Fascinating plot & thoughtful prose in this WW-II novel
4.5 stars.
Beyond That, the Sea tells the story of Bea Thompson, an eleven-year-old Londoner who is sent by her parents to live with a family in America to escape the Blitzkrieg. The story follows Bea as she goes to live with the Gregory family in Boston from 1940-1945 and details the repercussions of that decision for all involved. It then picks up again many years later as the members of the Thompson and Gregory families deal with the fallout from the war and the struggle to return to normalcy.
The narrative switches between Bea's perspective and that of her parents, as well as Mr. and Mrs. Gregory and their two sons, William and Gerald. The chapters are short (occasionally as short as two pages), with the perspective switching often. This allows the book to move at a quick pace and tell an expansive story. Laura Spence-Ash writes with nuance and care, exploring tough topics like grief, loneliness, and heartbreak with thoughtful insight. Her book manages to tell a coming-of-age story that would appeal to young and old readers alike.
My only complaint is that I did not love the choice the author made with respect to quotations and quotation marks. At times it made the dialogue hard to follow and unnecessarily confusing. Part 2 of the book dispensed with this creative choice, and I think it was stronger for it. Also, pages 180-197 were out of order in my copy, which was a real shame. I was able to figure out which order to read them in, but those pages represent a pivotal moment in the story, and I was disappointed by the error.
I highly recommend this book for readers of historical fiction and WW-II fiction. The story is one that I haven't read before and thoroughly enjoyed. Thanks to Celadon Books and Bookish First for providing me with this ARC.
Beyond That, the Sea tells the story of Bea Thompson, an eleven-year-old Londoner who is sent by her parents to live with a family in America to escape the Blitzkrieg. The story follows Bea as she goes to live with the Gregory family in Boston from 1940-1945 and details the repercussions of that decision for all involved. It then picks up again many years later as the members of the Thompson and Gregory families deal with the fallout from the war and the struggle to return to normalcy.
The narrative switches between Bea's perspective and that of her parents, as well as Mr. and Mrs. Gregory and their two sons, William and Gerald. The chapters are short (occasionally as short as two pages), with the perspective switching often. This allows the book to move at a quick pace and tell an expansive story. Laura Spence-Ash writes with nuance and care, exploring tough topics like grief, loneliness, and heartbreak with thoughtful insight. Her book manages to tell a coming-of-age story that would appeal to young and old readers alike.
My only complaint is that I did not love the choice the author made with respect to quotations and quotation marks. At times it made the dialogue hard to follow and unnecessarily confusing. Part 2 of the book dispensed with this creative choice, and I think it was stronger for it. Also, pages 180-197 were out of order in my copy, which was a real shame. I was able to figure out which order to read them in, but those pages represent a pivotal moment in the story, and I was disappointed by the error.
I highly recommend this book for readers of historical fiction and WW-II fiction. The story is one that I haven't read before and thoroughly enjoyed. Thanks to Celadon Books and Bookish First for providing me with this ARC.