Laura Spence-Ash has created a beautiful poignant story about family in her debut novel “beyond that, the sea.” Told in very short chapters alternating in point of view by many of the characters, made this reader feel like I was almost watching a play. My mother-in-law was a war bride and we often talked about how difficult it was adjusting to living in a different country and adjusting to different customs. She told some stories about children being sent to Canada, Ireland, Wales, and to the countryside in England. How difficult! I immediately fell in love with Beatrix and the author made you feel for her parents and for her as you read their own words about sending Beatrix to the United States. And it lasted five years! I loved her American family. They were not without their own problems. Some characters in the story did not make it to the end. I shed some tears. Sometimes I laughed, and sometimes I wanted to tell a character to straighten up. I did feel like the ending could have been a little longer. My thanks to Celadon for an ARC of this beautiful novel about family relationships. The opinions in this review are my own.