Thank you Netgalley / Macmillan Audio, for the ALC and Celadon Books, #partner for the advanced copy of Beyond That, the Sea in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Celadon Books / Macmillan Audio
Published: March 21, 2023
Summary:
A sweeping, tenderhearted love story, Beyond That, the Sea by Laura Spence-Ash tells the story of two families living through World War II on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean, and the shy, irresistible young woman who will call them both her own.
As German bombs fall over London in 1940, working-class parents Millie and Reginald Thompson make an impossible choice: they decide to send their eleven-year-old daughter, Beatrix, to America. There, she’ll live with another family for the duration of the war, where they hope she’ll stay safe.
Scared and angry, feeling lonely and displaced, Bea arrives in Boston to meet the Gregorys. Mr. and Mrs. G, and their sons William and Gerald, fold Bea seamlessly into their world. She becomes part of this lively family, learning their ways and their stories, adjusting to their affluent lifestyle. Bea grows close to both boys, one older and one younger, and fills in the gap between them. Before long, before she even realizes it, life with the Gregorys feels more natural to her than the quiet, spare life with her own parents back in England.
As Bea comes into herself and relaxes into her new life—summers on the coast in Maine, new friends clamoring to hear about life across the sea—the girl she had been begins to fade away, until, abruptly, she is called home to London when the war ends.
Desperate as she is not to leave this life behind, Bea dutifully retraces her trip across the Atlantic back to her new, old world. As she returns to post-war London, the memory of her American family stays with her, never fully letting her go, and always pulling on her heart as she tries to move on and pursue love and a life of her own.
As we follow Bea over time, navigating between her two worlds, Beyond That, the Sea emerges as a beautifully written, absorbing novel, full of grace and heartache, forgiveness and understanding, loss and love.
My thoughts:
Historical fiction will forever be one of my favorite genres and this book is exactly the reason why. I had no idea that British children were sent to America and Canada during the war as we come to find out during this book and I loved that the author took that and wrote a story about how that impacted all involved.
While this book is set during the war, that is really just a minor part of this book. In fact, it really is the catalyst for what sets many things in motion in this book, but for the most part the war is on the periphery of the story, which I loved.
It is very easy to become completely engaged and immersed in this story. This book spans decades and yet because of the short chapters, it moves quickly so that you never feel that the book drags at any one time. It also is told from multiple perspectives, allowing us to not only see what is going on from everyone’s perspective, but also feel an emotional connection to each character. I really didn’t want this book to end because I ended up caring so deeply for these characters.
For a debut novel, this book truly left an emotional impact on me and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I finished it. It delves into some great themes that make it perfect for a book club pick – and I know I will be selecting it for mine later this year. I always have a soft spot for books that take on family dynamics and this one does that, but it’s more the grief and guilt, found family and trying to figure out where one belongs that really stand out.
I loved this one and will be recommending it to everyone as well as keeping as eye out for what comes next from this very talented author!
Audio thoughts:
I listened to this one and was completely swept away by the narration. The narrator, Ell Potter, does a fantastic job bringing this book to life. She soothing voice was perfection in my ears and she was able to seamlessly do the British and American accents as needed.
