Best book I gave read this year. Perfectly written. Nothing more to say. Just lovely!!! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

I'm not usually one for WW2 fiction, but this one is so much more than that. To keep her safe from air raids in her native London, Beatrix's parents send her to a host family in the United States. Over time, she builds a new life with the Gregory family.

Eventually, the war ends, and she travels back across the Atlantic to a home she barely recognizes. Over the following decades, we see Bea struggle to belong in one world or the other. .

This was an intriguing coming of age story watching a young girl transform into a strong and interesting woman.

Thank you to Celadon Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

CW: miscarriage, infidelity, alcoholism, death of a parent, war, alcoholism, death

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the time frame in which it took place. I really liked seeing how Bea's character grew. She says in the story she had 4 parents which is so true. She was so young when she was in America that how can it not shape her into the woman she became. The different perspectives from all the characters was a really neat way to tell this story.

Beyond that, the Sea is a wonderfully captivating novel! It puts into perspective the impossible choices parents made for their children in hopes of saving their lives during time of war. Even though this period piece is set around WWII, the story is focused on the characters. This is a story told through multiple point-of-views, allowing you to sympathize with each character through their own perspective. The story is centered around the development of each of these characters. Through their arcs you can understand their pain, their love lost, and their connections to one another. With every chapter I was left wanting a further glimpse. The author was also great about capturing the imagery. I could see the water around the island, smell Mrs. G's blueberry muffins, and visualize Mr. G in his study So more than a plot, this book was a feeling that lingered with me after I closed the cover.

Beyond That the Sea is an engrossing and beautifully written story. I was immediately hooked into the story and I thoroughly enjoyed the characters. The plot is enjoyable and the writing even more so. I can’t say enough about this book. I couldn't put down. I highly recommend it. I received a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review. This review will appear immediately on goodreads.

There are so many wwii historical fiction books right now, but this one takes a different approach. In England, many parents are torn as they send their children to the English countryside or to other countries for safety, while they stay behind in constant fear. In this novel, a young girl is sent to live in America. What we as readers and students haven’t considered is the length of time a child is separated from their family and what happens when they are happy with their temporary lives in a new country. How will they feel about going back home…what is home when your temporary one becomes a new home? Can you go back?
This is that book.
Beas American family is wonderful and loving and over time she is well interwoven in their lives. Back in war torn London, a mother is agonizing and wants her daughter back, but a plan is settled. Years later she returns, after the war is over, but one can never go back.
Touching and emotional, Beyond That, The Sea is an exploration of what must have happened so so many families in wartime…a blessing and the curse of living with a wonderful family for so long. I think patrons will enjoy this book and would recommend it as a clean, and well told story of love and family.
3.5*

Bea's story was historical fiction that I didn't know about. The juxtaposition of the way she felt vs the way others viewed her is pretty standard for teenagers. The stories of Bea with her own family and with Gregorys create two starkly different influences on her formative years.

Later though, as the story continues, it's impossible not to root for love, for success, for second chances, and for realized dreams. The back and forth of travel between two continents--in pre-technology driven times--really drives the story's emotion.

Overall: 4.5 stars

I'll tell my students about: sex, language, parental death,

**Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the free ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.**

I loved this book so much! I really didn’t know what it was about when I started reading it, but I quickly was obsessed! The characters are well developed, and I couldn’t help but love them all!

“Beyond That, The Sea” captured my attention with its title and cover, but Spence-Ash’s story-telling and prose was what consumed me. I love historical fiction and WWII novels have been a favorite, but the genre is saturated and I was worried about yet another tale from this era. This book, however, offers a fresh angle and a different perspective that I’m glad I now have. #beyondthatthesea is part coming of age, part family saga, and part happy place. I loved the rotating narration and the way that dialogue is simply italicized within the paragraphs. What felt like a long and at moments slow story for the first half, flew by in the second. I was completely riveted and felt that the Gregorys and Thompsons had become so real to me it is as if I could go to Maine or Boston or London for a visit myself. The setting descriptions are absolutely stellar. This was a 5 star read for me. Highly recommend.

Thank you to #netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

I liked this, but didn't love it. It started really strong but once Bea returned home, I lost a bit of interest. I also felt a bit weirded out by the relationships between Bea, William, and Gerald, who are basically siblings. The writing was really strong.

Children who were sent to the British countryside during the Blitz were able to come when it seemed like the nightly airstrikes were over. Children who were sent to America may have had to stay for the duration of the war. Some were lucky, like Beatrix, who became a true part of the Gregory family for the five years she lived with them. This section of the book is engaging and heartwarming.

Unfortunately, once Bea leaves the Gregory family, though, the narrative falters. Instead of being continuous, the story leaps through the next 30 years, landing only in 1951, 1960-1965, and, in an Epilogue, 1977. Although this satisfies a reader's desire to find out what happen's next in the life of a good character (which Bea is), the jumping around causes us to lose our connection with Bea.

Still, Spence-Ash's writing is solid and the foundation that is set up in the first part of the book is strong enough to carry us through to a satisfying, if not altogether unexpected ending.

In Beyond That, the Sea, we are told the story of Beatrice, who is sent to America from England during WWII. Like many other children, she is sent to America to live with an American family to be safe and protected from the war. During that time she truly becomes part of her American family and they also grow to see her as one of them. After the war, she returns home to a changed England and a changed family. Years later, Bea stays in contact with her American family, sharing in good news and bad, even making the journey to visit again, rekindling friendships and restoring family love.

I loved this book. This is definitely a story of love and loss, and tears were shed. I enjoyed that the story was told through different points of view. I felt there was really great character development and we really got to know all the characters and could see how their lives had changed over the years as this story is told over several decades. Also, great resolution to end the story! It had been a while since I had read a historical fiction and this one definitely did not disappoint!

I will definitely recommend this to anyone that enjoys historical fiction. Thank you to Netgalley and Celadon Books for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

There has been such a glut of World War II novels--especially those set on parallel timelines with a contemporary character who finds a notebook, diary, photo album (take your pick!) and investigates the past through its pages--that I was a bit wary that "Beyond That, the Sea" would be more of the same. But Laura Spence-Ash's captivating debut breathes new life into the genre, as it follows Beatrix Thompson, an eleven-year-old English child evacuated to America by her frightened parents during the London Blitz, to her new home in New England with her American hosts, Mr. and Mrs. Gregory, and their sons William and Gerald. Spence-Ash's choice of a polyphonic format is perfect for her story, allowing chapters to move back and forth between the perspectives of Beatrix's bereft parents, Millie and Reg, back in war-torn London, and those of each of the Gregorys toward their new charge. Each of these characters felt wholly-developed and I liked them all--this wasn't one of those books where I wanted to skip over some of the narrators' chapters--but the real beating heart of "Beyond That, the Sea" is Bea, who we watch transform over the years from a shy and homesick child to a self-assured young woman torn between the home she left behind and the one she's grown fiercely attached to. Those readers looking for a fresh angle on World War II won't be disappointed, even when the latter half of the book moves on to the post war years, which are equally well depicted and engrossing. Spence-Ash is a writer to watch and I look forward to seeing what she does next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for providing me with an ARC of this title in return for my honest review. Very enjoyable!

I had mixed feelings about this book, but the premise intrigued me, especially written from so many points of view. We can only imagine the turmoil of an 11 year from a working-class family being sent for her safety from the terrors of war across the Atlantic There she finds a life so totally different. After the war, where does she belong.?

What happens when a tween from London is sent to live with a family in Boston to avoid the bombings during WWII? This is the backdrop of Beyond that, the Sea. I have read a lot of fiction that takes place during WWII but not with this premise. I was intrigued.

Each chapter is from the point of view of the different characters, parents in London, parents in Boston, respected children, and eventual spouses/partners. It all centers around Beatrix and her interaction with her new family.

I really wanted to like this book. I struggled getting through it. There were a lot of gaps not only in the timeline but in character development. Unfortunately, it was easy for me to put the book down.

2.5 rounded up to 3.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy.

I found this book really interesting. It follows a group of people through both extraordinary times and ordinary ones. I was intrigued by the idea of Bea being caught between two families, and in some ways two cultures, even years after the war has ended. The characters in general were flawed, but very relatable. It was an enjoyable read.

I loved this historical fiction story set during the terrifying time of WWII. This book tells the story of young Bea, who is sent to Boston to live with another family during the War while her family stays in London. The story is told from 8 different POV but manages to go in depth with each character and makes the reader feel connected to all of them. I loved the historical fiction storyline of seeing how war impacted these characters so deeply, especially sweet young Bea who just wants to belong, be young, be happy and be safe and loved. I loved this book. Very touching and well written.

At the start of WWII, Millie ad Reginald sen their 11 year old daughter Beatrix to live with strangers in the United States. Beatrix ends up with Mr. and Mrs. Gregory, and their two sons, William and Gerald. Bea quickly becomes used to her life in America, and fits in great with her new family. Yet, feelings of guilt abound. After the war, Bea move back to London, feeling unsettled and unmoored.

This book was pretty sad and depressing. There was no high point or tension in the plot. The book moved slowly and tried to juggle too many points of view. Overall, not a book I would re-read or recommend.

Beyond That, the Sea is a story about a young girl named Beatrice that is sent to America by her parents at the beginning of WW2. She lives with a family there to keep her safe from the war.

I did enjoy this book and it was an easy read but I did not connect to the story as much as I wanted to. Many chapters are very short at just a couple pages each with at least 7 characters points of view during the book. I did find it interesting at times, and especially liked reading about the family traveling to Maine in the summers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the Advanced Reading Copy.

Thank you Netgalley and Celadons Books for granting me an ebook for my honest review of Beyond That, The Sea.

This is a Must Read historical fiction! I absolutely loved it. This is the best book I read in 2023, and a heartfelt romantic story as well. I learned from this novel that some British families sent their children abroad during WWII to avoid the German's bombing.

The book begins with a young girl named Beatrix being sent on a ship across the Atlantic to Boston to live with an American family. I felt the parents' anguish and guilt, grief and sorrow as they coped with the heartbreaking decision to send her away to safety. It's a long story of joy, heartaches, grief, love, and happiness, but it's so worth the time!

It's a compelling, suspenseful, and wonderful read even if you are not a historical fiction fan.