Explore our new BookBrowse Community Forum!

What readers think of The Light Between Oceans, plus links to write your own review.

Summary |  Excerpt |  Reading Guide |  Reviews |  Beyond the book |  Read-Alikes |  Genres & Themes |  Author Bio

The Light Between Oceans by Margot L. Stedman

The Light Between Oceans

A Novel

by Margot L. Stedman
  • BookBrowse Review:
  • Critics' Consensus:
  • Readers' Rating:
  • First Published:
  • Jul 31, 2012, 384 pages
  • Paperback:
  • Apr 2013, 384 pages
  • Rate this book

  • Buy This Book

About This Book

Reviews

Page 1 of 5
There are currently 37 reader reviews for The Light Between Oceans
Order Reviews by:

Write your own review!

Lillian Tanon

The light of a decision
I highly recommend this book to all Book Clubs!

To think that a one time decision based on an emotion can change dramatically a person's life as well as others in a very hurtful, unforgettable way and the consequences which bring us to reflect: was it a right decision or a wrong one?
Ruth

the Light between Oceans
I have never read such an exciting and intricate novel since Cain and Abel! Each name was given with a great deal of thought, and I felt a personal involvement with every descriptive phrase. I truly appreciate a good book written by a woman without the need of explicit sex and violence. Looking forward to ML Stedman's next book
Power Reviewer
Cloggie Downunder

brilliant novel
The Light Between Oceans is the first novel by Australian-born author, M.L.Stedman. A veteran of the First World War, 27-year-old Tom Sherbourne takes a position with the Commonwealth Lighthouse Service and finds himself on a remote island off the West Australian coast, at the meeting point of the Indian and Southern Oceans. Grateful (if guilty) to have survived, Tom is happy to live a quiet life, so meeting and marrying the fascinating Isabel Graysmark is well beyond his expectations. Their happiness on Janus Rock is marred only by Isabel’s failed pregnancies. Then, in 1926, a boat washes up on the beach containing a dead man and a tiny, very-much-alive baby. The decisions the couple make at this point will have consequences they could never have imagined. Stedman has crafted a beautiful story: an original plot filled with dilemmas that will have the reader contemplating long after the last page; luminous prose that is marvellously descriptive of the Western Australian landscape and effectively conveys the post-war atmosphere; and characters with depth and appeal whose situations evoke empathy (only the most hard-hearted reader will finish this book without a tear shed). Stedman’s extensive research into the area, the era and, in particular, lighthouses, is apparent in every paragraph. Stedman made me want to find out more about lighthouses and maybe climb one; she also made me want to see Izzy and Lucy’s drawings. My favourite quote of many comes from Tom: “I’ve learned the hard way that to have any kind of future you’ve got to give up hope of ever changing your past.” This brilliant novel has been a world-wide bestseller and was long-listed for the Miles Franklin Literary Award: a win would have been richly deserved.
SS

Don't pass it by
I listened to the audio version--what a wonderful, magical narrative.
Judy G

Heartful Love and Sorrow
My audio book experience of this story was tremendous. Oh, how my heart ached for the characters--all. Tom's amazing dedication to all 3 of the women in the story, Isabelle, Lucy and Hannah, was masterfully told. I was able to hold each character independently in my mind to experience their emotions, perspectives and decisions before rejoining the story. Tom's abiding love and sacrifice was indeed the light between the oceans.
Mary

Excellent read
This book was beautifuly written. It shows how choices follow you long after they are made and the consequences that come from them. I loved the setting on the island. You will not be disappointed.
Power Reviewer
Becky H

The Light Between the Oceans
A beautifully written tale that uses description to draw the feel of island and mainland, love and depression, fear and deceit. The dread, confusion and fear of a mother torn from her child and a child torn from her mother will stay with you long after you finish the final page as will the love of a man for his wife and child, the devotion of a mother to her child and the web of entangling emotion that seals a family for ever and ever and ever.
Judy T., Tifton-Tift Co. Public Library, Georgia

The Light Between Oceans
A very touching book told primarily from the POV of Tom Sherbourne, lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock. The characters are compelling and this reader found herself wishing for a way to resolve the issue in the book in a way that would be satisfying to everyone involved. "The Light Between Oceans" is beautifully written and will leave you thinking about the choices and decisions for a long time after the book has been put down.

Beyond the Book:
  Lighthouse Keepers

Top Picks

  • Book Jacket: Graveyard Shift
    Graveyard Shift
    by M. L. Rio
    Following the success of her debut novel, If We Were Villains, M. L. Rio's latest book is the quasi-...
  • Book Jacket: The Sisters K
    The Sisters K
    by Maureen Sun
    The Kim sisters—Minah, Sarah, and Esther—have just learned their father is dying of ...
  • Book Jacket: Linguaphile
    Linguaphile
    by Julie Sedivy
    From an infant's first attempts to connect with the world around them to the final words shared with...
  • Book Jacket
    The Rest of You
    by Maame Blue
    At the start of Maame Blue's The Rest of You, Whitney Appiah, a Ghanaian Londoner, is ringing in her...

Members Recommend

  • Book Jacket

    Pony Confidential
    by Christina Lynch

    In this whimsical mystery, a grumpy pony must clear his beloved human's name from a murder accusation.

Who Said...

The third-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the majority. The second-rate mind is only happy when it...

Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!

Wordplay

Solve this clue:

F the M

and be entered to win..

Your guide toexceptional          books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.