Thank you to Net Galley for the chance to read and review this book. I loved this story! Carrie Turansky is an incredible author! This story grabbed me right from the beginning! The characters drew me right in and I could feel their pain. I plan to read more books by this author! Highly recommend!

This is a good historical novel. I was so full of emotion putting myself into the shoes of those children. The heartache and hope felt so real while reading it.

While this book has been well-researched and shares details on difficult circumstances during WW2 England/Canada era, the plot/storyline didn't reach the same depth for me personally, although it did have me researching the "orphan" issue. I truly enjoyed her Highland Hall series but this one didn't leave me wanting to read any others in the series.

This is a beautiful book, and one I enjoyed reading. However, with getting ARCs on netgalley for the idea of books to be used within my curriculm- this book would not fall into that category. For personal reading it was an exceptional read and one I recommend!

This was a beautifully written and well researched book on a subject I was previously unaware of. It centers on the emigration of children in the late 1800s to early 1900s, from Britain being shipped across the sea to Canada; often under the guise of being orphans when they were not. They were then used as laborers more oft than not.

 This historical fiction account centers on Laura, who is the oldest of four children. She’s working an hour from home when her widowed mother falls ill, and her three younger siblings end up on one of these ships and in Canada. It chronicles her journey across the sea to find them and return them home. 

It’s filled with faith, heartache, intrigue, near misses, laughter and lots of tears. I highly recommend this novel.

Always enjoy reading Carrie‘s books. She never disappoints her fans. I love the timeframe that her ducks are written in and they have such a deep Christianity in them. Thank you for allowing me to read this. Cannot wait for her next book.

No Ocean Too Wide is a Christian historical fiction novel by author Carrie Turansky.

The novel is about child emigration in the early 1900s. Katie McAlister is followed in this story as her brother and sister and Katie travel from London to Canada. In future books, Katie’s twin brother Garth and their eight-year-old sister will be featured.

Readers be prepared for a highly emotional story. Did this story meet my expectations? I wasn’t exactly sure what I would be getting into as I read. I knew it was about child emigration but wasn’t expecting what some of these children endured. It is a well-researched and well-written novel, one I’ll be sure to remember.

I recommend this novel to fans of Christian historical fiction with a bit of romance.

Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

This was such a sweet book!! I really liked the message that No Ocean Too Wide had: discussion of orphan/foster care, and the inadequacies of the current system. I also really liked the heavy emphasis on family, rather than romance in this book (as compared to many other Christian fiction books, which are almost always romance heavy).

There wasn't a character I was a huge fan of in this book: the POV switched between a 14/15 year old (Katie) and a 21 year old (Laura), but it wasn't really written in a way where I felt like I really related to the characters. I didn't really mind it particularly, but I did find it harder to get into the story at the beginning (and it made it feel more middle-grade-ish at points).  With that being said, I was really interested in Andrew's storyline: he was super interesting! He kind of felt more like a side character but I was intrigued by him, and I wish we could've seen more from his POV.

I really love historical fiction that covers topics from history that are not commonly known. Before I read this book, I did not know about the orphan transfers from England to Canada (at least, other than Anne of Green Gables) and I learned a lot from this book!

There is some pretty heavy content in this book, including sexual assault and rape so it might not be appropriate for younger readers, but I personally appreciated the reminder that issues such as these have pervaded throughout history, and it is not something new.

I really liked the faith aspects of the book: a lot of the characters mentioned are trying to grow their faith, and there are a ton of prayers and mentions of praying, while not being overbearing which I really liked.

The book did end on a cliff-hanger, so I will be excited to see where it goes!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! It taught me things from history that I didn't know before, and also had a lot of good faith content. It was memorable and I will definitely be looking forwards to reading the sequel when it comes out!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion; I was not required to write a positive review.

I loved this book! It is a historical fiction centered on a part of history that I knew nothing about - child emigration from England to Canada in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. More than 118,000 poor and orphaned children were sent to Canada, most of them becoming indentured servants or domestic workers. Unfortunately, they were not all treated well by the families that took them in. “No Ocean Too Wide” tells the story of the McAlister family who became part of the child emigration program. It was a very engaging story that I didn’t want to end!

Earlier this summer I received a free advance review digital copy of the historical fiction book No Ocean Too Wide by Carrie Turansky. I didn't make it on the official Waterbrook & Multnomah launch team for the book, but the publisher was kind enough to send me a digital version as opposed to a hard copy.

While the story in the novel is fiction, it is based on real events that happened in England. Three children are taken from their home and placed in a children's home after their mother becomes too ill to care for them and sent to the hospital. (The father died many years prior.) The children think their mother will come get them when she gets better, but instead, due to miscommunication (or rather, lack of trying to communicate and just not caring on the part of the children's home workers), the children are sent to Canada to become workers and servants for families there.

However, their mother has not died. She's actually gotten better and very distraught when she sends her oldest daughter, who has been working as a maid outside of London in a very Downton Abbey-esque home, to check on the children only to find that they are no longer there. The oldest sister, Laura, finagles her way onto a boat bound for Canada so she can search for her siblings and bring them home.

Lucky for Laura, she's got the help of Andrew Frasier, who is the son of her former boss and a lawyer on his way to Canada to write a report about the children's emigration program.

I won't tell you what happens in this book because there will be more books in the series, so just know that this book does not close with a tidy ending. But I'm sure everything will somehow work out in the next few books.

The author is Christian, and as such, writes the characters in a very Pollyanna sort of way. Laura is ashamed of herself for securing passage to Canada under false pretenses. Gasp, she lied! What will God think of her for trying to save her siblings? I guess there was supposed to be a message of "let go and let God", but it didn't seem like God was doing much to help Laura and her mother out.

And really, none of this would have happened if Mrs. Graham, the family friend, had been more helpful in the beginning. The children needed a place to stay, and Mrs. Graham, being such a good Christian woman, tells them that she can't house them. So off they go to the home!

Anyway, I did like that this was based on real events, and I would like to know what happens to the children in the rest of the books. Will all the siblings be reunited? Read on!

Such a moving book!    Parts were quite heartbreaking and brought on the tears.  Very emotional book and heart wrenching.

Orphanage stories always touch the heartstrings and this one did that. 
Very good.

I received an ebook copy from NetGalley.  All thoughts are my own.

This is the second book I've read this month about the over 100,000 orphaned British children who were sent to Canada between 1869 and 1939.  It's still hard for me to stomach that there were few protective measures put in place to protect these children from being neglected or abused when they got to their new homes.  In this fictional tale, the McAlister family represents some of the hardships that occured during this time period.  The family has fallen on hard times after their father has died and their mother becomes gravely ill.  Unfortunately fourteen year old Garth makes a mistake that brings the family's situation in view to the city police.  With their mother in the hospital and no adult relatives nearby to help them,  the three children (Garth, his twin sister Katie, and seven year old sister Grace) are taken against their will to nearby orphan homes.  When their older sister Laura (who has been serving as a lady's maid in another city) finds out that her mother is sick and her siblings have been taken from their home, she immediately comes home and hopes to take guardianship. Unfortunately, she's too late and discovers that the children have already been sent to Canada and to new lives and new families.  What follows next is a suspenseful tale of adventure on the high seas and the Canadian frontier.  Plot lines go back and forth between Laura's quest and the circumstances of her siblings.  The whole time you are left hoping that the plot lines will merge and the family will be reunited.   

It didn't take me very long at all to read this book as I quickly became sympathetic to the characters' needs and desires.  It was shocking to read about people that thought they had the children's best interests at heart, but in reality did not consider the emotional needs of children or their families.   It is sad to read about the lack of check and balances that occured during this time period in regards to the welfare of British orphans who were sent to Canada.  I wish that we could go back in time and rewrite part of this history.  This book left me with some unanswered questions that I hope will be answered in subsequent books in the series which I definitely plan on reading.  Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.  All thoughts expressed are my honest opinions of the book.

No Ocean Too Wide by Carrie Turansky is a brilliant work of historical fiction. Ms Turansky writes novels that are well-researched and full of historically accurate details. This novel in particular is so well written and is important also for highlighting an often forgotten time period in history.  I think readers of historical fiction will definitely love this book. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

No Ocean Too Wide is a decent novel. I enjoy the topic, as this isn't something I ever knew about. It is absolutely deplorable and tragic. 
That said, I didn't personally enjoy some of it. The religious aspect just turned me off a little. 

But the writing is fantastic. The author certainly knows how to craft a well spun story.

Meet the British home children.  Mostly poor orphans on Britain’s streets who were shipped across the ocean to Canada to work as indentured servants.  
Take a trip alongside Laura who will do anything to try and locate her three younger siblings in Canada and bring them home to their heartbroken mother.  
Andrew, along with his boss, Henry, seek to shed light on the situation for the Crown.  Are the children cared for properly or not?  Just how does the system work once was you are in it?
A fascinating read of some unknown and/or forgotten history.  I look forward to the next book to continue the story.

No Ocean Too Wide is a beautiful story of love and family.  The story, inspired from a real time in human history where children were taken from London and sent to Canada with the twofold goal of ridding London from "undesirable" orphans off the street and helping Canada to build up it's own population as the country expands and grows.  Unfortunately the good intentions are overshadowed by the poor system that was hastily put into place with no thought for oversight or accountability.  This causes many children to slip through the cracks and forced to endure a life more brutal than they could have imagined.  This fictional novel is about one family torn apart by an illness, some misunderstandings and a lack of communication and accountability that eventually leads the older sibling Laura on a trip across two worlds to try and reunite her family and undo the wrongs that had been done to their family.  The plot line is moving and emotional.  The characters are vivid and bold.  Great story!

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. A positive review was not required. These are my honest thoughts.

Delightful and heartbreaking at the same time. It felt like I was on an emotional roller coaster, and since it’s the start of at least a duology, I know the ride hasn’t stopped yet. I didn’t know anything about British Home Children prior to reading this book. What brave souls! My heart goes out to the ones who suffered ridicule, abuse, and being ripped from their families.

The writing style was refreshing and sweet. That’s what I’ve come to expect from Mrs. Turansky, and it’s one of the things I most look forward to when I pick up one of her novels. No matter what subject, plot, or themes are involved, I know I’m in for a sweet-laced tale that features characters I can easily root for.

In the first half of the story, I wasn’t sure who was supposed to be the lead. The back-cover copy indicated it should be Laura, but Katie seemed to be more the focus. The back half definitely felt like Laura’s, and I was delighted to get to know her better then. Both girls were great characters to feature, though Katie often seemed about five years younger than her fourteen years. On that note, the children on the cover are much too young, as they are supposed to represent a pair of fourteen-year-old twins.

Overall, this was a wonderful book with a fascinating topic that hasn’t been showcased much in fiction (British Home Children). I enjoyed the time I spent in this novel, and I’m eager for the next installment.

Such a decades-long movement, and such a hard life for thousands of children, this book focuses on children shipped off to other countries, in particular Canada. A good historical story that I can see going over well for those that are jumping on the trend of popular historical fiction novels.

No Ocean Too Wide was amazing. While I can't give a long review to this, and it wasn't quite up my typical scope of books that I read, I enjoyed it and believe that anyone that loves books like this would fall in love and want more.

When I first read the description of No Ocean Too Wide, I was intrigued. Of course, I have read several stories about the Orphan Trains in the United States, but I didn't know anything about orphans being sent from England to other countries. Learning about that made the book appeal to me.
The twins, Katie and Garth, and their little sister Grace, lived with their widowed mother in London, while their older sister Laura worked as a maid some distance away. The family was able to survive—until Mum got sick and Garth was caught stealing a loaf of bread. Then, disaster struck and the family was separated. Though the children were in neighboring orphan homes, Garth was allowed no contact with his sisters—but when they found out that he was going to be sent to Canada, they pled to be sent there, as well, hoping that they could be with him.
After Laura was able to track down which homes her siblings were sent to, she was horrified to learn that they had departed already for Canada—without her mother's permission. She impulsively figured out a way that she could follow them. However, a young lawyer named Andrew, the son of her employer, was on the same ship, and knew she was lying. What would he do to her? Would she ever find her brother and sisters—and if she did, would she be able to bring them back home? Or were they lost to her forever? And, as Andrew investigated the system which resettled orphans, and discovered that it wasn't what it sounded like, what could be done about the corruption?
This is not a happily-ever-after story. It's actually fairly true-to-life. I really enjoyed reading it. I do not enjoy romance stories very much, but would rather read a book like this, which describes something that really happened and makes it into a good story. There is some romance, but it is not the main point of this story. I am looking forward to reading the sequel—there were a number of threads that were not tied up neatly and I would like to know what happens next! This book is suitable for anyone from mid-teens on up.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley, and these are my honest thoughts about it.
WARNING: Chapter 7 has someone exclaiming, “Blasted busybodies.”