I was familiar with the Orphan Train that took poor and orphaned children from our country's over crowded eastern cities to the west for adoption or to serve, often as domestics or farm hands. Prior to reading No Ocean Too Wide I was unaware of the thousands of children who were emigrated from Britain to Canada between the 1860s and 1930s for much the same purpose. The story of Laura, Katie, Garth and Grace brings to life and to light the neglect and abuse suffered by many of these children while not ignoring that some did indeed end up in better circumstances from which they came.

Carrie Turansky has a delightful way of showing her readers God's hand and presence even in dire circumstances. She demonstrates the value of recognizing the blessings, both great and small, among the struggles, and the importance of concentrating on those rather than allowing oneself to get bogged down in the stress and unfairness this life can include.

I am grateful to have received a copy of No Ocean Too Wide from Multnomah via NetGalley and Summer Launch in exchange for my honest opinion. I was under no obligation to provide a positive review and received no monetary compensation.

 #PRHpartner,

Oh my! I loved this beautiful story so much. It touched me deeply. “So, what was it about the story that made for the quick connection?” you may ask. Well, let me tell you.

It opened with the plight of the younger McAllister children. They were scared because their mother was very ill and they were hungry. She had been unable to work for weeks while the illness ravaged her system. I immediately cared about their plight. When Mrs. McAllister was taken to the hospital, the children faced an impossible choice, they were dragged from their home, and Garth was separated from his sisters. Oh, my heart!

The treatment of the children in the home and the misinformation that was delivered to them led to another impossible situation, that of them being sent to Canada. Without their mom. Without their older sister. Without each other.

Can you even begin to imagine what this would have been like? In our society of instant connections, may not even remember what it was like when simply picking up a cell phone and text someone to say hello or find out what you need to know wasn’t an option. Author Carrie Turansky transported me back to a “when” where even the other side of London was a world away to those without money.

Then there was Laura, the older sister. When she discovered the children had been taken, she assumed it would be simple to recover them. Yet not only time but even the law conspired against them. Her heartbreak and determination to bring them back made me love her so much. I completely understood the choices she made and the guilt she felt over them.

The struggles, legal, spiritual, and physical, and the prejudices the children faced conspired together to have me caring in every moment, every word of this story. Although my heart was broken, I was given hope. Despite some tragic and reprehensible situations, the love of God shone through. The Christ-like choices and behavior of several of the characters through tough times was inspiring. (The situations were not described, only the results.)

I will warn you, though. While I hoped for a miraculous ending (yeah, I’m a dreamer!) where Andrew and Laura gathered up all the children who had ever been placed wrongfully or were mistreated in their new lives and brought them back to Andrew’s estate to live happily ever after, that didn’t happen. In fact, as you possibly guessed with this being book one of the series about Laura’s family, the family was not reconciled completely. There are still more stories to be told. Don’t fear, though. While you will probably be sad about those left behind, you won’t need to fear for them. It is clear they will be okay. (And while I may have mentioned to my husband that it was unchristian of the author to leave those poor children behind, I was kidding. Mostly.)

I highly recommend this moving story to all who love historical fiction.

Carrie Turansky has done a fabulous job of mixing a historical event with a plot and characters of her own imagination. I loved no Ocean Too Wide and am anxiously awaiting the next book...please write faster! LOL. The descriptions were breathtaking, although sometimes not in a good way! I loved all of the McAlister family and Andrew Fraiser is a dreamy hero! The subject of British children being torn from their families and sent to Canada and Australia was a heartbreaking event in British history. I highly recommend this book! So grab your teapot and biscuits and settle in for a great read!

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley.com with no expectations. All thoughts are my own.

The author has given us a story that will linger long after the last page is turned, and rightfully so. By the Grace of God, we could have been one of those children, orphans, or no parent to take care of them. I can’t even imagine the poverty and living on the streets, but the solution?
We put faces to these children, but they have a family, and when one of the siblings attempt to retrieve them, well that is what makes this such a great read.
You will find your heart breaking, and yes, I know that this was a different time, but people looking their noses down because of circumstances beyond the control of the child, oh!
I love that there is another book to come and answer some more of my questions, so be sure to read the author’s notes at the end of the book!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Waterbrook Multmonah Publishing, and was not required to give a positive review.

Be warned that boxes of tissues will be needed to read this book. I don’t know where to start with how deeply emotional this story is. The author has exceeded my expectations of how gifted a writer she is. The story is one that opened my eyes to the fate of children during a time period that was hard on many people.

I had no idea that children of British descent were shipped away to Canada sometimes without real reason to rip them from their families. I am overwhelmed at the cruelty these children were put through. I’m sure most children believed they were being adopted into loving and caring homes, but that was not always the case.

This story follows Laura as she works away from home to help her family out and how her siblings get caught up in a system that is far more dangerous than most people were aware of. Laura is beside herself when she learns her siblings have been taken away and will do anything to find them. I could feel Laura’s desperation as she travels to Canada to find her siblings. Can she find them before tragedy strikes? I admired her strength to rescue her siblings and how deeply she cared for their safety.

It was hard to read at times the homes the children were placed in. Most of them were treated as servants and had little hope of finding a way to escape their situation. The children in this story offers hope to those that think Jesus has forgotten them. The author gives us a sense of urgency in seeing that justice prevails and the children are returned to their family. I loved Katie, Grace and Garth and how they clung to their faith that God would rescue them.

Andrew is a wonderful character who helps in trying to reunite Laura with her sisters and brother. I loved that he never gave up and wanted to help not only Laura and her siblings but other children who had been abused by a system that only wanted financial gain. As Andrew and Laura band together there seems to be a little romance brewing between them. I liked that the author gives hints of their attraction but doesn’t make it the main theme of the book.

Children are a blessing from God and this story reminds us of how precious that blessing is. I sat on the edge of my seat as I drew to the end of the story. I was captivated by the emotions and the never ending faith throughout the book. I will be adding this book to my top picks for 2019. The author has promised a follow up book to continue this story and I will be anxious to read it. Thank you for writing a story that heals wounds, reunited families and gives us a look at Gods promise “that He will never leave us nor forsake us.”

I received an arc copy of this book from the author and publisher. The review is my own opinion,

First I have to say that I love reading Carrie Turansky Books. They are always uplifting and usually leave with a good feeling at the end. The Ocean too Wide was no exception. I love historical fiction. I learned all about the program they had in england and how they sent children without families to Canada to help them find homes but not always for love but in a work program to work for them. it was a sad book but a happy ending for the main children involved. Thank you Carrie for another well done, clean Book.

Between 1869 and 1939, over 100,000 poor British children were sent to Canada with the promise of a better life. Some were adopted, others put to work as farm laborers or household servants. Some were orphans, street children looked down on. Some had a living parent unable to care for them, but not wanting to lose them. Their children could be sent to Canada without their permission or even without them knowing about it.
An Ocean Too Wide is based on such events. The McAlister children are sent to a children’s home when their mother is hospitalized with pneumonia. Before their older sister Laura, working as a lady’s maid, can reach them, they are emigrated, believing their mother dead.
This is a haunting tale of fourteen-year-old Katie’s harrowing experience in Canada and Laura’s desperate search for her siblings.

“Did God really love them? If so, then why was He putting them through these painful trials?”

Laura McAllister is working as a ladies’ maid when she gets word that her mother has fallen ill and her siblings have been taken into the care of children’s homes. Their father had died just two years earlier from injuries sustained during a train accident. Without their mother or older sister’s supervision, Garth gets desperate and steals some bread to feed his twin sister, Katie, and younger sister, Grace. He is caught and the policeman takes them to a children’s home. Before Laura can get back to London to check on them, they are sent to Canada as part of the children emigration program – without the family’s permission.

No Ocean Too Wide was offered as a selection for members of the Multnomah & Waterbrook Launch team. I was given a free copy of the book in exchange for a fair review. The plot seemed intriguing and I usually enjoy historical fiction books.

In London during the early 1900s, many children were in the workhouses or living on the streets. As a solution to overflowing children’s homes, children were emigrated to Canada to be adopted by families or work as domestics with a contract until they were 18. While many children found their way into loving or fair homes, there were also children who were abused, starved or lived in servitude. In No Ocean Too Wide, Laura sets out on a journey to find her siblings and bring them back home to their mother, who has recovered from her illness. She meets two lawyers along the way who are investigating the emigration program and they are able to see the reality the children face with Laura’s help.

While the historical fiction part of No Ocean Too Wide is intriguing and I really wanted to find out what happened to the children, the Christian romance part of the book isn’t as interesting. Laura and one of the lawyers constantly debate in their heads whether they should have feelings for each other or not. Lovers of both Christian romance and historical fiction will really enjoy this book. I was glad to learn about a new part of history that I didn’t know before. It reminded me of the Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline.

Having read numerous other books by author Carrie Turansky, I was excited to obtain a copy of her newest release No Ocean Too Wide!

Like many books of this genre and by Turansky, the story line involves a lower class serving girl and an upper class male. However, there are several twists and turns in this book that moves it beyond the typical. No Ocean Too Wide focuses on three siblings who are removed from their family and placed in a children's home. Through several misfortunes, the siblings are sent to Canada to be placed with families. Their older sister leaves her job to help find them. To learn more about what happens to the delightful Mcallister family, you need to read the book yourself but I guarantee you won't be disappointed. I'm particularly excited that this is the first of three is a new series titled Mcallister Family. I'm definitely going to keep an eye out for the next releases!

Although set a century ago and involving children sent from Great Britain to Canada, while reading this book the reader will inevitably draw parallels to events and issues that occur today such as human trafficking, global orphan care, immigration issues, etc. Book clubs may find this an enjoyable book to discuss that will provide a natural segue to contemporary issues as well.

Based in the early 1900s, this novel depicts the practice of England emigrating thousands of orphaned children to Canada. The story follows one family trials as the oldest daughter desperately tries to find her siblings when her mother is hospitalized. Laura does not have an easy task but will get some unexpected help. The McAlister is a very interesting story that will continue in the next book. Highly recommended!

What a Book! Words can't not describe how much I enjoyed this book from the very first page. Pulled in from the start I could feel the characters emotions and visualize where they were and I could not stop reading till the very end and now can't wait to read the next one in the series next year. Carrie Turansky tells stories apart of history that many of us never really knew happened or was going on with grace and dignity but also showing the harsh reality of these emmigrant kids. Fans of historical fiction, with a hint of romance too, will welcome this book into their book shelf and be drawn into the precious stories of the a family separated for all the wrong reasons.

“No Ocean Too Wide” by Carrie Turansky is an historical novel. It takes place in England and Canada in the early 1900s.

I admit I have a weakness for historical novels.

What made this book so interesting was the hidden history it tells. Many young orphan children from England were sent to Canada for a new life with a new family. But the plan goes so wrong!

The history of young children, who were not always orphans, but poor and left at home while their parent works, and they end up playing in the streets. Picked up by police for many different reasons, they were taken to orphanages that made money by sending these kids to Canada. I never heard about this history before.

The book tells the fictional story of a specific family, the McAlisters, that had this happen. The older sister, Laura, who was working out of town, goes to Canada to find her brother and sisters. It is a difficult, long search. Of course she runs into all kinds of problems, but there are people who help her.

In looking for her siblings, the sister finds out about other children and the horrible things that happened to some of them. She also meets many of the people who run the program, and realizes many of them are just trying to do the right thing.

This book was eye-opening about a program meant for good, that caused a lot of harm. I have since found out there was a similar program in the United States, sending children from New York to the western U.S. I can’t help but think similar problems happened to those kids too.

Wonderfully told story!

I truly enjoyed reading it!

This well researched historical fiction demonstrates different aspects of the plight of British Home Children. How far would you go to keep your family together? In this moving story, an endearing family and their friends go farther than they thought they would ever have to go. As her characters navigate difficult waters, Turansky describes some of the good aspects, as well as, some of the horrors of the system. Along this demanding journey, the author includes lessons of faith. As new relationships begin, good is still found. This novel is the first in this series and it left me anticipating the next book. I was given a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions are my own.

During the late 1800’s to 1939, there were at least 100,000 British children shipped over to Canada to become laborers and servants. This book is a story based on this historic event. The story is about the McAlister family after the tragic loss of their father and mother. The oldest daughter was away from home working when finds out about her mother’s death and fears that her siblings have been shipped off to Canada. This emotional story is a wonderful example of Christian fiction that shows love of family and the power of faith.

No Ocean Too Wide
Carrie Turansky

No Ocean Too Wide by Carrie Turansky is historical fiction based on true events.

Katie McAlister is a fourteen year old Londoner whose mother has fallen ill following her father’s recent accidental death. Katie and her siblings, twin brother Garth and seven year old Grace, are sent to a London children’s home and then emigrated to Canada without their mother’s knowledge or consent.

Laura McAlister is Katie’s twenty-one year old sister. Laura assumes a false name, obtains a job at the children’s home and ultimately travels to Canada in an attempt to locate and retrieve her siblings.

Andrew Frasier, son of Laura’s former employers, travels to Canada with his friend and mentor, Henry Dowd. Henry and Andrew have been commissioned to evaluate and report on the children’s emigration initiative. Andrew vows to help Laura rescue her siblings and return them to London.

No Ocean Too Wide is riveting. The characters are well-developed and totally believable. The plot is engrossing. Based in fact, this is an emotional read. I wanted to rescue the children myself. I raved against the corrupt system. I marveled at the beleaguered characters Christian faith. I’m looking forward to the next installment in this amazing story. I give this novel 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it to readers of historical fiction. Be aware this novel has strong religious themes.

My thanks to WaterBrook & Multnomah and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. However, the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine and mine alone.

"No Ocean Too Wide," is a heart stirring journey into the British Children's Homes child emigration issues of the 1880s. The family at the heart of the book are the McAlisters, and the reader can't help but fall in love with them. I have never heard of these particular emigration stories and found myself drawn into the history and filled with sadness for the families that lost their children to what basically amounts to slavery by another name.

The eldest sister, Laura McAlister, is the persistent daughter that works tirelessly to reunite her siblings, torn apart by a broken system that assumes their mother has abandoned her children. She finds an unlikely ally in her ex-employer's son, Andrew, who ends up using his background as a solicitor (also known as a lawyer in the time period of the 1800s) to help find out where the children have been sent. Over the course of their investigation, they uncover both kind and abusive situations, both in the homes they are supposed to be working in and the group homes that host them until placed with a family.

The love story that develops between the two main characters is genuine and honest. I enjoyed the interactions between the people who were fighting for justice for the children abused, but also the fact that they understood that there were often people who meant well but ended up overwhelmed with responsibilities. "No Ocean Too Wide" was an amazing journey that was well researched and hits right at the heart of the reader. This is my first Carrie Turansky novel, but it will not be my last.

I reviewed thanks to an early copy from #NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to leave a review.

Brilliant story based on true events. I would have no doubts even if you told me that this story was completely true as it is so believable.

The story is told from Katie & Laura McAlistar’s and Andrew Frazier’s perspectives.

The ending made me really excited for Book 2 which may be released in 2020.

Definitely recommend it for any historical fiction fans!

I don't even have the words to say how deeply this novel sucked me in. It was incredibly written with pages that essentially turned themselves. The deeper I entered the world of the McAlister children, the more I felt like I'd become a part of it. If only we didn't have to wait until 2020 for the sequel!

While there were four McAlister children, this book was viewed from the eyes of the eldest sister Laura (21) and middle sister Katie (14). By writing from the two perspectives, it kept the pages turning even faster because as a reader you needed to know what was going to happen to each of them next. The "Onemorechapteritis" was impossible to fight! According to the author's note, Garth (Katie's twin) and Grace (7) will have their journeys shared in the second book. Believe me when I say I'll be jumping right into it when it releases! This was a story I was clearly not ready to be done with when I finished.

I appreciated the level of research that went into this novel and also the respect for case-by-case results. Not all children went into loving homes, but not all of them were completely unloved either. There were a great number of children that emigrated, and no two stories were the same. I think that the author found a respectful balance that could be reflective of the original history. What amazed me (not in a good way) about the laws in the time, were that they didn't protect the families--and it made it more difficult for families to be reunited. The world of foster care and adoption was far different 100 years ago than it is today. In many ways I believe the tables have turned too far in the opposite direction today, but families do have more rights. Certainly you wouldn't wake up to find a child who'd been taken into temporary care shipped overseas overnight--never to be seen from again!

This is another historical fiction novel I recommend as a must-read. When I say I can't wait for the next one to release, I'm not kidding! This is a story that I'm sure will stay with me. Amazing!

*I received a copy of this book from Waterbrook & Multnomah. Thoughts and opinions expressed are mine alone.

Katie, Garth, and Grace find themselves separated and put in London orphanages after the hospitalization of their mother while their older sister, Laura, is working as a lady’s maid. Garth, Katie, and Grace are put on the ship to Canada in hopes of being placed in families.
Laura is stunned to hear of what happened to her siblings while she was away, and with the unexpected help of her employer’s lawyer son, Andrew, she works to reclaim her siblings. But as she runs into legality after legality, time is running out. Laura takes a job escorting orphans to Canada in hopes of find out where her siblings were placed.
Based on true events, this story shows some of the plights of the working poor, and the disorganization that separated families sending children across an ocean to less than promised results. Laura finds true friends on her journey; she is inspired and encouraged by Rose’s faith. Henry is a kind man and man of strong faith, and mentor to Andrew willingly offering to help investigate the whole process and practice of what is going on.
This story follows various characters throughout as their journeys eventually begin to entwine, showing various sides. Laura is hardworking and determined; she struggles to find hope in the dark times. Andrew is a budding lawyer, he is passionate about righting wrongs and is willing to learn. Katie is a bright young woman, she fights to keep her family together with what little information she has, she fights to hope despite the mistreatment she faces.
A heart tugging read, compelling and historical. Friendships are forged, and faith tested. One of my favorite parts of this book was Rose and Henry and their shared strong faith and friendship. A powerful read that highlights the challenges of the working poor in England, the injustices and horrible treatment of orphans. The first in a series, I will definitely be reading the next book as soon as it comes out.





I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Carrie Turansky's book "No Ocean Too Wide" is a fictionalized story based on true events that took place between 1869 - 1938 in Great Britain and Canada. It is about the practice of sending orphan children to Canada trying to give them a better life. But that was not always the case. This story is filled with tragedy and hope and the experiences of one family. .When the McAlister families father dies and their mother becomes ill and placed in the hospital, the three youngest children are sent to an orphanage. When Kate, the oldest sister, finds out the children have already been sent to Canada. So begins the journey of trying to find her siblings. She receives help from her employers son who is a wealthy attorney and on his way to Canada. A wonderfully written and well researched book. I can't wait to read the next book and discover what happens next!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and all opinions are my own.