Beyond That, the Sea is a poignant story that follows a girl on her journey from war-scarred England across the Atlantic to New England, then back again, and how that experience changed not only her but the families to which she belongs. It is a beautiful tale of families (and loves) lost and found, of discovering joy and surviving tragedy, and of coming of age while reckoning with the past. The complex relationships between family members are a constant theme as this book moves from the war years to the post-war world and the characters not only deal with their personal evolution but the changing world as well. What happens when you have lived two distinctly different lives but must leave one for the other knowing you are forever changed? What becomes of the relationships you have formed in each of those lives when nothing will ever be as it was again? Bea grapples with these questions as life goes on for her and those she loves in this beautiful story.
The story is told from multiple characters' points of view, allowing the reader to experience events from different perspectives and see how each character's experience affects their choices, relationships, and future events. Having a glimpse into the mindset of each character added depth and complexity to the story; being able to know what another character did not added tension and excitement to the reading experience, which kept me reading to find out what would happen next.
The book is organized into three main parts corresponding to the three main eras of Bea's story, starting with the war years, and then moving on to post-war times. I appreciated the timeline with the year highlighted at the bottom of each page; it helped me keep track of the time in the story, especially when events would move quickly through the years. This was a feature I have not seen before and I found it particularly helpful in this genre.
Overall, I loved this book and would rate it as one of the best books I've read in the past year. Thank you to Celadon Books and BookishFirst for the opportunity to read and review this book.
The story is told from multiple characters' points of view, allowing the reader to experience events from different perspectives and see how each character's experience affects their choices, relationships, and future events. Having a glimpse into the mindset of each character added depth and complexity to the story; being able to know what another character did not added tension and excitement to the reading experience, which kept me reading to find out what would happen next.
The book is organized into three main parts corresponding to the three main eras of Bea's story, starting with the war years, and then moving on to post-war times. I appreciated the timeline with the year highlighted at the bottom of each page; it helped me keep track of the time in the story, especially when events would move quickly through the years. This was a feature I have not seen before and I found it particularly helpful in this genre.
Overall, I loved this book and would rate it as one of the best books I've read in the past year. Thank you to Celadon Books and BookishFirst for the opportunity to read and review this book.