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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Terminal illness
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
The Oceans Between Us sheds light on historical events surrounding the children's migration scheme in Australia during and after WW2. The story was shocking and eye-opening and left me wanting to learn more. I was unaware that any of this happened and was flabbergasted to learn that the migration of children went on for decades. This is yet another tragic story where powerful people did horrible things and got away with it.
I also enjoyed and appreciated how Gill Thompson brought to attention how Jamaicans and Aboriginals were treated during this time. Throughout the story, Gill brings awareness to how both minorities lived and survived in this environment despite the racism that they experienced. Gill also highlights interracial relationships and how society treated these relationships during this time.
Overall I found The Oceans Between Us to be an interesting read. You could tell that Gill did a large amount of research and as the reader, I appreciated it. I found the overall storyline, along with the subplots, to be intriguing and brought awareness to overshadowed historical events. The book itself was hard for me to review. While I enjoyed the story, I struggled with the writing. I found the writing to be short, simple, and to the point instead of descriptive and sadly it wasn't memorable enough to leave a lasting impression on me. The first part of the book was slow and it took a while to get to the actual purpose of the book. As the story continues, the writing does get better and the storyline becomes more clear. I would recommend The Oceans Between Us to others because it does bring awareness to overlooked historical events.
****
The Oceans Between Us takes place over the course of many years and follows the lives of Jack, Molly, and Kathleen. At the age of five, Jack is sent to an orphanage after a bomb explodes in their backyard, and his mom, Molly, is presumed dead. Throughout England, many orphanages are offered to opportunity to send children, who have lost their parents during the war, to Australia. Jack becomes one of the children selected to be sent to Australia, where he is told how wonderful his life will be with lots of sunshine and oranges. Sadly, that is far from the truth and Jack ends up being sent to Bindoon, where many children are abused (physically and mentally) and forced to become laborers in horrible conditions. Shortly after arriving at Bindoon, Jack catches the attention of Kathleen and John and they decide to adopt Jack.
Meanwhile, Molly was injured during the blast and spends years in a hospital with no clue who she is or the life she lived before the blast. She slowly recovers enough that she is able to leave the hospital and starts living a normal life. As time goes on, she begins to have pieces of her memory return and begins to wonder what happened to her son, Jack. Molly along with her husband, Reggie, begin to search for answers.
I also enjoyed and appreciated how Gill Thompson brought to attention how Jamaicans and Aboriginals were treated during this time. Throughout the story, Gill brings awareness to how both minorities lived and survived in this environment despite the racism that they experienced. Gill also highlights interracial relationships and how society treated these relationships during this time.
Overall I found The Oceans Between Us to be an interesting read. You could tell that Gill did a large amount of research and as the reader, I appreciated it. I found the overall storyline, along with the subplots, to be intriguing and brought awareness to overshadowed historical events. The book itself was hard for me to review. While I enjoyed the story, I struggled with the writing. I found the writing to be short, simple, and to the point instead of descriptive and sadly it wasn't memorable enough to leave a lasting impression on me. The first part of the book was slow and it took a while to get to the actual purpose of the book. As the story continues, the writing does get better and the storyline becomes more clear. I would recommend The Oceans Between Us to others because it does bring awareness to overlooked historical events.
****
The Oceans Between Us takes place over the course of many years and follows the lives of Jack, Molly, and Kathleen. At the age of five, Jack is sent to an orphanage after a bomb explodes in their backyard, and his mom, Molly, is presumed dead. Throughout England, many orphanages are offered to opportunity to send children, who have lost their parents during the war, to Australia. Jack becomes one of the children selected to be sent to Australia, where he is told how wonderful his life will be with lots of sunshine and oranges. Sadly, that is far from the truth and Jack ends up being sent to Bindoon, where many children are abused (physically and mentally) and forced to become laborers in horrible conditions. Shortly after arriving at Bindoon, Jack catches the attention of Kathleen and John and they decide to adopt Jack.
Meanwhile, Molly was injured during the blast and spends years in a hospital with no clue who she is or the life she lived before the blast. She slowly recovers enough that she is able to leave the hospital and starts living a normal life. As time goes on, she begins to have pieces of her memory return and begins to wonder what happened to her son, Jack. Molly along with her husband, Reggie, begin to search for answers.
This story broke my heart. It was a bit drawn out and descriptive for my tastes, but was something I'd still recommend to anyone who's looking for something that will give them all the feels.
I received a copy of The Oceans Between Us by Gill Thompson from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
4/5 stars. The debut novel by Gill Thompson is a remarkable story based on true events that happened in England during World War II. It was a heartbreaking read knowing that this situation was faced by so many unknowing children and families. Being taken from their homes to orphanages after air raids in England and shipped off to Australia, not knowing if your family was alive or dead, must have been devastating. The children were promised a life full of sunshine, fresh fruit, and horseback riding. Only to find that the land they were supposed to be saving with their fresh genetics was not the promised land they had hoped for.
Right from the beginning, you felt for Molly, Jack, and Kathleen. I couldn’t imagine Molly’s pain when she finally remembers that she had a son. The guilt would have crushed me. I was sucked right into her story. Kathleen’s story grabbed me as well. Knowing the pains of longing for a child and not being able to have one touched home. I could understand her desire to have any child to call her own. (That did not prevent me from wanting to bash John over the head a few times though.) Jack’s story took on a whole other level of sorrow that made you want to hold and protect him.
The story was well written. It had great character development and the characters seemed to stay true to themselves. I did find that the last few chapters seemed rushed after all the build-up. The epilogue helped to answer some, but not all questions. Because of this, I dropped my rating down one star. Overall, it was a book that I would definitely recommend to others that enjoy historical fiction and a well-developed story.
Reviews have been placed on Netgalley, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.
4/5 stars. The debut novel by Gill Thompson is a remarkable story based on true events that happened in England during World War II. It was a heartbreaking read knowing that this situation was faced by so many unknowing children and families. Being taken from their homes to orphanages after air raids in England and shipped off to Australia, not knowing if your family was alive or dead, must have been devastating. The children were promised a life full of sunshine, fresh fruit, and horseback riding. Only to find that the land they were supposed to be saving with their fresh genetics was not the promised land they had hoped for.
Right from the beginning, you felt for Molly, Jack, and Kathleen. I couldn’t imagine Molly’s pain when she finally remembers that she had a son. The guilt would have crushed me. I was sucked right into her story. Kathleen’s story grabbed me as well. Knowing the pains of longing for a child and not being able to have one touched home. I could understand her desire to have any child to call her own. (That did not prevent me from wanting to bash John over the head a few times though.) Jack’s story took on a whole other level of sorrow that made you want to hold and protect him.
The story was well written. It had great character development and the characters seemed to stay true to themselves. I did find that the last few chapters seemed rushed after all the build-up. The epilogue helped to answer some, but not all questions. Because of this, I dropped my rating down one star. Overall, it was a book that I would definitely recommend to others that enjoy historical fiction and a well-developed story.
Reviews have been placed on Netgalley, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.