Thanks to everyone who joined us for this month’s virtual book club. Today we’re discussing The Light between Oceans by M. L. Stedman.
Here’s how it works: I’ll throw out a few topics for discussion, and you can write your responses about these topics (or others you’d like to discuss) in the comment section.
Discussion #1: Moral Dilemmas
My favorite aspect of this book was the way it posed moral dilemmas and forced me to ponder what I’d do in that situation. I like to think I’m not the kind of person who would keep someone else’s baby, but when I put myself in Isabel’s shoes, I understand why she did what she did. I also appreciated that the book explored what happens when you make one bad choice and everything unravels to the point that it seems like there’s no longer a right choice to make.
Which family did you want Lucy-Grace to end up in? Why? Have you ever found yourself in a spot where it seems like the right thing is no longer possible?
Discussion #2: Justice vs. Mercy
When the baby washes up on Janus Island, Isabel says: “Love’s bigger than rule books. . . . Our prayers have been answered. The baby’s prayers have been answered. Who’d be ungrateful enough to send her away?” (p. 103). She sees the world—and this baby—through the eyes of mercy. Tom, on the other hand, is plagued by his conscience and his desire to do the right thing: “You could kill a bloke with rules, Tom knew that. And yet sometimes they were what stood between man and savagery, between man and monsters” (p. 104).
Did you resonate more with Tom or Isabel in this tension between justice and mercy? Did your perspective change as the book went on? In your own life, do you tend to lean more toward mercy or justice?
Discussion #3: The Book’s Setting
The lighthouse seems to serve as something of a metaphor in the book—a symbol of hope and safety for Isabel and Tom. When they left the lighthouse behind, it was almost as if their family’s light was extinguished. As they left Janus Rock, Tom wished Isabel would “give him one of the old smiles that used to remind him of Janus Light—a fixed, reliable point in the world, which meant he was never lost. But the flame has gone out—her face seems uninhabited now” (p. 214).
Do you think this story would have worked in another setting? Would you be able to live on an isolated place like Janus Island?
Discussion #4: Tense Shifts
Okay, this is a nerdy English major observation. Did you notice that the tense changed between past and present? It bothered me a lot at first, but as the story progressed, I realized the author was doing it for effect to make certain scenes more intense. By the end, I was grudgingly willing to go along with it.
What did you think about the tense changes? Was it distracting, or did you think it worked?
Discussion #5: The Ending
When I got to a certain point in the book, I had this horrifying realization: It’s impossible for this book to have a happy ending. I was right. It was sad for Isabel and Tom, who lost the little girl they loved and the chance to be parents. It was sad for Hannah, who would never truly get back the child she lost. And most of all, it was sad for Lucy-Grace, whose life was irreparably splintered through no fault of her own. I also felt a little emotionally manipulated at the end. Of course, Isabel is dead when Lucy-Grace returns. And of course she died just a week ago. And of course I cried buckets of tears onto my pillow against my will.
What did you think of the ending? Did it seem realistic? Is there an ending you would have liked to see instead?
Rating:
Although the plot was a bit melodramatic at times, I appreciated the evocative themes and the rich writing. The characters felt real, and their internal struggles were palpable. This one is going to stay with me for a while. I would give it three stars (out of five).
How many stars would you give this book?
{Remember: I’ll give away a free book to one lucky commenter! Respond by Friday to be eligible to win.}
So – this book got a 3.5/5 from me. Great writing. Fairly atmospheric, character development was great.
I felt it was completely plausible – given what she’d gone through with the miscarriages and the isolation on the island – that she would decide to keep the baby. I understood his struggle, of course, but I also understood her decision.
One of the quotes I wrote down was “A lighthouse is for others; powerless to illuminate the space closest to it.” (185). I felt this metaphor spoke to the fact that she couldn’t quite see clearly what the pro/con moral decision was exactly (because she was too close to it)… and yet, others looking in to her life and her situation could clearly see it.
I gave up the book as far as emotional involvement when I reached the point you did, when I saw that there was no good outcome. I kinda backed up from it, so I didn’t cry or react emotionally, HOWEVER, I did recommend it to about 4 people… so I did enjoy it and thought others would like it as well!
Thanks for your “in-depth” thoughts, Kelli! And I love that quote about the lighthouse–how it gives light to others but not to those closest to it. I feel like that about my own life…I need other people to show me where I’m in the dark. So glad you read it!
Yay, I get to participate in a discussion! I’m giving the book a rating of three stars, as well. And I think the most painful thing about the book was the way the moral decision seemed so clear at the beginning, and the way that Isabel excused herself made doing the right thing harder and harder. I loved Tom’s character, because his moral compass was so strong. I want to be like that. And yes, the end just couldn’t *not* be painful. Stephanie, I got the *of course* feeling, too. It was too hard of a kick in the gut for Isabel to have died. That was too much, if you ask me. I think this story is a great illustration of how making decisions based on circumstance, instead of God’s law, will end badly. Right and wrong isn’t about us, you know? Thanks for hosting this Steph!
Yes, so true, Laura! It’s easy to rationalize truth when we can only see our part of it–when we’re on our own little island. But we can rarely see the whole picture. So glad you were able to join us!
1. I think this was one of those stories where I found myself cheering for the moral wrong, mainly because I knew the characters better and could justify their actions. I knew so little of Hannah that I wasn’t as emotionally connected to her.
2. I’m a firstborn rule-follower, so I leaned slightly more toward Tom. But as a mom, I could understand the heartbreak of losing a child (or three) and having no one who could truly empathize. The picture painted as it was, I could have been perfectly happy to let Isabel and Tom and Lucy continue in their idyllic little life on Janus.
3. I think the isolation was necessary – and the island made it plausible to think Lucy’s parents didn’t survive. Had they lived in town, where everyone knew everyone else’s business, they couldn’t have hidden a secret for long.
4. I was oblivious to the verb tense change. How did I miss that?
5. I wasn’t nearly as emotional as I thought I was going to be during this book and only Lucy’s letter made me cry at the end. I think the ending was very realistic. It spoke clearly to the fact that choices have consequences. I was glad that Isabel and Tom did end up together, when the situation threatened to tear them apart.
3.5 stars from me! The book wasn’t a waste of my time and was an original premise, not entirely predictable. I can appreciate that!
Thanks so much for joining the conversation, Jolyn! I agree with you about siding with Isabel since I didn’t know Hannah’s story until later. I wonder how that would have changed my perspective if I’d been sympathetic to her earlier? So glad you were able to join us.
You might want a salt shaker for this comment.
Yeah, I didn’t finish this book. Heck, you might even go so far as to say I hardly even started it. Maybe I’m not the target demographic, but I was bored to death. Tom (I only remember his name because it was mentioned above) is completely unrealistic and I never understood why they were together or what they saw in each other or why she went completely against her character and volunteered to go out to the lighthouse. Usually, in a fairy tale the prince rescues the princess from the tower, he doesn’t trap her there.
Anyways, I’m just being a negative nellie. I’ll go read a Jack Reacher novel, those are completely rational and filled with realistic, unique, and definitely non-cliched character archetypes.
And explosions.
I agree that it started out slow, Nate. And this just goes back to my theory: you need to write a novel with a believable male character!
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This wasn’t a recent read, but I remember being frustrated with the all- good Tom and all-bad Isabel. That didn’t seem true to life and was very distracting, making for characters without characteristics. I want to see the lovable bad guy and the person who stumbles into virtue because they weren’t clever enough to weasel out. 2.5 stars.
That’s interesting that you saw Isabel as all-bad. I actually saw her as pretty sympathetic (although she became less so as the book went on). And I like your idea of a character stumbling into virtue because they weren’t clever enough. Any examples of novels like that? I’m intrigued!
I’d read several good reviews of this book but did not expect to be so stressed reading it! The moral dilemmas are to blame for this—the author convinced me of each character’s motivation well enough that I could feel their desperation and the constant pull to try to figure out a right answer. I expected to take Isabel’s side but ended up finding that I most connected to Tom. The way he loved Lucy-Grace but couldn’t let go of his guilt was gut-wrenching to read. I also liked the way the author captured his commitment to Isabel, even after everything falls apart. The one criticism I’d have of the book’s characters was that I never totally felt I got Isabel; she stayed kind of mysterious and hard to understand, even though we were often in her perspective.
I loved the lighthouse setting. For one thing, it did seem like a practical way to make the story work—as others have said, it had to be somewhere isolated for the events to make sense. But the atmosphere was also very effective—set apart, harsh, unforgiving, but also constant and somewhat magical.
As another nerdy English major…yeah, I noticed the tense shifts. 🙂 The switch to present tense annoyed me when it first happened; I thought it was a little pretentious on the author’s part. By the end, I’m still not sure that writing device was necessary, but I have to admit that the present tense did make those scenes feel more immediate and sometimes more tense. (Like I needed more tension!)
And the ending…I was with you, Stephanie, on feeling manipulated by the fact that Isabel had just died. The other sad or difficult moments in the book, or even coincidental ones, struck me as believable enough that I didn’t feel the author was trying to pull emotion from me. But here, it was more like she was poking at me to try to make me cry, and I didn’t like it. It ended the book on a slightly sour note for me. But on the whole, I really enjoyed it…or appreciated it and engaged with it, I guess, even when the situations kept it from being enjoyable. Can I give it 3.25 stars?
Sarah, you can go crazy with the decimals. I’d just like to see you color in a quarter of a star. 🙂 Great thoughts…and I agree with you about Isabel. I felt like I resonated with her at first but then she didn’t seem consistent throughout the book. Now I hope you can move on to something light and nonstressful!
I am sorry for the late comments but I wanted to put in my two cents. This story was very thought provoking for me. At first I was very critical of Tom for going along with keeping “Lucy” against his better judgement but I think it was plausible due to the isolation factor. I also realized that I have sometimes chosen the not so perfect solution to a problem based on emotions instead of on right and wrong. I tend to be a rule follower but throw mercy on those that I love. I did want Lucy-Grace to end up with Hannah. I know it was hard on her to make the change but I think most kids will adjust with love and patience and often be stronger from going through hard times (even though we often try to avoid them if at all possible). I would give the book 3 stars out of 5 due to the unusual theme and difficulty seeing how it was all going to work out. Good choice. Nancy
Thanks for your thoughts, Nancy! I agree…it is so hard to see right and wrong when emotions get in the way! And I think you’re right–it’s harder to see what’s right when we’re isolated. So glad you joined us!