Book Review: The Light Between Oceans

My book club had been back and forth about The Light Between Oceans for a while, as it's hard for a group of mothers to fathom the idea of someone's baby being stranded. However, I'm glad we finally got around to reading it, as it was incredibly well-written and thought provoking. I can't stop going over it in my head!

After surviving the war on the Western Front, Tom Sherbourne becomes a lighthouse keeper on a remote island off the coast of Australia in the 1920s. On his trip back to the mainland, he meets a young woman named Isabel and falls for her charm and vivaciousness. Tom and Isabel soon get married and have an idyllic life on the island. That is, until they started wanting to have a family. Unfortunately for Isabel, her first two pregnancies result in miscarriages and her third produces a stillborn. A couple months after her devastating loss, a boat washes ashore with a dead man and a baby who is very much alive. Since they don't know if the baby has a mother, Tom and Isabel decide to keep it. Tom is unsure about this decision at first, but Isabel's past misery convinces him to not report where the baby came from or even that there was a father, regardless of him having passed. Isabel becomes instantly attached to the infant and names her Lucy, while Tom has his moments of bonding with her and also feeling guilty over his decision.

When they go back to the mainland for a visit and for Lucy to meet Isabel's parents, who have lost their sons in the war, they continue to keep up the charade. Then they find out that their decision has ruined someone else's life. This throws everything into a tumult, racking both Tom and Isabel with tremendous guilt while they continue to harbor their secret.

I have a lot to say about this book but don't want to spoil the ending for people who haven't read it yet and were drawn in by the synopsis. So I will put in a spoilers section in case you've read the story and want to discuss or wish to read it at your own risk because you just HAVE to know what happens. Keep in mind, people's comments might contain spoilers, as well.

In general, I really liked the story line and was captivated once I got through all the build-up. I could definitely relate to it as a mother, especially since Lucy reminds me of my own daughter. While there was an abundance of detail involved in describing all the visual effects, I was also able to see everything so clearly in my mind. The characters felt so real, especially given how flawed they were in various ways. While this is a heavier story than most of the ones I've read lately, I really have to give M.L. Stedman a lot of credit for tackling this topic in such a creative and interesting way. It speaks volumes about adoption, in how one doesn't have to give birth (or have genetic ties) to a child in order to love them and receive their love in return. The only other author I could see doing well at writing a book of this caliber is Jodi Picoult. The main conflict reminded me of something she'd come up with. This is M.L. Stedman's first book and I hope she'll write another one. I recently found out that it's going to be a movie starring Michael Fassbender as Tom. Most of the casting seems different than I expected, but I kept picturing Saoirse Ronan as Isabel.


Now for spoilers....


It's not too late to turn back...


Can't say I didn't warn you!


Spoilers:
I was totally surprised by the outcome of the story. When Hannah came to Isabel to offer to give back Lucy if she gave evidence against Tom to have him put away, I thought for sure that Isabel would go with that plan and take Tom down for betraying her (and Lucy). The ending was more depressing, as a result. Had it been written entirely in Hannah's perspective to make both Tom AND Isabel look like kidnappers, I would have felt more sympathy towards her. I felt bad for her and all, but it also seemed like she gave up her baby as dead even though she could have had her rich father send out every ship to look for the boat that her husband had escaped [the mob] in with the baby. And I can't even remember why he took the baby in the boat with him to begin with. I think it was because I was so invested in Isabel's relationship with Lucy that I really wanted her to have a happy ending the most. I was so sad for both her and Tom that this didn't happen. And even though Lucy came back, it was too late for her to see Isabel again. I agree with what Lucy said now that she's a mother...how she'd kill for her baby. Regardless of whether a baby is yours from birth or from adoption or other means, once you have that bond with them, it gives you a fierceness to do something you'd never do in any other type of situation. So I was actually surprised and disappointed that Isabel gave up on Lucy by protecting Tom. I know she was caught in the middle, but he was giving her an out and a chance to be with Lucy, even though he didn't know about Hannah's deal. It's such a gray area throughout the third part of the book and that's what makes it so incredibly well written. I'm sure there are others who will agree or disagree with my thoughts on the ending, and that's what makes it even more interesting and exciting to discuss.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
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