G’day Bookworms!
Today we’re taking a trip to Australia. Actually, we’re taking a trip to an island outside of Australia that is completely uninhabited except for a lighthouse keeper… And any immediate family members he might acquire. That’s right. I finally read The Light Between Oceans by ML Stedman. (Thanks in no small part to BOTH of my real-life book clubs for choosing this as a summer read and to my Mother-in-Law for loaning me a copy… And to my Mother-in-Law’s friend who loaned the copy to my Mother-in-Law in the first place. Whew. That felt like an Oscar speech.)
Alright. So. It’s the 1920s. There’s this Australian dude named Tom Sherbourne. He fought in WWI and came back in one piece (at least physically.) He decided to work for the Australian lighthouse agency to make sure ships didn’t go crashing into things at night. It doesn’t hurt that he is still recovering from, you know, WAR, and he finds it beneficial for his psyche to be isolated. One day he meets Isabel while on shore leave. She lost both her brothers in the war and wants to get the heck out of her parents house and her small town… Plus she thinks Tom is cute. After a courtship that takes place mostly through letters (and even the letters are only delivered once every three months- this lighthouse island is way remote) the two get hitched and move out to their island. Where their only companions are each other. And some goats. Romantic, no?
Things are going along just peachy keen until Isabel starts having miscarriages. She is absolutely heartbroken that she’s been unable to carry a child to term. One night, a week or two after a third tragic loss, something strange happens. A boat washes up on the beach of Tom and Isabel’s island carrying a dead man… And a baby. Isabel sees it as a miracle and that God has delivered her a child. Tom wants to alert the authorities, but after watching his wife become immediately attached to the child, he caves. He’s been through psychological turmoil and he just can’t bear to see his wife suffer that way. They rationalize to themselves that the child’s mother likely drowned before the boat washed up and that they’re doing a good deed by keeping the baby… And passing it off as their own. Because, you know. That ALWAYS works out just fine. (Old Testament, anyone?)
I liked this book… But I did not LOVE this book. Unfortunately, it came to me at a time in my reading when I’d just finished several INCREDIBLE books that knocked my doggone socks off. For me, it dulls in comparison to some of those titles (Me Before You, Tell The Wolves I’m Home…) I also think I may have been at a disadvantage reading this because I don’t have kids. The whole maternal bond and the loss of children thing… I mean, I get it in theory, but I think it’s one of those things you can’t really FEEL until you know what it’s like to have a kid. The sort of insane lengths someone would go to in the depths of grief. The unbelievable pain of having your child vanish without a trace. I know this book has gobsmacked a lot of readers, and I don’t want to take anything away from it, because it’s very nicely done. It just didn’t sing to me the way some others have.
That said, this book got me to thinking of other titles with similar themes, what with the baby theft and family secrets and all. If haven’t read The Light Between Oceans but you loved The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton (Australia, baby swapping, heartbreak), Fall on Your Knees by Ann Marie MacDonald (baby swapping and heartbreak in Canada- an all time fave of mine), or Fortune’s Rocks by Anita Shreve (forced adoption and scandalous affairs at the turn of the 20th century), give it a shot. And of course, if you loved any of those titles and haven’t read The Light Between Oceans, it’s probably something you’d enjoy.
Soooo my Bookworms. I must know. Do you think you’d enjoy living on an isolated island like Tom and Isabel? Are you more of a social butterfly? Do you simply like the idea that you can escape your spouse if they happen to be driving you bananas one day? Isolated island living: paradise or claustrophobic? Tell me about it!
Charleen
Hmm, loaded question. I’d be fine with the isolation, once I got the hang of doing all my shopping months at a time and not being able to order pizza if I got the craving… that sort of thing. But I have a pretty strong fear of the ocean, so… perhaps an island isn’t the best place for my isolation.
Words for Worms
I like the ocean well enough, you know, as long as I don’t have to go into it deeper than my knees (because fish are scary.) Not sure I’d want to be completely alone though. I love me some solitude, but without something to distract me from my own thoughts, I might go berserk.
JoulesDellinger
Is there wifi on this isolated island? If so, I’m there in a heartbeat. I’d love to live by the beach and have hardly any work responsibilities. Wait, how do you get food? Is it dropped by airplane like Lost? I can’t really survive on slugs and stuff. However, that would be just the kickstart my diet needed… {ps can you tell I had an entire VENTI from Starbucks today…}
Words for Worms
Nope. This book was set in the 20s. No wifi for Joules. You get food from a boat every few months and eat the goats and chickens on the island. (I love you when you’re caffeinated)
ashley
I was just looking at this and felt on the fence about purchasing. Hmmm… now I’m not sure if your review helped or hurt my decision wheather or not to purchase! Lol. But the idea of living on an isolated island does sound fantastic! I’m in!
Words for Worms
I might live on the island if I could have a sweet treehouse like the Swiss Family Robinson…
Jennine G.
I think that’s a pretty fair review. My co-worker and I were deciding summer reading books and she was considering this one because of its popularity and she and begun reading it. Once she finished, she said she loved it, but didn’t think the kids would because they wouldn’t necessarily be drawn in by the parent/child part. (She and I are parents, so she recommended I read it.) Think I’ll read it as soon as it comes through on my swap site wish list.
Words for Worms
I think being a parent would give you a better perspective on the intensity of the parent child bond… I mean, I’m not heartless, I love me some kiddos, but I don’t have that primal thing going on. Maybe I’ll read it again once I have a little one and feel differently.
Heather
I could definitely do the isolated living thing for a while. A year, maybe? It would feel so good to get away from the busy-ness of everyday life.
Words for Worms
I wouldn’t mind an isolated island extended vacation… That sounds heavenly. But I’ think I’d be quite finished with it after about a month.
Nish
My response is the same as Heather. Currently, with all the stress of day-to-day life, an isolated island sounds like heaven to me. But not forever though.
And I so get you about the parent thing. I haven’t read this book, but I know my reactions and interest in stores about parents and kids changed significantly once I had kids.
Words for Worms
The length of the island stay is definitely the issue I think 🙂
Kelly
Hmm – I hadn’t thought about that – how not having kids would dilute the experience of reading it. I cried all over this book and furiously turned the pages towards the end. I thought it was excellently done – but then again I have kids and can imagine all of those emotions….
And to answer your question – isolated island, please!
Words for Worms
I didn’t even cry and I feel like a big grumpus for admitting that!
kristinshafel
I couldn’t do it! I like being in a city, with lots happening and options for stuff to do all the time. But I could vacation and relax like a champ out on a quiet, isolated island. 🙂
I read The Light Between Oceans earlier this year and felt the same as you—it was hyped as being amazing and “all the feels” and all that, and I did really like it and do happily recommend, but it wasn’t true love for me. My review here.
Words for Worms
Yes- a month long vacation without people. Sign me up! And then let me go home. 🙂
Serafina Bear
My husband and I would LOOOOVE to be stranded together alone on an island. We have been friends since childhood, and are best friends. We just like to be together. In fact, we often remark that we would rather life just be us and not have to bother with anyone else. I’m a lucky woman. 🙂
Words for Worms
Ha! It’s so cute that you’re childhood sweethearts!
Serafina Bear
Actually, we weren’t sweethearts! He had a crush on me (I didn’t know; thought he was waaay out of my league) and we were just good friend in marching band! After 13 years apart, he found me on classmates.com and reconnected! 🙂 But I wish we had been – I wish I got with him sooner. 🙂
Serafina Bear
Oh, sorry. Not stranded, just living off an isolated island. That makes it better, I think, because we could choose to leave the island. But we wouldn’t.
Words for Worms
Exactly! You could shun the world every time you go shore leave!
Meg
I’m totally a deserted island kinda gal. As long as the island had an Internet connection.
Words for Worms
LOL but then you’re not so isolated! The internet is a majestic beast!
Rory
I would prefer something in the middle. I always think that I enjoy the country, then I strep outside city limits for a week (i.e Telluride) and I miss people. I don’t necessarily miss interacting with them, I miss the comfort of knowing they are there. I’ve always lived in the city and have come to accept I’m a city girl at heart.
I didn’t enjoy The Light Between Oceans, I thought it was fine, but it didn’t work for me. It didn’t even make it on my blog (I have to be willing to give a book 3 or higher to write a review about it).
Words for Worms
“I don’t necessarily miss interacting with them, I miss the comfort of knowing they are there.” THIS. YES.
RebeccaScaglione - Love at First Book
I haven’t read this book, but I know exactly what you mean by liking not loving, and sometimes it does depend on what you’ve already read, or what you have recently read. I guess I’ll skip it! I’d rather read your “loves” than your “likes”
Words for Worms
Maybe just put it on the shelf until after you have a baby (I know you want kiddos.) I bet it would be kind of awesome then.
RebeccaScaglione - Love at First Book
Okay, will do! 🙂
Wayne
Actually as a reformed introvert not too isolated would be my choice. But who could find one of these places nowdays where people weren’t texting you and you just HAD to respond. Still, it does sound kind of romantic initially. However, most of the women I know would probably bring a Shih Tzu dog with them and demand regularly shipments of pet meds. So the romance would slowly die. By the way, did they name the baby Moses? Guess I’ll have to read the book and get away from *Facebook For Dummies*
Words for Worms
LOL! If the island can have internet connections, we’ll pretend it can have pet meds too!
Wayne
Let’s pretend instead that it has NO internet connections (if there is some kind of a place like that) and NO pet meds 😉 Sort of like that place in *The Mosquito Coast*. Whoops, that wasn’t such a great place as I can recall 🙁
Leah
I’ve heard great things about this book, but I can totally relate to your difficulties relating to all the emotions of being a parent. Not sure it would be as powerful for me as it would for readers that have children.
I don’t think I could live on an isolated island. I’m not much of a social butterfly, but I like having things to do and places to go. I hate feeling confined and being in the same place all the time. Isolated island living would be lovely for a week or two, but probably not longer.
lostinliterature108
It depends…..is there a Smoke Monster?
Jennifer @ The Relentless Reader
If I had a never ending supply of books and coffee I’d love to be isolated. Where can I sign up?
Jessie Lambert
Isolation sounds wonderful, but I think I’d go mad. Maybe a completely isolated vacation home? That I could visit anytime I want? THAT I could do! 🙂
Jen (Me Woman You Man)
I just finished reading this, as it was my book club’s summer reading choice too (what a coincidence!) and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I found the storyline heartbreaking in a Nicholas Sparks kind of way. It would make a fantastic movie…