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orinoco450's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
lucycatten's review against another edition
5.0
‘The power of the sea always prevails...’
Once in a while, the right book comes along at just the right time. On holiday in the South of Wales surrounded by stunning countryside and views of the sea was the perfect setting in which to lose myself in this wonderful novel.
So what’s it about?
One summer's day, Freya's husband and son vanish at sea.
A year on, and struggling to cope, Freya returns to the lighthouse-keeper's cottage on a remote Hebridean island, where she and her family spent so many happy times.
Haunted by visions of her old life, Freya's dreams are dark and disturbed. And when a stranger, Daniel, is washed ashore during a storm, they turn even more menacing.
As dream and reality start to merge, Daniel seems to be following Freya's every move. What does he want from her and is he everything he seems to be?
Is her mind playing tricks? Or is the danger that she senses very real?
On the one hand this is a poignant story of love, loss and grief which is set beautifully against the wild, untamed backdrop of the Hebridean Islands. Melissa Bailey’s masterful descriptions of her setting transported me right there with Freya from the very beginning: ‘The shingle beaches, the wild machair, the glistening burns catching the sunlight as they drained to sea’.
But this is no simple one-dimensional tale. The descriptions of Freya’s grief are raw and true. Her story is also interwoven both with extracts from her son’s diary which she finds on her return to the Island and also with that of Edward, one of Cromwell’s soldiers whose love letters from 1653 come to light (in a bottle – of course!). Through Sam’s diary she comes to learn more about his last days and in being able to read his words and hear his voice, she begins both a literal and metaphorical journey of healing: ‘She knew in that moment that if the diary told of other places Sam and Jack had been to, she would follow’.
Sam was fascinated with all things nautical – particularly myths and legends about the sea and shipwrecks. Such mythical references and folklore regarding mermaids, sirens and much more are scattered liberally throughout this novel – stories I found just as fascinating as Sam.
Reading Edward’s letters also seems to have a cathartic effect on Freya and adds to the magic of the story. He writes that: ‘The more I hear these tales… and Duncan speaking with such reverence about the air, the water, the unexplained miracles of these isles, the more I feel he believes that we have entered a magical kingdom’. His references to the blind old man who he felt could see ‘deep inside me’ just have to be considered alongside Freya’s friend, Torin. I think I fell a tiny bit in love with Torin in the same way I fell a tiny bit in love with Gandalf. He even has a Dwarvish kind of name! Torin has second sight and as he stares at Freya ‘she felt herself becoming as transparent as a pane of glass’. This is just one example of the symmetry of the novel which I found so very satisfying.
This is a hauntingly beautiful, gentle, novel but with such depth that it has stayed with me long after I put it down. It was a perfect summer read for me but I can just as easily imagine reading it curled up in front of a roaring fire on a cold, winter’s evening. One of my favourite reads of 2015 so far.
‘I looked at the impenetrable darkness of the water once more. It was like a veil drawn over the past’.
Once in a while, the right book comes along at just the right time. On holiday in the South of Wales surrounded by stunning countryside and views of the sea was the perfect setting in which to lose myself in this wonderful novel.
So what’s it about?
One summer's day, Freya's husband and son vanish at sea.
A year on, and struggling to cope, Freya returns to the lighthouse-keeper's cottage on a remote Hebridean island, where she and her family spent so many happy times.
Haunted by visions of her old life, Freya's dreams are dark and disturbed. And when a stranger, Daniel, is washed ashore during a storm, they turn even more menacing.
As dream and reality start to merge, Daniel seems to be following Freya's every move. What does he want from her and is he everything he seems to be?
Is her mind playing tricks? Or is the danger that she senses very real?
On the one hand this is a poignant story of love, loss and grief which is set beautifully against the wild, untamed backdrop of the Hebridean Islands. Melissa Bailey’s masterful descriptions of her setting transported me right there with Freya from the very beginning: ‘The shingle beaches, the wild machair, the glistening burns catching the sunlight as they drained to sea’.
But this is no simple one-dimensional tale. The descriptions of Freya’s grief are raw and true. Her story is also interwoven both with extracts from her son’s diary which she finds on her return to the Island and also with that of Edward, one of Cromwell’s soldiers whose love letters from 1653 come to light (in a bottle – of course!). Through Sam’s diary she comes to learn more about his last days and in being able to read his words and hear his voice, she begins both a literal and metaphorical journey of healing: ‘She knew in that moment that if the diary told of other places Sam and Jack had been to, she would follow’.
Sam was fascinated with all things nautical – particularly myths and legends about the sea and shipwrecks. Such mythical references and folklore regarding mermaids, sirens and much more are scattered liberally throughout this novel – stories I found just as fascinating as Sam.
Reading Edward’s letters also seems to have a cathartic effect on Freya and adds to the magic of the story. He writes that: ‘The more I hear these tales… and Duncan speaking with such reverence about the air, the water, the unexplained miracles of these isles, the more I feel he believes that we have entered a magical kingdom’. His references to the blind old man who he felt could see ‘deep inside me’ just have to be considered alongside Freya’s friend, Torin. I think I fell a tiny bit in love with Torin in the same way I fell a tiny bit in love with Gandalf. He even has a Dwarvish kind of name! Torin has second sight and as he stares at Freya ‘she felt herself becoming as transparent as a pane of glass’. This is just one example of the symmetry of the novel which I found so very satisfying.
This is a hauntingly beautiful, gentle, novel but with such depth that it has stayed with me long after I put it down. It was a perfect summer read for me but I can just as easily imagine reading it curled up in front of a roaring fire on a cold, winter’s evening. One of my favourite reads of 2015 so far.
‘I looked at the impenetrable darkness of the water once more. It was like a veil drawn over the past’.
portybelle's review against another edition
5.0
This was a beautifully written book that will stay with me for some time. As I am familiar with many of the islands, I was able to picture the windswept beautiful Hebridean locations where Melissa Bailey has set her novel. The beauty and the wilderness were captured perfectly, reflecting the loneliness and grief felt by Freya, the main character. I felt the author expressed Freya's sadness at the unexplained loss of her son and husband so well that I felt quite emotional myself reading about it. The chapters with Sam and Jack in them just added to the poignancy, as did Sam's diary.
I loved the way that the myths and folklore of island life were woven into the story. The old love letters were a fascinating addition to the story too. The mysterious stranger Daniel has much in common with Freya but she perceives him to be a threat. I can't say much about his part in the story without spoiling it, but he is quite an unsettling character.
There is a mystical aspect to the story, not knowing what has happened or why but learning to accept it. After a quite dramatic scene near the end of the novel, Freya finally comes to a kind of acceptance of what has happened.
One passage in particular struck me. It's a speech by Torin, who was a great character - an old man reputed to have second sight. He has been telling Freya about the mysterious disappearance of some lighthouse keepers from a lighthouse but it applies to many of the scenarios in this book. I feel it shows the respect and understanding islanders have of the sea but could equally apply to many situations in life. I feel it sums up the underlying message of the book.
'Who knows where the truth lies. Some things in life are mysteries that cannot be solved, no matter how much we want them to be. We simply don't know what happened, and we have to accept that, no matter how much we don't want to. They are the disappeared.'
(I hope the beautiful cover is added to GoodReads soon!)
I loved the way that the myths and folklore of island life were woven into the story. The old love letters were a fascinating addition to the story too. The mysterious stranger Daniel has much in common with Freya but she perceives him to be a threat. I can't say much about his part in the story without spoiling it, but he is quite an unsettling character.
There is a mystical aspect to the story, not knowing what has happened or why but learning to accept it. After a quite dramatic scene near the end of the novel, Freya finally comes to a kind of acceptance of what has happened.
One passage in particular struck me. It's a speech by Torin, who was a great character - an old man reputed to have second sight. He has been telling Freya about the mysterious disappearance of some lighthouse keepers from a lighthouse but it applies to many of the scenarios in this book. I feel it shows the respect and understanding islanders have of the sea but could equally apply to many situations in life. I feel it sums up the underlying message of the book.
'Who knows where the truth lies. Some things in life are mysteries that cannot be solved, no matter how much we want them to be. We simply don't know what happened, and we have to accept that, no matter how much we don't want to. They are the disappeared.'
(I hope the beautiful cover is added to GoodReads soon!)
mazza57's review against another edition
2.0
This was my library book club read and to be fair is another disappointment. I cannot see the connections between some of the threads of the narrative and I think this author has mixed up the story lines of several books
sarahs_bookish_life's review against another edition
5.0
Beyond The Sea is a great title for this book, not only does the sea play an important part in this beautifully written story, but I almost felt like the tide whilst reading it. The author through her writing lulled me into the book and it felt almost like she was gently swaying me back and forth between present day and parts of the past. The story gently goes along but builds up towards the end, which by the end it is like when the waves crash against the shore as all my emotions just came to a head.
The remote island that Freya lives on is very much brought to life and I could easily envision the house and surrounding area where she lives. I could imagine it being very beautiful on a lovely calm day or evening and how dangerous it could soon become just by the change of the weather.
The story itself is quite dark and melancholy due to the nature of the storyline. Freya is still trying to come to terms with the loss of her husband and son and I could very much feel her pain throughout. Saying that though it isn’t as an emotional read as I thought it would be. There is definitely a hint of something almost magical throughout the story especially through old fishermen stories.
Daniel who comes into Freya’s life is certainly an interesting character and was quite surprised with which way the author went with his character but in a good way as it certainly made the story less predictable. Freya’s character due to her situation was a character you will certainly have every empathy for and I think that through Freya it is the closest I have ever felt to understanding what it must be like to losing a husband and a child.
I very much enjoyed this story and will certainly be making a point to read the authors first book. I have to say that I especially loved the ending to this story it really was the icing on top of a truly beautiful story.
Many thanks to the author for an Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review.
The remote island that Freya lives on is very much brought to life and I could easily envision the house and surrounding area where she lives. I could imagine it being very beautiful on a lovely calm day or evening and how dangerous it could soon become just by the change of the weather.
The story itself is quite dark and melancholy due to the nature of the storyline. Freya is still trying to come to terms with the loss of her husband and son and I could very much feel her pain throughout. Saying that though it isn’t as an emotional read as I thought it would be. There is definitely a hint of something almost magical throughout the story especially through old fishermen stories.
Daniel who comes into Freya’s life is certainly an interesting character and was quite surprised with which way the author went with his character but in a good way as it certainly made the story less predictable. Freya’s character due to her situation was a character you will certainly have every empathy for and I think that through Freya it is the closest I have ever felt to understanding what it must be like to losing a husband and a child.
I very much enjoyed this story and will certainly be making a point to read the authors first book. I have to say that I especially loved the ending to this story it really was the icing on top of a truly beautiful story.
Many thanks to the author for an Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review.
gildius's review against another edition
3.0
A family tragedy, a mysterious stranger, a missing diary and just a hint of the fantastical: Melissa Bailey’s Beyond the Sea makes for an entertaining read. And if you like a good, tense opening, this book will hook you from the beginning.
Read the rest of my review on my blog:
http://www.50ayear.com/2015/07/24/26-beyond-the-sea-by-melissa-bailey/
Read the rest of my review on my blog:
http://www.50ayear.com/2015/07/24/26-beyond-the-sea-by-melissa-bailey/
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