The Light Between Oceans

As he walked down the path, he heard the sweet notes of Isabel’s voice as she sang, ‘Blow the wind southerly, southerly, southerly, blow the wind south o’er the bonnie blue sea.’ Though the music was tuneful, it failed to comfort him as he climbed the stairs of the light, fending off a strange uneasiness at the concession he had made. They break the rules and follow their hearts. What happens next will break yours. Shattered by his experiences in the World War I trenches, veteran Tom Sherbourne returns to his home in Australia to his wife Isabel. Looking for restoration and peace the couple move to an isolated lighthouse where they try to rebuild their lives and long for a child that never comes. Then, one day, a boat washes ashore with a baby inside – a gift that offers the hope of a future they’ve longed for but the consequences of their actions may be more far-reaching than they could have ever imagined. A New York Times bestseller and now a major film starring Michael Fassbender and Alice Vikander, Light Between Oceans has long been a favourite of readers and Waterstones’ booksellers alike (with the latter often recommending a box of tissues alongside for good measure). As the film brings new audiences to this heart-rending story of love and loss, it’s a perfect time to discover the original. Told with the authoritative simplicity of a fable… Stedman’s intricate descriptions of the craggy Australian coastline and her easy mastery of an old-time provincial vernacular are engrossing. As the couple at the lighthouse are drawn into an increasingly tragic set of consequences, these remote, strange lives are rendered immediate and familiar. – The New Yorker