slog, and the last third was somewhat sloppy, overly predictable, and infuriating (in a way that made you want to keep reading, but still). Perhaps the most jarring part of the entire book is Lucy's dialogue. It just didn't sound like a real child a lot of the time, which took me out of the story. In the end what pushed it from three stars to four is simply that it affected me. However much I intellectualized and criticized and sliced it up every which way the bare truth is that it got to me, it made me feel, and that's gotta count for something. Anyway, this isn't going to be a fully fleshed out review. I'd just like to add to the show more discussion of the characters and rant a bit.

So some people sympathize with Isabelle, some with Hannah. Some people hate this book, it seems, only because they feel it's written in such a way that you're supposed to sympathize with Isabelle and they don't take her "side". I disagree that the book is written to make you take a particular side, but whatever. My question is this: what the hell is wrong with you people? And what the hell is wrong with all the adults in this book? Why is nobody thinking of the kid? Why is everybody so concerned what these two adult women want and feel? Who cares?

Like, okay, Isabelle made a bad decision to keep a washed up ocean baby that wasn't hers because she had miscarriages and wanted a baby so bad, and the father was dead and good common sense said the mother was most likely dead as well, and also because nobody would let people living on a small rock in the ocean adopt a baby formally so she would likely go to an orphanage for no good reason if they reported it and the mother really was dead. An ultimately bad decision, made for (mostly) selfish reasons, but it's not, like, insane or anything. It seemed fairly reasonable in the grand scheme of things. Fuck me, right? Regardless, it wasn't malicious.

ANYWAY. So she made a bad decision but didn't know anyone was hurt by it at first. Then a little girl grows up, and these are the only parents she knows, and it's simply too late to fix things now that they do know the mother is still alive and is suffering. The child's happiness and peace of mind now takes precedence over any adult in the story, full-stop. If you think otherwise, well, I hate to break it to you but you are simply incorrect. I don't give a damn how bad Hannah is hurting, bitch needs to get over it already. Your daughter has grown up without you, that ship has sailed. You knew her fer a few weeks, come on now. You can't rip a child away from their loving home just because the biological mother finds out she's alive all of a sudden and desperately wants her daughter back mostly for her own selfish reasons. That's not how it works (or how it should work, anyway).

I was just as disappointed in Tom, who put his own need to be a "good person" and tell the truth or whatever over a child's happiness and mental health. Good job, dude. Dad of the fucking year. You're an adult! You've been in a war! Handle your goddamn feels, bro. I'd divorce the shit out of you if I was Isabelle. If you can't hide a body and keep a secret for your wife ya'll people ain't meant for each other and you don't really love her. She ain't even ask you to kill nobody! Literally all you had to do was let a bitch be sad so your wife and child can be happy and you couldn't do it. Just let a bitch be sad! A bitch is gonna be sad either way, might as well be the one you don't live with. Common sense! Do you have it?!

And as for the other adults that get tied up in this mess towards the end, well...look, as someone who spent the better part of my childhood with a dead mother and living with my grandparents I can tell you that ripping me from my home and forcing me by power of law to go live with my dad, even though I saw him every summer and he was my dad and mostly a decent guy, would have traumatized me for years. I know this because I've had nightmares about it that I still vividly remember. Violent, sudden change like that is traumatic for kids.

Granted Lucy is much younger than I was and she does eventually fully forget and adapt, but still. It really sickened me to see so many people behave so selfishly and so cavalierly about this child's life and well-being and have so little respect for what she wanted. How the fuck can anybody think it's okay to just take a little girl away from the only parents she knows and force her to live with a complete stranger, biological parent or not? She's so distraught that the town doctor keeps giving her sedatives (which is fucked up on its own). Like, seriously, what the fuck is wrong with you people?! I wanted to burn most of the adults in this town alive for thinking this was even close to an acceptable thing to do to put a child through and just accepting it as the natural thing to do, but most of all Hannah and that doctor. What selfish, delusional pieces of human garbage for seeing what they had done to Lucy and thinking the best course is to just wait it out and let her literally be in shock all day, every day until she's not. Just because it eventually works doesn't excuse it or make them any less terrible people. Well I guess there we have it don't we? I'm "team Isabelle" then, because Hannah is just too damn crazy and selfish and doesn't actually care what's best for the child at all and puts her through hell just so she can be the one to have her. I hated how this story ended. Just rip my heart out and step on it why don't you.

#endrant

Disclaimer:
Now I just want to be clear that my ranting is not any indication that I think these are badly written characters. They are, in fact, the opposite. I was disappointed in Tom. That's not a bad thing. That means he's a well written character that gives me strong, conflicting feelings and that I care enough about to be let down by. Isabelle and Hannah are also good characters. I understand where both are coming from, both have believable motivations and shortcomings, etc. They're all infuriating people, but in a very real way that reminds me of people I actually know. This book succeeds almost entirely on the strength of its (adult) characters and beautifully realized setting. show less

Shortly after World War I, Tom Sherbourne takes a position as keeper of a lighthouse off Australia's southwestern coast. His only human contact is the supply boats that come every three months, and he is occasionally granted shore leave. But after the horrors of war, the isolation appeals to him and the daily routine provides comfort. However, Tom is also attracted to Isabel, a young woman he met in town. The two eventually marry and hope to start a family. Sadly, Isabel's pregnancies do not go full term. One day a boat washes ashore containing a dead man and a healthy baby girl. Isabel, grieving lost pregnancies, insists they keep the child, raise it as their own, and tell no one about the boat and the dead man. Tom goes along with show more this against his better judgement. Several months later, the family returns to town for baby Lucy's christening, and they learn of a woman whose husband and infant daughter disappeared at sea. It appears Lucy was first known as Grace, and her mother is alive and well. Tom and Isabel return to their island with Lucy, but the couple is even more divided about what's best for the child. The couple's choices have far-reaching consequences for Tom & Isabel, for Lucy-Grace, and for Hannah, the mother who lost a husband and child.

While there were some aspects of this debut novel that were overly dramatic, I was completely caught up in Tom and Isabel's ethical dilemma. The conflict and its resolution were satisfying and realistic, although certain elements seemed a bit rushed and glossed over the psychological trauma. But I cared a lot about each character's welfare, and found this book hard to put down. show less

Set in Australia after the first World War, The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman brought out so many conflicting emotions while the story engrossed me fully.

This is the story of Tom and Isabel, who live as lighthouse keepers on a remote island. Tom holds many feelings and emotions about his time as a soldier quietly to himself but meeting and falling in love with Isabel gives him a feeling of security and peace. As the only occupant of Janus Rock, they long to start a family but Isabel suffers a number of miscarriages and ultimately loses the hope of having a child. But when a boat carrying both a dead man and a living baby washes ashore, Isabel is certain that she has been blessed with a child and although Tom wishes to report show more their discovery, she convinces him not to. They keep the baby and fall totally in love with her but Tom can never overcome his guilty feelings and when he finds out that the true mother, Hannah, has never recovered and still searches for her baby and husband the guilt threatens to overwhelm him.

The Light Between the Oceans gave me all the feels. I was very torn over this complex story, not knowing who to root for. As a mother I can’t believe what both women went through, but the author’s deft touch, beautiful writing and vivid atmosphere made this a captivating and engaging reading experience. show less

The Light Between Oceans is a compelling debut from Australian born author M.L. (Margot) Stedman. Set on a tiny island off the coast of Western Australia, where the the Indian Ocean meets the Southern Ocean, this novel explores the haunting consequences of love and desire. Tom Sherbourne is the lighthouse keeper at Janus Rock, a position that has afforded him some measure of peace after the horrors of World War One. During his infrequent visits to the mainland at Port Partageuse, he develops a relationship with the spirited Isabel Graysmark whom he eventually marries and the two create a life together on Rock. Their bliss is marred only by Isabel’s repeated miscarriages so when a boat drifts ashore carrying a dead man and squalling show more infant girl, Isabel convinces Tom that they have been granted a gift. Lucy becomes the light of their lives but Tom’s unease with the situation never dissipates and when he learns the devastating truth he is torn between right and wrong, guilt and innocence, love and duty.

With stunning sensitivity, Stedman explores the grey, murky waters between the absolutes of right and wrong. Decisions made with good intentions, with love, prove ultimately to have consequences that cause irreparable harm. A heartbreaking tale that has strong emotional impact I found myself equally torn as the story unfolds, my sympathies lay with all the protagonists, two grieving women and a man who wants to do right by both of them. Joy is often juxtaposed by a sense of dread and tension seeps from pages.

Tom is a complex man, shaped by tragedy and war, he clings to the ideals of love, honour and duty. He knows how the lines between right and wrong can blur given circumstances and strives to do the right thing always. In this instance he fulfils his obligation to his wife, to love and honour her, by allowing himself to be persuaded to keep the child. When he discovers the consequences of that decision he is torn when honour and duty call for the child to be returned to the mother who still grieves her loss. I admired Tom for many reasons, not the least being his genuine emotional turmoil and strength of character.
Isabel is quite young when she marries Tom and moves to the Rock. She is feisty and headstrong but has a naivete and vulnerability that is endearing. I could not help but sympathise with her as she mourned her lost children, having experienced several miscarriages myself, and identified with her joy over the miraculous gift of Lucy. When Isabel’s world falls apart I was horribly torn for Hannah is equally, perhaps even more, as deserving of sympathy. Isabel’s violent reaction to Tom is shocking, if understandable and her final choice is a brave, if heart rending one.
It is rare that young children have well formed character in novels but Stedman achieves this in The Light Between Oceans. Lucy is as skillfully created and whole as the adult protagonists.

Stedman captures the unique atmosphere of time and place. Set in the aftermath of World War One her characters are reeling from the losses of the war. In the tiny town of Port Partaguese many of the boys and men who went to fight never returned and those that did, were forever changed. Isabel grieved her adored brothers and her miscarriages compound her sense of loss. She senses what proves to be true, that a grandchild will help heal her own parents broken hearts. For Tom, the memories of war, of death and destruction, are soothed by life on Janus Rock and Isabel’s love, but are never far from his mind.
The author creates a spectacular atmosphere on Janus Rock, the tiny island that houses the lighthouse cared for by Tom and Isabel. The isolated splendour of the place is vividly described but Janus Rock is both an idyllic haven and a lonely outcrop. Tom and Isabel have contact with the outside world only once every three months and can return to mainland only once every few years.

The Light Between Oceans is a stunning novel, evocative and lyrical. Rich with emotion, extraordinary characters and story, this is a wonderful read, I happily recommend. show less

I had to hurry and finish this one so the next person in line at the library could have it. I am so glad I did finish it though. First of all wonderful descriptions of the lighthouse and life on it. (LOVE that type thing)

Tom Sherbourne-just gotta say I loved his character. Back from the war thinking he should have died instead of his fellow soldiers. This man has such a good heart. He knows the wrong part of keeping Lucy but love for his wife and the child overwhelms him. Then there is Hannah's character missing her husband and child. I just cannot imagine the pain she went through.

I can see both sides of this story and the author did a good job of introducing the characters and making you see them as people. I've lost a baby so I know show more that awful heart breaking pain--and then as a miracle a baby appears? Not really morally right to claim it as their own but I can see how they just wanted that baby so badly.

I love books that make you think and this one does that. show less

Oh, the anguish. This may be the saddest book I've ever read (trumping Les Miserables and The Book Thief). I had some control at the beginning of the novel and held back my tears by in the last chapter or so I was a complete mess. It was emotionally traumatic.

I was utterly enthralled by Stedman's writing style and I was captured by the character's stories. I literally couldn't put this book down. I was swept away into their anxieties and I wasn't let go till the very end.

This book has a whole heap of downs. Like things can't go right for these characters and you immediately feel for them. You begin to sympathise with every one of the characters and after awhile, sympathising with every character creates unwanted anxieities because it show more every character can't possibly be satisfied. Oh the anguish! I felt so deeply for all the characters and I didn't know how they would make it through all of this. I was completely consumed with anxiety throughout this novel and then brought to an emotional mess at the conclusion.

I love sad books, books that make me feel something, and boy did this book make me feel.

What a masterpiece of dramatic writing! show less

This was quite an enjoyable book. The writing was very gentle, and unfolded at a sedate pace with what was a very fraught topic. As a reader, I found my sympathies caught between two worlds, which, I suspect, was the intent of the author. Without too many spoilers, what happens when the decisions you make come back to haunt you? For Tom, this is exactly the crux of the matter. What happens when he and his wife chose to keep a child that is not rightfully theirs sets in motion a swath of events that leaves the reader uncertain of true moral right or wrong. Our sympathies are swayed one way and another, and, in the end... well, like all good books, you'll have to read it yourself.