Recommended Read

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman 

By Lisa Bixel, adult department assistant at Bremen Public Library

This was a moving novel about what happens when good people make bad decisions. The story takes place in the 1920s where Tom Sherbourne returns from WWI a broken man. In hopes of finding solace and comfort, he accepts the job of a lighthouse keeper on the island of Janus Rock, off of the coast of beautiful Australia. A few weeks before departing, he meets his future wife, Isabel. Their short courtship, including writing letters back and forth, results in marriage. They are both happy and blissfully content on the island, wanting to fulfill their dream of raising a family of their own.

After Isabel suffers several miscarriages and their chances of having a baby appear bleak, life changes dramatically when Tom finds a live baby and a dead man washed ashore on their deserted island. After carefully pondering the situation, the legality standpoint, and Isabel's strong desire for a child, Tom is torn but decides to keep and raise the child with his wife.

This complex and morally riveting story takes the couple on an adventure that will test their character and love for each other and all they hold dear. I enjoyed this book and thought it was a masterpiece in storytelling with captivating and complex characters amidst a beautiful backdrop of scenery.

Rating:  4.5 out of 5

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