Description:
Editorial Reviews
Review
"The plot of Laura Spence-Ash’s Beyond That, the Sea is rooted in the home-front upheavals of World War II, but it’s also a timeless exploration of what it means to create a family, of how dreams can die and be reborn in surprising ways."
–The New York Times Book Review
"A young’s woman’s family loyalties are divided as she leaves her London home for Boston during WWII in Spence-Ash’s magnetic debut... Readers will be riveted."
―Publishers Weekly, STARRED Review
"Beyond That, the Sea is a lovely, addictive novel. I was absorbed by the interesting premise―an eleven year old girl arrives to live, temporarily, with a new family―and by the myriad love stories that change and deepen over the decades the novel covers. Laura Spence-Ash has written a gorgeous novel filled with wonderful characters."
―Ann Napolitano, bestselling author of Dear Edward and Hello Beautiful, an Oprah Book Club Pick
"Beyond That, the Sea is a shimmering dive into a lost past. With deft, beautiful prose, Laura Spence-Ash brings us into the worlds―both inner and outer―of two families in wartime, and over the years that follow. This novel is as haunting as it is accomplished."
―Meg Wolitzer, The New York Times bestselling author of The Female Persuasion
"This gorgeous novel, about the profound impact on children and families of even the most benign forms of displacement, marks the debut of a very gifted writer. I adored Laura Spence-Ash's characters and deeply admired her precise, resonant prose. Beyond That, the Sea is a marvel."
―Ann Packer, author of The Dive from Clausen’s Pier and The Children’s Crusade
"In this beautiful novel, Laura Spence-Ash renders the last century with painterly precision. Beyond That, the Sea tells the story of a British girl taken in by a prosperous New England family in the Second World War, and of the legacy of the intimate relationships that ensue―a story as rich and vital as life."
―Claire Messud, bestselling author of The Emperor's Children and The Woman Upstairs
"I was utterly captivated by this beautiful story from the first page to the last. The characters are so real, their feelings so well portrayed that I had to keep reminding myself that I don’t actually know them. But I do! And I will return to the book to experience the well-wrought details of these lives again. This is a new favorite novel, and I can only hope Laura Spence-Ash has more coming soon."
―Alice Elliott Dark, author of Fellowship Point and In the Gloaming
"In this exquisite novel, Laura Spence-Ash weaves a beautiful mosaic of voices, each a perfect postcard exploring home, love, loss and belonging that will entrance readers until the final, heartwarming page."
―Hannah Tinti, author of The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley and The Good Thief
"What a wonderful novel! I loved Beatrix as a girl, discovering America, and perhaps even more as a young woman, back in post-war London. Spence-Ash writes with such insight about her characters on both sides of the Atlantic and she is a mistress of suspense. I was deeply sorry to reach the last page."
―Margot Livesey, author of The Boy in the Field
"Readers will feel the pull of new fictional friends from the first to the last page, and long afterward....[in] this outstanding debut novelist's portrayal of her characters. Spence-Ash's first novel will appeal to fans of Pam Jenoff, Margot Livesey, and Ann Packer."
―Booklist
"Quietly stunning, with finely drawn characters and vivid descriptions, Beyond That, the Sea is a gorgeous, elegiac, novel about loss, family and the complexity of love."
―Shelf Awareness
About the Author
Reviews:
5.0 out of 5 stars The best book of the past several years!
My eyes are still a bit damp, after having read just now the Epilogue of this book in tears.I would give this novel 10 stars if I could!This triumphant novel is Laura Spence-Ash’s debut book although one would think she’s been writing novels for years.There is so much emotion, love, loss, grief and happiness in this story.Based on true events, this is a fictional story of a British girl being sent to live in America during the Blitz of London during WWII.All that the families live through are historical events from 1940-1977.The style of writing is excellent, alternating between each character and his/her own experiences.The book is written in present tense which normally I do not care for but in this style of writing, it works.There are no quotations for the each character’s speech, but I think I was confused only once or twice.I loved having six years at a time written on the bottom of each page, highlighting the year to which she is writing instead of announcing the years at chapter heads.I learned so much about life in this novel. We need to live fully throughout our lives, not letting one day go by when we don’t express to each other our love and desires.Memories hold dear and for me, this was particularly true, as I had similar summer experiences as did the American family.There is no obscene words or sex in this book, just wonderful storytelling about how important it is to live each day fully.I had only one issue and that is the print is small and could be a problem for some readers.Truly a masterpiece!
4.0 out of 5 stars Great Read
The book is good but at some point in the characters lives, it’s actually depressing. The story is about WWII and how it effected the characters lives overall. One British girl is sent to America for her safety. The American family who takes her in is definitely changed by her presence in spite of the fact that they all come to love her in their own way. It’s when the British girl goes home in 1945 that things begin to fall apart for the members of the American family that adopted her. The American family consists of 2 young boys and their parents and their German Shepherd dog. It’s worth reading and easy reading.
5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Book I've Read All Year...
...and I read a lot! (this was my 24th book of 2023 so far) Absolutely loved this book from start to finish and read the whole thing in about two days. Because of the way the book is narrated, with eight different characters moving the story forward, the reader gains such an insight into each one of them and the way in which they relate to one another. I read another review where someone said the dialogue was hard to follow, but I had no problem with it at all. To me, the way it was written in italics (and often all in the same paragraph), it flowed together like natural speech, and I never had a problem knowing which person was talking.This is a book about family, more than anything else. About the bonds that are formed in a family that stay with us for the rest of our lives. But it's also a book about place, and the power that a certain place can exert on our memories and actions going forward. The tension in the book is so strong -- the desire that Beatrix has to remain in the U.S. as well as her desire to stay in England, and the story is so well crafted as it moves back and forth between those worlds and people. We know what these characters are thinking and feeling, even though they may not share these thoughts and feelings out loud to others.We have a special place where our family has vacationed almost each summer for over forty years, and I could relate so well to the descriptions of the Maine summers in the book -- the memories that are made there and shared long after everyone has gone back to their regular routines, and the desire to go back there, to relive those moments. "The past is prologue" is mentioned more than once in the story -- the power of the past to form us into the people we become in the future. Beatrix's parents make a decision to send her away from the Blitz into Massachusetts safety back in 1940, but that one decision causes a ripple effect that in some way impacts the life of every other character in the story, all the way until 1977.A marvelous book! I can't recommend it enough!
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved this Book
Characters and story were exceptional. First read by Laura Spence-Ash, definitely not the last. I enjoyed the story and characters immensely.
4.0 out of 5 stars Good read
Our book club enjoyed this book. Its a good read. I recommend it as a fun chillax read this summer!
5.0 out of 5 stars Such a beautiful story.
A beautiful story of love and loss, of family, and extended family, and sacrifice. A young English girl is sent to stay with a family in America during the war in Europe. The story weaves together the lives of two families an ocean apart. I highly recommend this lovely book.
An evocative read
1940, and as bombs fall on London, Reg and Millie Thompson decide to send their eleven year old daughter Beatrix to America, to stay with the Gregory family, who have kindly volunteered to take her in. So Bea arrives in Boston, scared and alone, however, for the next five years she finds herself ensconced into the warm and loving household of the Gregorys. There is the motherly Mrs G, the quiet Mr G, and the two boys, William and Gerald, both worlds apart and yet both so dear to her. There are idyllic summers spent at the Gregory's island house, off the coast in Maine, and it is in America, that Bea grows into the woman she is to become. However, then the war is over and it is time to return to London. Over the years Bea tries desperately to move on with her life, yet her heart seems to be torn between two places, two families, the past refusing to let go.This was an evocative debut novel from Laura Spence-Ash, and one that I enjoyed taking my time to savour. A character-driven book, the story itself is slow-paced, and stretching across an expanse of over 3 decades, can seem meandering at times, however, I found myself deeply invested in the myriad characters' lives from start to finish.The book is told from multiple character perspectives, which I think really helped to connect with all the main characters and bring each voice to life. Beatrix as the central character was particularly easy to like from the off, this young girl finding herself on a different Continent in a time of war, separated from her parents and away from everything she has ever known. She grows into a thoughtful young woman, and yet that sense of displacement never quite leaves her, for returning to London five years later, it is not the same place and she is not the same person, and yet she is expected to simply forget the family she has grown to love.It was fascinating to get the different parents' perspectives too. There are Millie and Reg in London, desperately missing their daughter and yet doing what they believe best for her. It was interesting to see the strain this put on their marriage too, particularly as Millie is more resentful than her husband on missing out on her daughter's growing up, and later we see the tensions this causes in her relationship with Beatrix too. At the same time you see Mrs G, who has always wanted a daughter, completing embracing Bea, whilst Mr G, aware that she is only with them for a short while, urges his wife to be more cautious.Spence-Ash does a really good job of exploring all these different perspectives, but also shows growth and change in her characters over time, as well as changes in the relationships depicted, such that nothing is ever static, and no character seems one-dimensional. For instance, where Millie could often come across as dislikable in her resentment almost of the Gregorys, as the story went on, her longing to forge a closer relationship with Bea was actually quite touching, and I liked how in the end she helped to ease the way for Bea to finally reconnect with the Gregorys. Yes, perhaps she should have done so a long time before, however, she got their in the end, and I liked the complex mother-daughter relationship portrayed.Other characters too were far from perfect, but all the more real for it, William for instance, always longing for something else, never quite content with his lot. Rose is introduced as a new character voice in the second half of the story, as a new addition to the family, and did take a little warming to, however, I liked that she proved to have more depth and inner resources than initial impressions suggested.The first half of the novel focusing on Bea's initial stay with the Gregory's was perhaps the part I enjoyed the most, perhaps because it is the part the author takes her time with most, and is important for what comes later. There were parts in the middle that perhaps seemed a little meandering, and yet in the overall context did make sense, and even when not much was actually happening, the characters' thoughts and feelings still shone through.The book does overall have a somewhat melancholy feel to it, in particular the second half. There are character deaths, characters with regrets and a continuous theme of displacement. However, there was a lot of warmth and moments of joy too. The book, particularly, the second half is filled with a lot of nostalgia for childhood days and more innocent times, and the passage of time seems to be a theme of the book in and of itself, in terms of how it changes people, and how much no matter how hard you wish it, there can never be any going back.Romance does feature in the book, but is certainly not the main aspect. I enjoyed the different depictions of Bea's first love, and later in the story the more mature love that evolves with another character. I liked how the novel ended, though perhaps found some of the later chapters a bit more rushed and would have liked to spend more time with the characters in the latter parts, however, perhaps that was just because I had grown so attached to them by that stage.A coming of age story, a story about families and love in many different forms, told in a gentle but evocative way. I shall certainly keep an eye out for any future offerings from the author.
This is one of the best books I have ever read.
This is a beautiful heartfelt story that will stay with you for a long time after you finish reading it. I can’t say enough about how much I enjoyed both the story and the writing style. A beautiful novel, well worth the read.
Enttäuschend
Virginia Woolfs Zitat aus dem Roman „The Waves“ ist titelgebend. Leider führt der Anspruch, der damit erweckt wird, in die Irre.Erzählt wird eine Geschichte von verlorenen und wiedergefundenen Lieben, von Sehnsucht und Erinnerung, von der Bedeutung von Bindung und Familie.Beatrix wird zu Beginn des Zweiten Weltkrieges von ihren Eltern zu ihrem Schutz aus London in die USA verschickt. Sie wird dort von einer Familie aufgenommen, der es finanziell viel besser geht als ihren Eltern zuhause in England. Die Familie nimmt Bea herzlich auf. Ihre Gastmutter behandelt sie wie die Tochter, die sie selbst nicht bekommen hat. Auch die Söhne entwickeln eine enge Bindung, die nach den fünf Jahren, die Bea dort verbringt, nicht stirbt. Bea kehrt zurück, wird erwachsen, kann nicht vergessen …Einer der Hauptschauplätze ist eine Insel vor der Küste von Maine, die der Familie gehört. Idylle pur. Gelesen habe ich den Roman am Ufer eines österreichischen Sees an heißen Sommernachmittagen zum Plätschern kleiner Wellen gegen die Segelboote in der kleinen Marina. Auch das idyllisch. Trotz dieser beinahe kongenialen Umgebung konnte mich das Buch nicht überzeugen. Es besteht aus Kapiteln, die oft nur zwei oder drei Seiten lang sind, überschrieben mit den Namen der Figuren. Schnipsel ihrer Erfahrung, die nicht zu einem Ganzen werden. Die Charaktere bleiben fragmentarisch. Prägende Ereignisse werden nicht ausgezählt. Die Außenwelt, der Krieg, später die Rassenunruhen, die Wahl Kennedys zum Präsidenten werden wie beiläufig erwähnt. Und der Schluss – nun ja. Da ich beim Lesen am Bootssteg saß, hätte das Buch leicht ins Wasser fallen können.
Etwas langweilig
Nicht sooo spannend…
The way this book is written it makes you feel like you’re there with the main character.
This book is well written and a pleasant read. The print is smaller though. It follows a time line and on the bottom of every page it will say what year it is now in the story, helpful if you keep having to put your book down for some time or days even. A good book.
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Beyond That, the Sea: A Novel
AED10376
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Visit the Celadon Books Store
Beyond That, the Sea: A Novel
AED10376
Quantity:
Order today to get by 7-14 business days
Delivery fee of AED 20. Free for orders above AED 200.
Imported From: United States
At BOLO, we work hard to ensure the products you receive are new, genuine, and sourced from reputable suppliers.
BOLO is not an authorized or official retailer for most brands, nor are we affiliated with manufacturers unless specifically stated on a product page. Instead, we source verified sellers, authorized distributors or directly from the manufacturer.
Each product undergoes thorough inspection and verification at our consolidation and fulfilment centers to ensure it meets our strict authenticity and quality standards before being shipped and delivered to you.
If you ever have concerns regarding the authenticity of a product purchased from us, please contact Bolo Support. We will review your inquiry promptly and, if necessary, provide documentation verifying authenticity or offer a suitable resolution.
Your trust is our top priority, and we are committed to maintaining transparency and integrity in every transaction.
All product information, images, descriptions, and reviews originate from the manufacturer or from trusted sellers overseas. BOLO is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or an authorized retailer for most brands listed on our website unless stated otherwise.
While we strive to display accurate information, variations in packaging, labeling, instructions, or formulation may occasionally occur due to regional differences or supplier updates. For detailed or manufacturer-specific information, please contact the brand directly or reach out to BOLO Support for assistance.
Unless otherwise stated, all prices displayed on the product page include applicable taxes and import duties.
BOLO operates in accordance with the laws and regulations of United Arab Emirates. Any items found to be restricted or prohibited for sale within the UAE will be cancelled prior to shipment. We take proactive measures to ensure that only products permitted for sale in United Arab Emirates are listed on our website.
All items are shipped by air, and any products classified as “Dangerous Goods (DG)” under IATA regulations will be removed from the order and cancelled.
All orders are processed manually, and we make every effort to process them promptly once confirmed. Products cancelled due to the above reasons will be permanently removed from listings across the website.
Description:
Editorial Reviews
Review
"The plot of Laura Spence-Ash’s Beyond That, the Sea is rooted in the home-front upheavals of World War II, but it’s also a timeless exploration of what it means to create a family, of how dreams can die and be reborn in surprising ways."
–The New York Times Book Review
"A young’s woman’s family loyalties are divided as she leaves her London home for Boston during WWII in Spence-Ash’s magnetic debut... Readers will be riveted."
―Publishers Weekly, STARRED Review
"Beyond That, the Sea is a lovely, addictive novel. I was absorbed by the interesting premise―an eleven year old girl arrives to live, temporarily, with a new family―and by the myriad love stories that change and deepen over the decades the novel covers. Laura Spence-Ash has written a gorgeous novel filled with wonderful characters."
―Ann Napolitano, bestselling author of Dear Edward and Hello Beautiful, an Oprah Book Club Pick
"Beyond That, the Sea is a shimmering dive into a lost past. With deft, beautiful prose, Laura Spence-Ash brings us into the worlds―both inner and outer―of two families in wartime, and over the years that follow. This novel is as haunting as it is accomplished."
―Meg Wolitzer, The New York Times bestselling author of The Female Persuasion
"This gorgeous novel, about the profound impact on children and families of even the most benign forms of displacement, marks the debut of a very gifted writer. I adored Laura Spence-Ash's characters and deeply admired her precise, resonant prose. Beyond That, the Sea is a marvel."
―Ann Packer, author of The Dive from Clausen’s Pier and The Children’s Crusade
"In this beautiful novel, Laura Spence-Ash renders the last century with painterly precision. Beyond That, the Sea tells the story of a British girl taken in by a prosperous New England family in the Second World War, and of the legacy of the intimate relationships that ensue―a story as rich and vital as life."
―Claire Messud, bestselling author of The Emperor's Children and The Woman Upstairs
"I was utterly captivated by this beautiful story from the first page to the last. The characters are so real, their feelings so well portrayed that I had to keep reminding myself that I don’t actually know them. But I do! And I will return to the book to experience the well-wrought details of these lives again. This is a new favorite novel, and I can only hope Laura Spence-Ash has more coming soon."
―Alice Elliott Dark, author of Fellowship Point and In the Gloaming
"In this exquisite novel, Laura Spence-Ash weaves a beautiful mosaic of voices, each a perfect postcard exploring home, love, loss and belonging that will entrance readers until the final, heartwarming page."
―Hannah Tinti, author of The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley and The Good Thief
"What a wonderful novel! I loved Beatrix as a girl, discovering America, and perhaps even more as a young woman, back in post-war London. Spence-Ash writes with such insight about her characters on both sides of the Atlantic and she is a mistress of suspense. I was deeply sorry to reach the last page."
―Margot Livesey, author of The Boy in the Field
"Readers will feel the pull of new fictional friends from the first to the last page, and long afterward....[in] this outstanding debut novelist's portrayal of her characters. Spence-Ash's first novel will appeal to fans of Pam Jenoff, Margot Livesey, and Ann Packer."
―Booklist
"Quietly stunning, with finely drawn characters and vivid descriptions, Beyond That, the Sea is a gorgeous, elegiac, novel about loss, family and the complexity of love."
―Shelf Awareness
About the Author
Reviews:
5.0 out of 5 stars The best book of the past several years!
My eyes are still a bit damp, after having read just now the Epilogue of this book in tears.I would give this novel 10 stars if I could!This triumphant novel is Laura Spence-Ash’s debut book although one would think she’s been writing novels for years.There is so much emotion, love, loss, grief and happiness in this story.Based on true events, this is a fictional story of a British girl being sent to live in America during the Blitz of London during WWII.All that the families live through are historical events from 1940-1977.The style of writing is excellent, alternating between each character and his/her own experiences.The book is written in present tense which normally I do not care for but in this style of writing, it works.There are no quotations for the each character’s speech, but I think I was confused only once or twice.I loved having six years at a time written on the bottom of each page, highlighting the year to which she is writing instead of announcing the years at chapter heads.I learned so much about life in this novel. We need to live fully throughout our lives, not letting one day go by when we don’t express to each other our love and desires.Memories hold dear and for me, this was particularly true, as I had similar summer experiences as did the American family.There is no obscene words or sex in this book, just wonderful storytelling about how important it is to live each day fully.I had only one issue and that is the print is small and could be a problem for some readers.Truly a masterpiece!
4.0 out of 5 stars Great Read
The book is good but at some point in the characters lives, it’s actually depressing. The story is about WWII and how it effected the characters lives overall. One British girl is sent to America for her safety. The American family who takes her in is definitely changed by her presence in spite of the fact that they all come to love her in their own way. It’s when the British girl goes home in 1945 that things begin to fall apart for the members of the American family that adopted her. The American family consists of 2 young boys and their parents and their German Shepherd dog. It’s worth reading and easy reading.
5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Book I've Read All Year...
...and I read a lot! (this was my 24th book of 2023 so far) Absolutely loved this book from start to finish and read the whole thing in about two days. Because of the way the book is narrated, with eight different characters moving the story forward, the reader gains such an insight into each one of them and the way in which they relate to one another. I read another review where someone said the dialogue was hard to follow, but I had no problem with it at all. To me, the way it was written in italics (and often all in the same paragraph), it flowed together like natural speech, and I never had a problem knowing which person was talking.This is a book about family, more than anything else. About the bonds that are formed in a family that stay with us for the rest of our lives. But it's also a book about place, and the power that a certain place can exert on our memories and actions going forward. The tension in the book is so strong -- the desire that Beatrix has to remain in the U.S. as well as her desire to stay in England, and the story is so well crafted as it moves back and forth between those worlds and people. We know what these characters are thinking and feeling, even though they may not share these thoughts and feelings out loud to others.We have a special place where our family has vacationed almost each summer for over forty years, and I could relate so well to the descriptions of the Maine summers in the book -- the memories that are made there and shared long after everyone has gone back to their regular routines, and the desire to go back there, to relive those moments. "The past is prologue" is mentioned more than once in the story -- the power of the past to form us into the people we become in the future. Beatrix's parents make a decision to send her away from the Blitz into Massachusetts safety back in 1940, but that one decision causes a ripple effect that in some way impacts the life of every other character in the story, all the way until 1977.A marvelous book! I can't recommend it enough!
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved this Book
Characters and story were exceptional. First read by Laura Spence-Ash, definitely not the last. I enjoyed the story and characters immensely.
4.0 out of 5 stars Good read
Our book club enjoyed this book. Its a good read. I recommend it as a fun chillax read this summer!
5.0 out of 5 stars Such a beautiful story.
A beautiful story of love and loss, of family, and extended family, and sacrifice. A young English girl is sent to stay with a family in America during the war in Europe. The story weaves together the lives of two families an ocean apart. I highly recommend this lovely book.
An evocative read
1940, and as bombs fall on London, Reg and Millie Thompson decide to send their eleven year old daughter Beatrix to America, to stay with the Gregory family, who have kindly volunteered to take her in. So Bea arrives in Boston, scared and alone, however, for the next five years she finds herself ensconced into the warm and loving household of the Gregorys. There is the motherly Mrs G, the quiet Mr G, and the two boys, William and Gerald, both worlds apart and yet both so dear to her. There are idyllic summers spent at the Gregory's island house, off the coast in Maine, and it is in America, that Bea grows into the woman she is to become. However, then the war is over and it is time to return to London. Over the years Bea tries desperately to move on with her life, yet her heart seems to be torn between two places, two families, the past refusing to let go.This was an evocative debut novel from Laura Spence-Ash, and one that I enjoyed taking my time to savour. A character-driven book, the story itself is slow-paced, and stretching across an expanse of over 3 decades, can seem meandering at times, however, I found myself deeply invested in the myriad characters' lives from start to finish.The book is told from multiple character perspectives, which I think really helped to connect with all the main characters and bring each voice to life. Beatrix as the central character was particularly easy to like from the off, this young girl finding herself on a different Continent in a time of war, separated from her parents and away from everything she has ever known. She grows into a thoughtful young woman, and yet that sense of displacement never quite leaves her, for returning to London five years later, it is not the same place and she is not the same person, and yet she is expected to simply forget the family she has grown to love.It was fascinating to get the different parents' perspectives too. There are Millie and Reg in London, desperately missing their daughter and yet doing what they believe best for her. It was interesting to see the strain this put on their marriage too, particularly as Millie is more resentful than her husband on missing out on her daughter's growing up, and later we see the tensions this causes in her relationship with Beatrix too. At the same time you see Mrs G, who has always wanted a daughter, completing embracing Bea, whilst Mr G, aware that she is only with them for a short while, urges his wife to be more cautious.Spence-Ash does a really good job of exploring all these different perspectives, but also shows growth and change in her characters over time, as well as changes in the relationships depicted, such that nothing is ever static, and no character seems one-dimensional. For instance, where Millie could often come across as dislikable in her resentment almost of the Gregorys, as the story went on, her longing to forge a closer relationship with Bea was actually quite touching, and I liked how in the end she helped to ease the way for Bea to finally reconnect with the Gregorys. Yes, perhaps she should have done so a long time before, however, she got their in the end, and I liked the complex mother-daughter relationship portrayed.Other characters too were far from perfect, but all the more real for it, William for instance, always longing for something else, never quite content with his lot. Rose is introduced as a new character voice in the second half of the story, as a new addition to the family, and did take a little warming to, however, I liked that she proved to have more depth and inner resources than initial impressions suggested.The first half of the novel focusing on Bea's initial stay with the Gregory's was perhaps the part I enjoyed the most, perhaps because it is the part the author takes her time with most, and is important for what comes later. There were parts in the middle that perhaps seemed a little meandering, and yet in the overall context did make sense, and even when not much was actually happening, the characters' thoughts and feelings still shone through.The book does overall have a somewhat melancholy feel to it, in particular the second half. There are character deaths, characters with regrets and a continuous theme of displacement. However, there was a lot of warmth and moments of joy too. The book, particularly, the second half is filled with a lot of nostalgia for childhood days and more innocent times, and the passage of time seems to be a theme of the book in and of itself, in terms of how it changes people, and how much no matter how hard you wish it, there can never be any going back.Romance does feature in the book, but is certainly not the main aspect. I enjoyed the different depictions of Bea's first love, and later in the story the more mature love that evolves with another character. I liked how the novel ended, though perhaps found some of the later chapters a bit more rushed and would have liked to spend more time with the characters in the latter parts, however, perhaps that was just because I had grown so attached to them by that stage.A coming of age story, a story about families and love in many different forms, told in a gentle but evocative way. I shall certainly keep an eye out for any future offerings from the author.
This is one of the best books I have ever read.
This is a beautiful heartfelt story that will stay with you for a long time after you finish reading it. I can’t say enough about how much I enjoyed both the story and the writing style. A beautiful novel, well worth the read.
Enttäuschend
Virginia Woolfs Zitat aus dem Roman „The Waves“ ist titelgebend. Leider führt der Anspruch, der damit erweckt wird, in die Irre.Erzählt wird eine Geschichte von verlorenen und wiedergefundenen Lieben, von Sehnsucht und Erinnerung, von der Bedeutung von Bindung und Familie.Beatrix wird zu Beginn des Zweiten Weltkrieges von ihren Eltern zu ihrem Schutz aus London in die USA verschickt. Sie wird dort von einer Familie aufgenommen, der es finanziell viel besser geht als ihren Eltern zuhause in England. Die Familie nimmt Bea herzlich auf. Ihre Gastmutter behandelt sie wie die Tochter, die sie selbst nicht bekommen hat. Auch die Söhne entwickeln eine enge Bindung, die nach den fünf Jahren, die Bea dort verbringt, nicht stirbt. Bea kehrt zurück, wird erwachsen, kann nicht vergessen …Einer der Hauptschauplätze ist eine Insel vor der Küste von Maine, die der Familie gehört. Idylle pur. Gelesen habe ich den Roman am Ufer eines österreichischen Sees an heißen Sommernachmittagen zum Plätschern kleiner Wellen gegen die Segelboote in der kleinen Marina. Auch das idyllisch. Trotz dieser beinahe kongenialen Umgebung konnte mich das Buch nicht überzeugen. Es besteht aus Kapiteln, die oft nur zwei oder drei Seiten lang sind, überschrieben mit den Namen der Figuren. Schnipsel ihrer Erfahrung, die nicht zu einem Ganzen werden. Die Charaktere bleiben fragmentarisch. Prägende Ereignisse werden nicht ausgezählt. Die Außenwelt, der Krieg, später die Rassenunruhen, die Wahl Kennedys zum Präsidenten werden wie beiläufig erwähnt. Und der Schluss – nun ja. Da ich beim Lesen am Bootssteg saß, hätte das Buch leicht ins Wasser fallen können.
Etwas langweilig
Nicht sooo spannend…
The way this book is written it makes you feel like you’re there with the main character.
This book is well written and a pleasant read. The print is smaller though. It follows a time line and on the bottom of every page it will say what year it is now in the story, helpful if you keep having to put your book down for some time or days even. A good book.
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