Beautifully written historical fiction
To protect her from the impending war, Beatrix’s parents send her from their home in London to America in 1940, when she is only 11-years-old. BEYOND THAT, THE SEA, follows Beatrix as she lives with an American family in Boston, summering in coastal Maine, finally returning to London once the war is over.
BEYOND THAT, THE SEA tells the story of a girl torn between two worlds – the home she left in England and the home she’s come to accept as her own in America. This piece of historical fiction had a different feel from the typical WWII books I’ve read in that the war is an important aspect in creating the setting and for some factors of the plot, but takes a back seat overall to the characters as they are truly the main focus. The author has created compelling characters. I was immediately swept away into Beatrix’s story from page one and became equally enamored by the other characters. The chapters are short and rotate narration focus which I enjoyed. The timeline takes place over several decades. There is a running timeline printed at the bottom of each page indicating the year of the current chapter’s setting which is beyond fantastic. I wish more books would have this, especially those with nonlinear timelines as it’s sometimes hard to keep it straight when the only indication is at the beginning of the chapter. Themes including family, love, loss, regrets, coming-of-age, wealth, and secrets are explored. Characters navigate dynamics of their relationship with their family, those they are connected to through Beatrix, and their sense of self. BEYOND THAT, THE SEA was beautifully written and I had a hard time putting it down.
I’d highly recommend BEYOND THAT, THE SEA to fans of historical fiction. I’d be interested in reading future works by the author.
Thank you to Celadon Books for the giveaway ARC.
BEYOND THAT, THE SEA tells the story of a girl torn between two worlds – the home she left in England and the home she’s come to accept as her own in America. This piece of historical fiction had a different feel from the typical WWII books I’ve read in that the war is an important aspect in creating the setting and for some factors of the plot, but takes a back seat overall to the characters as they are truly the main focus. The author has created compelling characters. I was immediately swept away into Beatrix’s story from page one and became equally enamored by the other characters. The chapters are short and rotate narration focus which I enjoyed. The timeline takes place over several decades. There is a running timeline printed at the bottom of each page indicating the year of the current chapter’s setting which is beyond fantastic. I wish more books would have this, especially those with nonlinear timelines as it’s sometimes hard to keep it straight when the only indication is at the beginning of the chapter. Themes including family, love, loss, regrets, coming-of-age, wealth, and secrets are explored. Characters navigate dynamics of their relationship with their family, those they are connected to through Beatrix, and their sense of self. BEYOND THAT, THE SEA was beautifully written and I had a hard time putting it down.
I’d highly recommend BEYOND THAT, THE SEA to fans of historical fiction. I’d be interested in reading future works by the author.
Thank you to Celadon Books for the giveaway ARC.