"Somewhere beyond the sea
She's there watching for me
If I could fly like birds on high
Then straight to her arms
I'd go sailing
It's far beyond the stars
It's near beyond the moon
I know beyond a doubt
My heart will lead me there soon"-"Beyond The Sea", Bobby Darin (written by Charles Trenet)
This heartbreaking, touching, tender and wistful novel manages to capture the same hopeful sentiment conveyed in this song...and the captivating narrative driven by the pen of Spence-Ash carry you away!
1940: Bombs are falling in England and parents Reg and Millie Thompson feel like they stand to lose everything in this time of uncertainty...but they cannot fathom losing the one thing they hold most dear: their 11 year old daughter, Beatrix. After some initial resistance from Millie, they make the heartbreaking choice to send their daughter to live abroad with an American family, safe from their war ravaged homeland.
Beatrix doesn't know quite what to expect when she arrives at the Gregory household. With a father she can't quite read and a pair of brothers, Gregory and William, to contend with, Beatrix feels uneasy about her place in the family and a bit wary. All of that changes quickly, however, as the family embraces her and Beatrix (now affectionately called 'Bea' by the whole of the Gregory clan) falls in love with the beauty of the Gregory's life, particularly on the lovely Maine island they call home during the summer months. Bea learns to swim and often feels that the world is now at her fingertips, her old life in London feeling further and further away.
The war, however, doesn't last forever, and eventually Bea has to leave her second family behind...but a powerful and emotional last summer with the Gregory brothers leaves her second guessing that choice...and wondering if fate brought her to them. As she returns to London, forever altered by her experiences abroad and with lingering pangs of longing pulling at her heart, is her future destined to be determined by the past? Will she gaze beyond the sea once more...and find what her heart truly desires coming straight to her? Or have time and distanced truly turned the tide?
I tend to stray from reading WWII fiction on a regular basis; not because I don't enjoy the time period, but because so often these sort of stories feel redundant and center around similar themes. Being a pacifist of sorts, it's also always a struggle to read about the ravages of war, especially when it comes to the nitty gritty details of violence. However, what Spence-Ash accomplished in this novel is nothing short of extraordinary...she employed two devices that I tend to associate with my favorite THRILLER novels, and utilized both brilliantly. This book consists ENTIRELY of short chapters and has several, fully-fleshed out POVs. I'm not sure exactly why this felt like such a breath of fresh air, but after reading this book, I honestly wish more authors in the genre would consider using this style!
I never felt encumbered by too much extraneous detail, long descriptive passages with little substance, or 'expected' plot points. Getting to know each character in such a real and visceral way, through their unfiltered thoughts (and at times, deepest yearnings and fears) helped slowly and carefully build dramatic tension over time, and especially since the novel covers so many years, it was beautiful to watch Beatrix and the Gregory boys grow from preteens to young adults and beyond.
Despite one character who only factors into the third part of the book that I could have lived without, I enjoyed the passing back and forth of the POVs in piecing together different bits of the story. There is such a frank honesty in the pages that at times I truly felt like I was reading diaries from real people who lived during this era and all credit is due to the author for bringing this level of authenticity to the text. Spence-Ash also is one of those authors who knows how to end a chapter: SO many of them had ending lines that you'll want to stop and savor along the way (so have your Post-It notes or pen handy! 😉)
It's been days since I finished this book, and I STILL can feel the Maine breeze gently blowing in my hair and smell Mrs. G's famous blueberry muffins in the air...this is the sort of book that will leave you both yearning for the magical feeling of falling in love for the first time and heartbroken as you relive the sting of its loss.
A lyrical and stirring debut!
4 stars
#BeyondThatTheSea #CeladonReads #partner
She's there watching for me
If I could fly like birds on high
Then straight to her arms
I'd go sailing
It's far beyond the stars
It's near beyond the moon
I know beyond a doubt
My heart will lead me there soon"-"Beyond The Sea", Bobby Darin (written by Charles Trenet)
This heartbreaking, touching, tender and wistful novel manages to capture the same hopeful sentiment conveyed in this song...and the captivating narrative driven by the pen of Spence-Ash carry you away!
1940: Bombs are falling in England and parents Reg and Millie Thompson feel like they stand to lose everything in this time of uncertainty...but they cannot fathom losing the one thing they hold most dear: their 11 year old daughter, Beatrix. After some initial resistance from Millie, they make the heartbreaking choice to send their daughter to live abroad with an American family, safe from their war ravaged homeland.
Beatrix doesn't know quite what to expect when she arrives at the Gregory household. With a father she can't quite read and a pair of brothers, Gregory and William, to contend with, Beatrix feels uneasy about her place in the family and a bit wary. All of that changes quickly, however, as the family embraces her and Beatrix (now affectionately called 'Bea' by the whole of the Gregory clan) falls in love with the beauty of the Gregory's life, particularly on the lovely Maine island they call home during the summer months. Bea learns to swim and often feels that the world is now at her fingertips, her old life in London feeling further and further away.
The war, however, doesn't last forever, and eventually Bea has to leave her second family behind...but a powerful and emotional last summer with the Gregory brothers leaves her second guessing that choice...and wondering if fate brought her to them. As she returns to London, forever altered by her experiences abroad and with lingering pangs of longing pulling at her heart, is her future destined to be determined by the past? Will she gaze beyond the sea once more...and find what her heart truly desires coming straight to her? Or have time and distanced truly turned the tide?
I tend to stray from reading WWII fiction on a regular basis; not because I don't enjoy the time period, but because so often these sort of stories feel redundant and center around similar themes. Being a pacifist of sorts, it's also always a struggle to read about the ravages of war, especially when it comes to the nitty gritty details of violence. However, what Spence-Ash accomplished in this novel is nothing short of extraordinary...she employed two devices that I tend to associate with my favorite THRILLER novels, and utilized both brilliantly. This book consists ENTIRELY of short chapters and has several, fully-fleshed out POVs. I'm not sure exactly why this felt like such a breath of fresh air, but after reading this book, I honestly wish more authors in the genre would consider using this style!
I never felt encumbered by too much extraneous detail, long descriptive passages with little substance, or 'expected' plot points. Getting to know each character in such a real and visceral way, through their unfiltered thoughts (and at times, deepest yearnings and fears) helped slowly and carefully build dramatic tension over time, and especially since the novel covers so many years, it was beautiful to watch Beatrix and the Gregory boys grow from preteens to young adults and beyond.
Despite one character who only factors into the third part of the book that I could have lived without, I enjoyed the passing back and forth of the POVs in piecing together different bits of the story. There is such a frank honesty in the pages that at times I truly felt like I was reading diaries from real people who lived during this era and all credit is due to the author for bringing this level of authenticity to the text. Spence-Ash also is one of those authors who knows how to end a chapter: SO many of them had ending lines that you'll want to stop and savor along the way (so have your Post-It notes or pen handy! 😉)
It's been days since I finished this book, and I STILL can feel the Maine breeze gently blowing in my hair and smell Mrs. G's famous blueberry muffins in the air...this is the sort of book that will leave you both yearning for the magical feeling of falling in love for the first time and heartbroken as you relive the sting of its loss.
A lyrical and stirring debut!
4 stars
#BeyondThatTheSea #CeladonReads #partner