Shut Up & Read discussion

We are starting today.

Okay. I'm excited to get started.

Oops. Lol

Started out weird. I'm a few chapters in.

I just want to say I love an Australian accent but it was hard to get use to at first. This is definitely a change for us. Tom Sherbourne is quiet with a haunting past. Isabel is fun and full of life. She brought life back to Tom. I was sad to see the toll the miscarriages took on Isabel and Tom. I am glad I gave birth in the hospital. I would not have wanted to do it without a Dr and medical facility. What a moral dilemma Tom and Isabel were in when he finds the body and the baby. Not sure if I would have made a different decision then they did.
I love lighthouses!


What do you ladies think so far?

It was hard to get into. Definitely a change. Had to restart it at first. Haven't got the point of the story just yet but it's getting interesting.

Leigh wrote: "I just want to say I love an Australian accent but it was hard to get use to at first. This is definitely a change for us. Tom Sherbourne is quiet with a haunting past. Isabel is fun and full of li..."

I agree, lol. Modern medicine for me, please. Though, I think besides the fact that you would be cut off from medical care, living isolated like that, at least for a while, would be great. No one else around to bother you :)

I like Isabel. She seems like she would be fun to have around. I think if I found a baby, I would want to keep it!

Vaughn wrote: "It was hard to get into. Definitely a change. Had to restart it at first. Haven't got the point of the story just yet but it's getting interesting."

There was a lot of background information to go over first...

The guilt is eating at Tom. I don't know what I would do in that situation.

Leigh wrote: "The guilt is eating at Tom. I don't know what I would do in that situation."

He seems to have very strong morals. Not that Isabel doesn't, but to Tom everything seems black and white. There is right and there is wrong, no in between.

In the past 3 weeks my kids have had 8 days off of school! They're driving me crazy, because I can't even send them outside to play, lol. I'm making them clean for me today...And my 13-year-old is making a cake :)

Sheri wrote: "In the past 3 weeks my kids have had 8 days off of school! They're driving me crazy, because I can't even send them outside to play, lol. I'm making them clean for me today...And my 13-year-old is ..."

Yes. Cake is good. And now I need cake. I will make me some cake.

Sheri wrote: "Leigh wrote: "The guilt is eating at Tom. I don't know what I would do in that situation."

He seems to have very strong morals. Not that Isabel doesn't, but to Tom everything seems black and white..."

Exactly. I see that as well.

Sheri wrote: "Leigh wrote: "The guilt is eating at Tom. I don't know what I would do in that situation."

He seems to have very strong morals. Not that Isabel doesn't, but to Tom everything seems black and white..."

Totally! I think because of everything that happened to him in his past has created this black and white morality.

Sheri wrote: "In the past 3 weeks my kids have had 8 days off of school! They're driving me crazy, because I can't even send them outside to play, lol. I'm making them clean for me today...And my 13-year-old is ..."

Fun times! Enjoy the cake and help with housework.

G#1 Is Reading wrote: "Yes. Cake is good. And now I need cake. I will make me some cake."

Lol, cake is always good :)

I hate that it is driving a wedge between Tom and Isabel. Don't see that changing anytime soon. Tom is trying to ease his guilt but it is going to blow up in his face. At this point, when people find out they could face jail time or if not Tom will definitely lose his job.

This is so not good!

So I'm confused about Tom's mom. In the beginning of the book it sounded like maybe she had died when he was little, but then later it sounded like she was alive when he was older..Because he was looking for her, but then she had just died not that long ago? So did she leave when he was little and he hadn't seen her for a while? Did I miss something in there?

Tom's dad sent her away which is why Tom was angry with his dad. Tom was close to his mother and that why he looked for her.

Leigh wrote: "Tom's dad sent her away which is why Tom was angry with his dad. Tom was close to his mother and that why he looked for her."

Ok, thanks. I got that she wasn't around and Tom and his dad didn't get along, but missed the why part.

This is so sad! I feel bad for everyone!

WOW!!! I'm a crying mess! What a great story of love and forgiveness.

Being as isolated as they are, it was pretty easy passing off the baby as their own. (view spoiler)[Finding the mom is going to change everything for them! (hide spoiler)]

I think if they would have stayed on the island there wouldn't have been any problems. Tom struggled with the morality of it from the beginning. (view spoiler)[It was even worse when he found out who the mother was and how much she was grieving. Tom couldn't just do nothing. (hide spoiler)]

I feel for everyone involved. This was a no win situation. Someone will lose. Everyone will hurt.

Leigh wrote: "I feel for everyone involved. This was a no win situation. Someone will lose. Everyone will hurt."

Yes, everyone. There is no happy ending here.

Btw: I finished. This book is a heart breaker.

G#1 Is Reading wrote: "Btw: I finished. This book is a heart breaker."


Definitely a heartbreaker.

I'm not finished yet 😭. You guys are fast.

Vaughn wrote: "I'm not finished yet 😭. You guys are fast."

No problem. We are fast. I don't think Sheri has finished yet.

It was one thing not knowing that Lucy's mom was alive but when we find out that she is alive and completely overwhelmed with grief, it made it more complicated.

Ok in way behind but just got to part 2. Here's my issue. With all the miscarriages, why did she not just go home to have the last one so she could be closer to a Dr? I mean really though.

I guess she thought she could handle it.

I think part of it is the time period, too. I mean, I would have wanted a doctor but it seems like it would have been a lot of trouble to get there, and then she would have been away from her husband for so long.

The way she acted about miscarriages was strange...Not wanting anyone to know about them, like she was less than a woman because she couldn't have a baby...But I think that was the time period, too. They didn't understand a lot back then about a woman's body or how or why miscarriages happened, so she blamed herself for them.

I agree, Sheri. I think she lost so much in her life that it broke something in her when she kept losing the babies. Tom says Isabel saved him but I think they saved each other. Isabel desperately wanted to get away from her parents and the grief they hung onto after the death of her brothers. She wanted that escape...Tom and Janus Rock was that escape. Isabel, like most women, blame themselves for miscarriages. She didn't want to leave Tom and the island even to seek help from the Dr. In reality, back then like today there isn't much they can to stop a miscarriage.

OMG what will they do about this kid. Will they find the mom? Will they keep this secret? Ugh

Why the hell did he sign up for 3 more years? How the times have changed

Vaughn wrote: "OMG what will they do about this kid. Will they find the mom? Will they keep this secret? Ugh"

Yes, what a moral dilemma there put themselves in. I don't know what I would do in there situation.

Vaughn wrote: "Why the hell did he sign up for 3 more years? How the times have changed"

So they could keep the baby. Tom loved that job and the island.

Vaughn, what do you think of the book so far?

Leigh wrote: "Vaughn wrote: "OMG what will they do about this kid. Will they find the mom? Will they keep this secret? Ugh"

Yes, what a moral dilemma there put themselves in. I don't know what I would do in the..."
Tough indeed

Leigh wrote: "Vaughn wrote: "Why the hell did he sign up for 3 more years? How the times have changed"

So they could keep the baby. Tom loved that job and the island."
That does make sense. I wonder if the solitude is refreshing for him because of his time in the service

Leigh wrote: "Vaughn, what do you think of the book so far?"


You know historical stuff isn't my cup of tea, but this isn't too bad. It's slow at times then moves on at faster pass. I just don't see a happy ending

Vaughn wrote: "Leigh wrote: "Vaughn wrote: "Why the hell did he sign up for 3 more years? How the times have changed"

So they could keep the baby. Tom loved that job and the island."
That does make sense. I wond..."

Yes, it gives him peace.

Vaughn wrote: "Leigh wrote: "Vaughn, what do you think of the book so far?"


You know historical stuff isn't my cup of tea, but this isn't too bad. It's slow at times then moves on at faster pass. I just don't s..."

I'm glad you are liking it.

Leigh wrote: "Vaughn wrote: "Leigh wrote: "Vaughn, what do you think of the book so far?"


You know historical stuff isn't my cup of tea, but this isn't too bad. It's slow at times then moves on at faster pass...."

I'm happy you're liking it as well. It's a good book.

It wasn't what I thought but I really enjoyed it.

Leigh wrote: "It wasn't what I thought but I really enjoyed it."

It wasn't it what I was expecting either. The title led me to believe it would be a fantasy fiction or something.

Would you ladies be interested in reading or ?