The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman

"Oh what a tangled web we weave,

When first we practise to deceive!"

                           -from Marmion, a poem by Sir Walter Scott, Scottish author & novelist 

                             

What a page-turner this was! The plot was unique and spellbinding with characters just complicated enough by their emotional baggage. I had chosen this novel for our Page Turners' November read because the film version was just being released, it had been a best-seller for some time and it could be found in paperback. Also one of our members had recommended it. It did not disappoint! I am rating it a 5.

Tom Sherbourne, a decorated war hero, takes a position as light keeper on Janus Rock, a remote island off western Australia. Soon after, he marries Isabel Graysmark. For a time they are deeply in love and very happy in their isolated life but after two miscarriages and a still-birth, Isabel becomes an emotional basket case. Not long after the third devastating loss, Tom and Isabel hear an infant's cry and discover a boat has washed up on shore and it contains a dead man and a live baby. Isabel quickly sees this child as God's gift to them to make up for their losses and begs Tom not to report it. An inveterate rule-follower and stickler for details, Tom goes against his better judgement and gives in to his wife. They bury the dead man and begin to bond with this foundling child they call Lucy. 

The quote with which I began the post will hint that the future will not be a rose garden for this family and when, at Lucy's christening, Tom and Isabel become aware that a young widow of the church has lost a husband and a baby, the reader is quick to discern the dead man in the boat was her missing husband and Lucy, the lost infant. I cannot say much more without spoiling the plot so I will end my commentary here.

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When our book club met, we had a smallish group. The change of regular meeting day caught some out of town and others with Wednesday conflicts. We had a wonderful discussion of The Light Between Oceans with everyone having liked the book. The average rating was 4.7, one of our highest of the year. One of our members had visited the area in Australia used as the setting and said it made the descriptions more meaningful for her. We all admitted we learned a lot about lighthouses and their keepers and even thought it would be interesting to follow up with a "field trip" to a local lighthouse. (Florida has many!) It was mentioned that isolation was a big factor in the story and that themes of family dynamics, making tough choices in life and the importance of forgiveness were compelling. We were amazed this novel is the author's first and will eagerly await her next!