Set on Australia's western seaboard in the years following WWI, this is the love story between Isabel and Tom. It's also a talk of morality and consequences.
Tom Sherbourne is drawn to the peace and solitude of the life of a light house keeper following his devastating experiences in Europe during WWI. He accepts a posting to Janus Rock, situated where the Indian and Southern Oceans meet; a place of storms, winds and months at a time of isolation. That is, until Tom meets Isabel Graysmarks in his embarkation port. Her brothers were lost in the War and she's drawn to Tom partly because of his experiences.
In the first years of their marriage Isabel suffers miscarriages and a still birth on the Rock, all with just Tom to help her. Then a miracle happens. A skiff washes up on the Rock; inside is a dead man and a very alive baby girl. She brings them joy and pain, fear and hope but their decisions change Tom and Isabel's lives for ever.
The premise of this novel, and what it does so well with tenderness and insight into the irresistible human need to nurture and love, is that deeds that seem so right for and to one person can be so wrong. And that confession can be devastating far beyond the initial impact.
This novel asks us all what we would do in the face of overwhelming temptation, especially when we can persuade ourselves that our actions will harm no-one, and no-one will discover what we've done. Recommended
The Light Between Oceans is published by Black Swan, ISBN 978-0-552-77847-3
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