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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
What a story!
This book broke my heart and stitched it back together a few times over.
Putting the emotions you will feel while reading this story into a review is a challenge for me. I can easily say though, be prepared with some tissues nearby and possibly some snacks as you might not want to put this book aside once you start it :)
Beyond That, the Sea is highly character-driven, bouncing between different character's PoVs through the story. It centers mostly around Beatrix from the time she leaves London during the war, the relationships she builds in Boston, and how those relationships change over the years. Bea's story spans many years, but the shorter chapters keep the story from dragging, it's a fairly quickly-paced read.
Being so deeply character-driven, it was a bit harder for me to get a solid hold of the story initially, but if you find yourself there too, definitely keep going. Once I understood the flow, I was hooked and did not want to stop reading. I fell in love with each character, the ups and the downs, all of it! They are all incredibly written and sometimes you love them and sometimes you hate them, but their very human decisions make them all the more relatable.
I highly, highly recommend this story.
It was completely out of my norm and absolutely adored it.
HUGE thank you to Celadon Books for the ARC to read, enjoy, and honestly review.
This book broke my heart and stitched it back together a few times over.
Putting the emotions you will feel while reading this story into a review is a challenge for me. I can easily say though, be prepared with some tissues nearby and possibly some snacks as you might not want to put this book aside once you start it :)
Beyond That, the Sea is highly character-driven, bouncing between different character's PoVs through the story. It centers mostly around Beatrix from the time she leaves London during the war, the relationships she builds in Boston, and how those relationships change over the years. Bea's story spans many years, but the shorter chapters keep the story from dragging, it's a fairly quickly-paced read.
Being so deeply character-driven, it was a bit harder for me to get a solid hold of the story initially, but if you find yourself there too, definitely keep going. Once I understood the flow, I was hooked and did not want to stop reading. I fell in love with each character, the ups and the downs, all of it! They are all incredibly written and sometimes you love them and sometimes you hate them, but their very human decisions make them all the more relatable.
I highly, highly recommend this story.
It was completely out of my norm and absolutely adored it.
HUGE thank you to Celadon Books for the ARC to read, enjoy, and honestly review.
I really liked this one! It was a beautiful story about Beatrice and how she was sent over seas to American from london during the war to have a better childhood. We get many POVS in the this story from Beatrice and her family in London and her family In America and get to really know how this decision really impacts everyone and this story goes from when they are young to right up in-till late adult hood. I really enjoyed the parts of when Beatrice was younger and In american growing up, I loved her relationship with the family in America. I really don’t have to much to say other than it was a beautiful historical fiction!
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is a story that begins during WWII but continues across generations. Beatrix is only 11 years old when her parents send her from London to live with strangers in America to keep her safe during WWII. She is quickly incorporated into the Gregory family and spends her coming of age years as a sister to 9 year old Gerald and 13 year old William and the three children enjoy many memories as siblings. Before Bea returns to London after the war, she and William begin a romantic relationship but the distance between them is too challenging. Throughout Bea’s time with the Gregorys and for years afterward, the two families stay connected in spite of tragedy and complicated relationships.
I found this book to be just a nice, easy going and pleasant read. The historical aspects were interesting but the family relationships really made the book special. And what great nostalgia around growing up in both simpler but complicated times! I definitely found myself liking the characters and rooting for them to the end.
Thanks to BookishFirst and Celadon Books for the Advanced Reader Copy.
I found this book to be just a nice, easy going and pleasant read. The historical aspects were interesting but the family relationships really made the book special. And what great nostalgia around growing up in both simpler but complicated times! I definitely found myself liking the characters and rooting for them to the end.
Thanks to BookishFirst and Celadon Books for the Advanced Reader Copy.
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Thank you Celadon Books for an ARC and Macmillan Audio for an ALC.
“How far is it, she wonders, to the sea? Which direction is home?”
This is a debut not to be missed! Set against the backdrop of the Blitz, this trans-Atlantic story is full of heart. Bea is forced to leave London alone, at 11 years old, and enter a home in Boston where she is welcomed with open arms. But when the war is over and she is called back home, she now has to straddle two lives. While I’ve read a lot of WWII novels, I’ve not read one from the perspective of a child forced to leave home for safety.
I loved the different voices from the multiple POVs, but it does take some concentration if you are only listening to the audio. I was glad to have the physical copy to read along with.
Rating:
4.5 stars
Read if you like:
Short chapters
Multiple POVs
Sweeping sagas
Found family
“How far is it, she wonders, to the sea? Which direction is home?”
This is a debut not to be missed! Set against the backdrop of the Blitz, this trans-Atlantic story is full of heart. Bea is forced to leave London alone, at 11 years old, and enter a home in Boston where she is welcomed with open arms. But when the war is over and she is called back home, she now has to straddle two lives. While I’ve read a lot of WWII novels, I’ve not read one from the perspective of a child forced to leave home for safety.
I loved the different voices from the multiple POVs, but it does take some concentration if you are only listening to the audio. I was glad to have the physical copy to read along with.
Rating:
4.5 stars
Read if you like:
Short chapters
Multiple POVs
Sweeping sagas
Found family
Don't let the description fool you into thinking this is just another WW2 fiction, because it is so much more than that.
In order to keep her safe from the bombs falling on London, Bea's family sends her to Boston to live with the Gregory family. She is quickly swept up into their safe and privileged life, well-loved by all of them. Eventually, she must return to London, but her connection to them remains strong.
This is a beautifully written story, one that sucked me in immediately as I read the whole first section in one evening and wanted to keep going. After reading so many WW2 novels, this unique character-driven story was a breath of fresh air. I loved the short chapters, and admire how Spence-Ash brought her characters fully to life in those brief moments. I felt fully invested in the people, trying to anticipate if the story might unfold the way I hoped it would.
There wasn't a lot of action in the middle section, and it felt a little like biding time, but the first and third sections were wonderful. The way the dialogue was written required a little extra attention sometimes, especially if it was a conversation with lots of back and forth, but that's a pretty minor complaint.
This is a great historical fiction for those who don't enjoy getting bogged down in historical facts or don't enjoy reading about all the suffering.
In order to keep her safe from the bombs falling on London, Bea's family sends her to Boston to live with the Gregory family. She is quickly swept up into their safe and privileged life, well-loved by all of them. Eventually, she must return to London, but her connection to them remains strong.
This is a beautifully written story, one that sucked me in immediately as I read the whole first section in one evening and wanted to keep going. After reading so many WW2 novels, this unique character-driven story was a breath of fresh air. I loved the short chapters, and admire how Spence-Ash brought her characters fully to life in those brief moments. I felt fully invested in the people, trying to anticipate if the story might unfold the way I hoped it would.
There wasn't a lot of action in the middle section, and it felt a little like biding time, but the first and third sections were wonderful. The way the dialogue was written required a little extra attention sometimes, especially if it was a conversation with lots of back and forth, but that's a pretty minor complaint.
This is a great historical fiction for those who don't enjoy getting bogged down in historical facts or don't enjoy reading about all the suffering.