Review: Beyond That the Sea by Laura Spence-Ash
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Beyond That the Sea is a debut novel by Laura Spence-Ash, and if you like historical fiction set in the WWII years, you’ll want to consider picking up a copy of this book.
I always love discovering new authors, and I like reading debut novels. If the book is good, it leaves me with such a feeling of anticipation for the possibility of future works by that same author.
My review of this book will include a short synopsis, along with my honest thoughts about it. And as always, you’ll get my 3 Rs of book reviews. Should you read, reread, or reconsider reading Beyond That the Sea?
Contents
Who Is Laura Spence-Ash?
Laura Spence-Ash’s fiction has appeared in One Story, New England Review, Crazyhorse, and elsewhere. Her critical essays and book reviews appear regularly in the Ploughshares blog. She received her MFA in fiction from Rutgers–Newark, and she lives in New Jersey.
Her novel Beyond That the Sea is her first novel.
Summary Of Beyond That the Sea
Beyond That the Sea by Laura Spence-Ash is set against the backdrop of World War II. The book delves into the lives of two families separated by the vast Atlantic Ocean. At the heart of this tale is a shy yet irresistible young woman who becomes an integral part of both households.
Amid the relentless bombardment of London by German bombs in 1940, working-class parents Millie and Reginald Thompson make a heart-wrenching decision: they opt to send their eleven-year-old daughter, Beatrix, to America, seeking safety amidst the turmoil. Upon arriving in Boston, Bea is greeted by the Gregory family. With Mr. and Mrs. G, along with their sons William and Gerald, Bea finds herself seamlessly integrated into their dynamic. What was once a foreign setting soon becomes her new reality, as she adapts to their affluence and becomes a bridge between the two brothers.
In her journey towards self-discovery, Bea embraces her new existence, relishing summers on the Maine coast and forming new friendships eager to learn about her experiences across the ocean. The life she knew in England gradually fades, replaced by her new American life. However, as the war concludes, Bea is abruptly summoned back to London, leaving behind a life she’s grown to cherish.
While duty calls her back to her homeland, the memory of her American family remains an indelible presence, tugging at her heartstrings as she seeks to forge her own path and pursue love. Bea’s navigation between these two worlds forms the essence of “Beyond That, The Sea.” Laura Spence-Ash’s poignant storytelling captures the complexities of loss, love, understanding, and forgiveness as Bea’s life unfolds over time.
Through its eloquent prose and profound emotions, “Beyond That the Sea” emerges as a captivating literary work, drawing readers into a tapestry of grace and heartache. It showcases the enduring pull of family and the enduring journey of a young woman as she strives to find her place in a world marked by both conflict and love.
Review: Beyond That the Sea
I’m not sure why, but initially, I didn’t expect much out of this book. It was in a huge TBR pile of mine and I was running out of time to read it within the timeframe I had earmarked for this book, so I almost skipped it.
I’m glad I didn’t skip it. It’s a treasure.
Beyond That the Sea – What I Liked
This book grabbed my attention from the very beginning. Which surprised me since I almost skipped it.
What attracted me, to begin with, was the time frame of WWII, plus the dual setting between England and an island in Maine, along with the Boston area.
The book is told from many different viewpoints, of all the different characters. Sometimes this type of writing can be confusing. However, in this book, this is made easier by using short chapters, each from the viewpoint of a different character. This made the book flow really quickly.
The book is also set in several different time-frames – one of those time-frames was the WWII years of 1940 to 1945. And the other was 1960-1965.
Completely unique to this book was that in the lower left or right corner of most pages, there was a guide to the years 1940 through 1945 or 1960-1965 with the current year that the chapter was taking place in bolded text. This made it so easy to keep track of what year you were currently in. I’ve never seen this in any other book
I liked all the characters, but especially Bea. And William and Gerald. I also liked both dads the most out of the 4 parents. I think I liked the mothers the least. From the start, I felt like there was something a little weird going on with the mothers, each in their own way.
I imagined that the book was going to end in a certain way, and I was completely surprised at a bit of a twist, causing it to end completely differently than I assumed would be the case.
Beyond That the Sea – What I Disliked
I can’t think of a single thing that I disliked about this book.
Beyond That the Sea – Read, Reread, or Reconsider?
And now, for my three Rs of book reviews. Should you read, reread, or completely reconsider reading Beyond That, the Sea by Laura Spence-Ash?
Read
Review Of Beyond That the Sea – Conclusion
I highly recommend reading Beyond That the Sea by Laura Spence-Ash. Especially if you enjoy historical fiction novels set during the WWII years.
And despite the fact that I read quite a few books set in the timeframe, I still learned something new while reading this one.
I’ve read many books that included characters who were English children who were evacuated from London to the English countryside to protect them from the bombing in London during WWII. But this is the first time I’ve read of English children being evacuated to the United States. I didn’t realize that children were sent to both the United States and Canada during the war.
You Might Also Enjoy These Books
If you like historical fiction, you might also like some of these.
And don’t miss my Ultimate Guide to historical fiction books.
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