Malin’s #CBR5 Review #63: The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

Tom Sherbourne was a soldier in Europe during World War I. Deeply affected by his experiences, and the guilt he feels for the lives he took, he signs up for a job as a lighthouse keeper, taking postings at the most remote and lonely lighthouses around Australia. When a posting becomes available on Janus Rock, a place so remote and lonely, other lighthouse keepers have been driven mad, Tom agrees to go, first as a temporary replacement, and later as the official lighthouse keeper. The only human contact is the supply boat that comes every three months.

Tom falls in love with a young woman, Isabel, and despite his initial reservations, marries her and brings her to Janus Rock. To begin with, they are blissfully happy, alone with each other in a place nearly a day’s journey from the coast. After several years, things are more strained. Isabel has miscarried twice, and two weeks after her third pregnancy ended in stillbirth, she first believes herself to be hallucinating, when she hears a baby’s cries on the island. A small boat, with a dead man and a living baby, has washed up on shore. Tom, always meticulous in his record keeping, wants to report the  findings to the authorities right away. Isabel begs him to wait, just a day, so she can spend some time with the baby. Against all his better judgement, Tom agrees, and he’s then persuaded by his desperate grieving wife that they should just bury the dead man, and claim the baby as their own, naming her Lucy. No one knows that Isabel miscarried, they can just pass off the foundling child as their own. More on my blog.

Jen K’s #CBR5 Review #49: The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

I’ve had my eye on this novel since I started seeing it on lists when first released. It finally came out in paperback earlier this month, and I immediately snatched it up, using an upcoming plane trip as justification though I would have bought it regardless. It was an incredibly moving and well written debut novel, and I can’t wait to see what else this author comes up with.

Tom Sherbourne is an Australian World War I vet, and haunted by his experiences, he takes on duties as a light house keeper, a lonely job that gives him time to be alone with his thoughts. Sent on a temporary six months assignment to Janus Rock, he meets Isabel in the port town before he leaves for the island and both leave an impression on each other – she is the first person that has made him laugh in a long time, and she is attracted to him as well. She sends him a letter with the supply boat, and he takes advantage of his opportunity of his time on shore to hesitantly court her. Tom’s assignment becomes permanent, and when he marries Isabel, he brings her to the lonely but beautiful life of Janus Rock. The supply ship only comes every three months, and Tom only gets a month off every three years so the couple is isolated and on their own but generally happy. As the years accumulate, however, Isabel faces miscarriages, and her sadness grows.

The rest of the review is at my blog.