𝗯𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗮 by Laura Spence-Ash
Publish Date: March 21, 2023
Reviewed by: Mel
Format: Kindle ARC

[Thank you to @netgalley, @celadonbooks and @laura_spence_ash for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. Sorry it was so late!]

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗜𝗙 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗘
✨ Historical fiction
✨ Emotional, character-driven stories
✨ Lyrical prose
✨ Found family and complex relationships
✨ WWII fiction

𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
Beyond That, The Sea by Laura Spence-Ash is a beautifully written historical novel set against the backdrop of World War II, alternating between London and Boston. As someone drawn to stories set during this time period, I was immediately intrigued by the dual perspectives and the promise of a deeply emotional journey—and this book more than delivered.

The novel follows Beatrix (Bea), a young girl sent from London to America during the war, and the families whose lives become intertwined through this displacement. The prose is stunning, and Spence-Ash’s writing is both lyrical and immersive. The alternating settings—between war-torn England and the relative safety of Boston and Maine—are woven seamlessly, allowing readers to remain deeply connected to both sides of Bea’s world.

What stood out most was the depth of the characters and the relationships they form. The novel beautifully explores themes of heartbreak, loss, and found family, making it both devastating and heartwarming in equal measure. I loved spending time with the characters, particularly in Boston and Maine, but I also appreciated how vividly the novel depicted life in England during the war. The constant shift between locations kept all the storylines fresh and engaging, adding to the emotional weight of Bea’s journey.

This is a novel that lingers long after the final page, not just for its historical richness but for the intimate, deeply personal story it tells. If you enjoy character-driven historical fiction with exquisite prose and emotional depth, Beyond That, The Sea is a must-read.

Book Review: Beyond That, the Sea by Laura Spence-Ash – A Working Mom's Take

As a working mom, finding time to read can be tough, but Beyond That, the Sea by Laura Spence-Ash was worth every minute. This beautifully written novel follows Beatrix, a young British girl sent to America during WWII, and her journey of growing up with her foster family, torn between two worlds.

Spence-Ash captures the complexities of family and identity in a way that felt deeply relatable, especially as a mom. The story’s emotional depth, along with its themes of belonging and love, pulled me in and didn’t let go.

Final Thoughts: Beyond That, the Sea is a poignant, heartfelt story of family, loss, and finding one’s place. If you're looking for an emotional escape that resonates with the everyday challenges of motherhood and connection, this book is a must-read.

BEYOND THAT, THE SEA,
I learned so much here!
I didn't know that European children were sent to the U.S. during WWII. I felt the book's impact early on. There was a gut-wrenching scene when Beatrix and her parents were saying goodbye, and I cannot even imagine the courage it took to make such a painful decision and how desperate those parents were!
I loved this book and highly recommend it
Thank you NetGalley

This book has so much promise but fell soo short. I guess I’m not a fan of character driven plots. And I couldn’t get over no quotation marks, it got so confusing.

I enjoyed this character driven story. It was poignant and heartbreaking! The characters were well developed and this was a great historical fiction.

Eleven-year-old Bea is sent across the ocean to the Gregory family in Boston to keep her safe during WWII. There she forms a special bond with the parents as well as their two sons William and Gerald. We then follow all three kids as they become adults, Bea back in London and the boys in the US. As the decades pass you see that the ties remain strong and they keep finding their way back to each other.

I liked seeing the effect having essentially two sets of parents had on Bea, that isn’t something I’ve seen addressed in novels on this subject. A New England setting is always one of my favorites and I enjoyed seeing these characters develop during the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. I’ll admit the story was a bit slow at first but once I realized it’s more character driven then I got more into it. This had only occasional profanity and one steamy scene. Overall I’d recommend this to anyone who likes historical fiction and family dramas.

I really enjoyed this book! The Main character in this book is a young girl who is thrown into a very different life due to WWII. Her parents send her to America to be safe from bombings that were happening in London. She goes from a lower middle class life to an upper middle class life style. She feels like she is betraying her parents by enjoying this new life I loved the depth of feeling in this book! It was heartbreaking and uplifting.

I had heard a lot of hype about this book. The setting and characters were very interesting, but it seemed to drag on towards the middle of the book.

A saga of lives entwined. Dreams unfulfilled and then forgotten. Finally recaptured. Sadness, hope. Had some unexpected twists and turns but it was a lovely story and kept my attention. A heartwarming tale.

This character driven novel focuses on young Beatrix and her being sent away from London to a family to raise her while WW2 is raging. Upon her return to London, she is now feeling displaced, as if with strangers, This book is emotionally charged!

8/10

It’s 1940. World War II. The Germans are bombing the hell out of London. To save their 11-year-old daughter, Beatrix, a husband and wife send her to live with a family in the United States until the war is over.

They don’t know the family and the family doesn’t know them. But suddenly, young Beatrix has a new family. One that is more well off financially. One in which she has siblings around her age.

Slowly but surely, Beatrix builds a new life with her new family and comes of age in America.

Then the war ends, she goes back to London and finds she now has two families, neither of who really know each other and both of whom are very different.

Beatrix struggles with the relationships with both families - her original and her adopted - as she tries to navigate the happiness and frustrations, the love and loss.

This is a beautiful novel and a really creative premise. For anybody who likes books like “The Things We Cannot Say”, this one is for you.

#netgalley #beyondthatthesea

"Beyond That, the Sea: A Tale of Transformation"

"Beyond That, the Sea" is a poignant and enchanting story that takes readers on a journey from childhood wonder to the harsh realities of adulthood.

Set against the backdrop of 1940s London, working-class parents Millie and Reginald Thompson make a heart-wrenching decision to send their eleven-year-old daughter, Beatrix, to America for the duration of World War II to ensure her safety. Arriving in Boston, Bea is welcomed into the Gregory family, quickly becoming a part of their lively household. She thrives in the affluent lifestyle, embracing their ways and stories. However, as the war takes a new turn with the United States' battle against Japan, Bea is called back to London. Her return is met with the stark reality of a war-torn city and the tragic loss of her father. Bea grapples with reconciling the two vastly different worlds she has come to know and love.

The magic in the novel primarily resides in the first half, where we witness Bea's transformation in her new environment and how she, in turn, affects the family that has taken her in. One of the minor issues I had with the book was the vignette-style chapters, which at times left me feeling like the stories within each chapter were cut short. However, I appreciated the moments when different characters provided their perspectives on the same events. Bea's coming of age in the United States while her home in London was embroiled in war is the highlight of the story.

The second half of the narrative takes a darker and more melancholic turn, with extended and winding routes that eventually lead to an anticipated conclusion. It would have been more engaging to spend more time exploring Bea's experiences as a child and witnessing her transformation in a gradual and organic manner. While the author aimed to depict the profound impact of family dynamics on Bea's adult life, it is largely seen from her mother's perspective, and Bea's own feelings are revealed through exposition toward the end of the book.

The book delves into deep themes during a tumultuous period in history. It beautifully contrasts the innocence of childhood with the harshness of adulthood, shedding light on the complexities of life during a time of global upheaval.

I am not the biggest fan of WW2 historical fiction, however, Beyond That, the Sea was quite the exception. This novel is character driven and focuses on relationships as opposed to a bleak war novel.

This is the story of Beatrix; she is eleven and living in London during WW2. Her parents make the difficult decision to send her to America to escape the bombing and be kept safe. She boards a ship with other children also headed to America.

It is there that she is taken in by Mr. and Mrs. Gregory and their two sons William and Gerald. Bea quickly becomes one of the family. Mrs. Gregory is a nurturing and loving Mother and Mr. Gregory is an endearing and solid father figure. Bea thrives under their care living in Boston during the school year and spending summers on an island in Maine. Five years pass and the war is over, Bea is heartbroken and must leave her American family and head back to England.

This was such a beautiful novel. The writing is descriptive and engaging. The characters are so well written that you become invested in their outcome, and they feel like family. I enjoyed the fact that the book follows the story through their lives so that you may see how everyone's lives intersect throughout the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this endearing book!!
4.5 stars

I enjoyed this one though it wasn't exactly what I was expecting. All of the characters were well drawn and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for character-driven historical fiction

I loved everything about Beyond That, the Sea. The way the author used differing points of view and spaces of time between each chapter kept me invested in the lives of several characters over decades. Bea, William, Gerald, Millie, Nancy, etc. - they all had flaws, but they had strengths and charm as well. I just loved them all. I hate reading something that feels phony, and BTTS had me thinking I was reading about a family’s real life experiences.

The time period was perfect, with the book beginning during WW2, but that was definitely not the focus. This book was about family, love, forgiveness, memories, sacrifice… just life really, but the setting made this book even more special. Experiencing all of the seasons in Massachusetts and summers in Maine took a wonderful story and made it unforgettable.

Here are some of my favorite quotes.

•There is relief but there is mostly regret.
• “I will miss knowing you’re in the world.”
• Somewhere she has journals filled with pressed flowers. She guesses the petals have turned to dust.
• So many things she would have done differently. Regret, she has found, is the loud thing that’s left.

What a sublime read. I was there with the parents making an agonizing choice; I was there with Bea and the Gregorys smelling the sea breeze in Maine, and I felt my stomach sink when Bea was called back home to England. I felt all the feels and this one sat with me for a while after I completed it. I immediately went looking for further work by this author and was stunned to learn that this is her debut novel - I will definitely be waiting anxiously for her next.

This was very interesting! I have not read a book that talks about a child sent to America during the war. I appreciated the struggle the author showed between the girl's actual mother and her "American mother". It did drag on a little bit for me. I didn't realize the book was going to span such a large amount of time. I got about halfway through and wasn't sure what else needed to happen. Very interesting perspective, it just didn't "wow" me.

I wanted to like this book, after reading what it was about it sounded like something I would enjoy.

After starting it a couple of,times, I have decided this is not for me at this time.

Maybe in another season

Not your typical WWII Historical Fiction. Such a lovely story about Beatrix, a young girl sent to Boston to live with a family while the turmoil continues in her native England. This family loves "Bea" like their own and make many memories together, especially at their summer island retreat in Maine.
Thank you Net Galley for sharing this ARC. Highly recommend!

Beatrix Thompson at age 11 is sent from war torn London to a Boston family in America in 1940. This coming-of-age story is complex and heartwarming as we grow up with Beatrix and her two families. The characters are well developed, and their insight is what drives this narrative. The book presents a different twist on WWII taken from two families one in America and the other in London. War affects everyone differently.