The Light Between Oceans in WACKY READING CHALLENGES

Mar 29, 2013 Book Concierge rated it really liked it

Shelves: audio, historical-fiction, library, concierge, literary-fiction, family

Audio book performed by Noah Taylor.

Isabel and Tom Sherbourne have made their life on isolated Janus Rock … a small island about 100 miles off the coast of Australia, at the confluence of two oceans. Tom mans the lighthouse, ensuring the safety of ships at sea. They love one another and are anxious for a family, but Isabel has had two miscarriages and their latest child was stillborn at seven months gestation. Then a miracle happens. A small dinghy washes ashore, with a dead man at the helm and Audio book performed by Noah Taylor.

Isabel and Tom Sherbourne have made their life on isolated Janus Rock … a small island about 100 miles off the coast of Australia, at the confluence of two oceans. Tom mans the lighthouse, ensuring the safety of ships at sea. They love one another and are anxious for a family, but Isabel has had two miscarriages and their latest child was stillborn at seven months gestation. Then a miracle happens. A small dinghy washes ashore, with a dead man at the helm and a tiny baby in the bow. One decision leads to another and before they know it they are enmeshed in a web of lies.

I admit I was expecting a lighter, historical romantic epic, but Stedman delivers a wonderfully complex psychological study of love – between a husband and wife, parent and child. This is a story of a couple pulled in opposite directions and yet somehow striving for the same goal. Tom loves his wife and would do anything for her, but what Isabel wants requires that he goes against all he believes is right.

The twists and turns of the story had me mesmerized. Central to the plot are issues of forgiveness, loyalty, ethics, compassion, and revenge. Stedman poses several moral dilemmas. To whom do we owe our loyalty? Does Tom protect his wife’s fragile psyche or follow his conscience and the rules and regulations of his government job? Does he love her enough to give her what she wants? Can he forgive her for what she’s required of him? Can she forgive him for going against her? How far will parents go to protect their child?

The reader is constantly wondering … Might she …? Could he…? Would she…? What would I do in their place? I think this would be a great book club discussion book.

Noah Taylor does a good job with the audio, but his Australian accent was difficult for my American ears. I was really happy I had a text version to check for those scenes where I simply could not understand his pronunciation. I think he handled the various characters reasonably well, including the women and little Lucy.
...more

8 likes · Like · see review

Feb 26, 2016 Michelle rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, australia, fiction, sea-worthy

This is such a sad book. When I mean sad, I'm not talking about one event that happens and you're like, "Oh No". When I say sad I mean tears dripping off the chin and after you close the book you feel like throwing yourself into traffic to stop the hurting kind of sad. From the very beginning this went downhill faster that a drunk college kid in San Francisco. I knew there was no way in hell any of this would have turned out happy for anybody, but I kept on reading. I still had that small bit of This is such a sad book. When I mean sad, I'm not talking about one event that happens and you're like, "Oh No". When I say sad I mean tears dripping off the chin and after you close the book you feel like throwing yourself into traffic to stop the hurting kind of sad. From the very beginning this went downhill faster that a drunk college kid in San Francisco. I knew there was no way in hell any of this would have turned out happy for anybody, but I kept on reading. I still had that small bit of hope. Oh how stupid of me. You can't do what Tom and Isabel did and expect it to turn out fine.

What did they do? (view spoiler)

As for the characters, I absolutely hated Isabel. She was a spoiled, selfish brat used to getting her own way. I noticed that early on in the novel. I know the author seemed to kinda paint a different picture of her, but this is not what I saw. After the first miscarriage she started to lose the plot. By the second one Tom should have had her taken to shore to see a doctor. Living in Isolation like they did was not good for her in any way. However she insisted upon staying saying she was all right. I believe it was the 3rd miscarriage that made her lose the rest of the screws in her head. You can't be playing with a full deck and keep a baby like she did. Sorry, but I found what she did to be disgusting, irrational, and selfish. I can tell you right now that if someone had taken one of my babies like she did, she would need to hide out the rest of her days because I would hunt them down till the end of her days.

I can forgive Tom a bit since he was quite loyal to his wife even after she turned on him. He loved her unconditionally and would do anything for her which he did. Even after they were caught he still remained loyal to his wife and would have went to the gallows to protect her. After everything was said and done he still loved her and wanted to stay with her while she questioned her love for Tom and his actions. Why he still stuck with her I will never know, but in my book that makes him a pretty good guy regardless of his actions in the whole incident. ...more

1 like · Like · see review

May 17, 2022 Jody rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: aty-2022, australia

As an occasionally homesick Australian, I very much enjoyed reading an Australian book - the Australianisms which I would not usually find all that endearing warmed my heart, and it was just really lovely to hear familiar words, and read descriptions of our beautiful country, and its flora and fauna (shout out to the Willy Wagtails - best birds ever!).

Sadly my enjoyment of this book pretty much started and ended there.

I can see how, with the story crafted slightly differently, I could have foun ...more

1 like · Like · see review

May 09, 2015 Karen rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook

I finished listening to the audio CD version of the book yesterday. I'm not sure how I feel about it. I'm surprised that it was such a huge hit when it was first published because the plot line is just so uncomfortable. Isabel and Tom are an unlikely couple to begin with and once married they are physically completely isolated, living on an island 100 miles off the coast of Australia somewhere. Both are badly traumatized; Tom by the horrors of war, Isabel by three horrendous miscarriages suffere I finished listening to the audio CD version of the book yesterday. I'm not sure how I feel about it. I'm surprised that it was such a huge hit when it was first published because the plot line is just so uncomfortable. Isabel and Tom are an unlikely couple to begin with and once married they are physically completely isolated, living on an island 100 miles off the coast of Australia somewhere. Both are badly traumatized; Tom by the horrors of war, Isabel by three horrendous miscarriages suffered on the island. This all serves to explain the horrendous decision these two make when a baby unexpectedly appears in their lives. The problem is, too much is left unexplained,the key issue being how they could not have looked for survivors?

And, of course, survivors there are. And so it goes from there. There is absolutely no reason that a book shouldn't make the reader uncomfortable from start to finish but I don't care for the knot in my stomach feeling so I avoid them if possible. But beyond that, I just couldn't believe in the characters, particularly Tom. Not only would he never have made the initial decision (view spoiler), but given his anguish over that decision and all that it represented, he never would have been able to live with himself or Isabel for as long as he did before they were outed. However, at least he did understand the enormity of what he had done. Isabel never once comes to terms with that. Til the bitter end, she considers herself the victim. Maybe there are people like that but it just didn't ring true to me - no one could be that wrong, ruin that many lives, and never understand his/her part in it. I found her detestable to the end.

I also had a problem with Hannah as she was written. I felt like she was written in as a conduit to wrap up Tom's and Isabel's storylines. She was the real victim and yet all of her decisions were written to enable Tom and Isabel and then she was written out just as quickly.

I'm glad I "read" the book. Noah Taylor's Aussie accent definitely contributes something to the book that would have been missing had I read instead of listened to it. When does an Aussie accent not contribute to anything? I wouldn't hesitate to read M. L. Stedman again. She took on a massive project with this book for a first novel and I think she did an admirable job. ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Jan 19, 2016 Olivermagnus rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, australia, 2019

4
Tom Sherbourne returns to Australia after surviving the horrors of WWI. He longs for solitude and joins the Lighthouse Service eventually taking a job as light-keeper on Janus Island, the separation point between the Indian Ocean and Southern Sea.

He meets Isabel Greymark while on leave in SW Australia. They fall in love, marry and begin their life together on Janus Rock. They are happy together except for their inability to have children. Isabel suffers two miscarriages and a stillbirth during ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Apr 29, 2013 Brindi Michele rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: personal-interest-adult, audio-books, made-into-movies-tv, historical-fiction, romance, movie-rights-please

Poor Tom. Breaks my heart. The audio is great and the story is intriguing, completely captured my attention. I like Izzy at the beginning, and then through 80% of the book I despise her. Yet, the ending...so much meaning to the title and everything. I really enjoy books that get you thinking, deep thinking and re-evaluating life choices, beliefs...oh, and that thin line between right and wrong. definitely worth the read!

1 like · Like · see review