The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman
Reviewed by Hannah Wynot
Set in Australia during the late 1920s, Tom Sherbourne survives the war on the Western Front, only to take a post as the lighthouse keep on Janus Rock, the most isolated island off the Australian coast. Tom is a solitary man, and island life suits him well. He soon brings his lively new bride Isabel to the island and life is completely different. After the heartbreak of multiple miscarriages, a fortuitous event changes their quiet island lives forever. A boat washes ashore on the rocky beaches of Janus rock, and inside is a healthy infant and her dead father.
Will moral and steadfast Tom be willing to not report the boat and it’s passengers in the lighthouse logs, or will he agree to Isabel’s pleas that the baby is a “Gift from God” and claim her as their own. Will the baby be missed? Does she belong to someone they know? Can Tom and Isabel keep the man’s death a secret? Will they have to stay on the island forever to conceal this lie?
This novel is told in third person, and is well-told. The descriptions of the characters and Australia in 1929 is realistic. This reader couldn't help but picture our own Isles of Shoals as the back drop for this dramatic and suspenseful tale. The book is a bit slow to start, but once it got going, it was hard to put down. Full of twists and turns, betrayal and moral dilemmas, this book does not fail to keep the mind churning through the pages. This book is highly recommended for people who like contemporary fiction, and the kind of story that stays with you.
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