What is a parent to do when bombs are falling all around and you want to keep your child safe -- keeping them near or ship them far away?

This is the essential dilemma faced by Millie and Reginald as they decide what they must do to keep their only daughter, Beatrix, safe during the bombing raids during World War II, Ultimately, they decide they must send her to America, which has not yet entered the war. This tale chronicles Beatrix and the cast of characters around her over the course of nearly 40 years as they navigate this tricky situation and its fallout.

The book itself is hard to put down and is told in bits and pieces from the perspectives of almost all the major characters in the story. This allows for a great richness of the tale and for the reader to truly understand the motives behind each of the character's choices. The story is not necessarily an easy read as it if filled with war, loss, and at times true sadness, but it is a wonderful story that I would highly recommend. The characters stuck with me long after turned the last page of the book. I cannot wait to see what Laura Spence-Ash does next!

It has been a while since I have enjoyed such an addictive read. Ms Spence-Ash carries us along through a tale that begins in a childhood, separated from hearth and home by the very real threat of a war that separated London's children families and carries us into the well-established adulthood of Bea. It is an enjoyable journey, with a few melancholy stops, as we watch these lives being lived from each character perspective in short and well constructed chapters. We feel we have insight into not only the individual, but also the relationships so important to each. I found myself not wanting to put the book down, as I wanted to see what the next character would experience in the next chapter.

Beyond That, the Sea tells a sweet, magical story that evolves into the reality that is adulthood.
It’s London in 1940, and working-class parents Millie and Reginald Thompson make a hard choice to protect their daughter. They decide to send their eleven-year-old Beatrix to America for the duration of the war. Lonely and scared, Bea arrives in Boston to meet the Gregorys, a couple with two boys. She quickly becomes part of the lively family, learning their ways and their stories, thriving in the affluent lifestyle. When the war shifts focusing on the US’s battle with Japan, Bea is called home. Bea’s return to her old life is confounded by the fact that so much of London has been destroyed and that her father has died. Can she combine all aspects of her life without loving one aspect more than another?

The magic in the novel is the first half of the book. Seeing Bea in her new world and how not only she changes but how she changes the family around her. I wasn’t particularly happy with the vignette style Laure Spence-Ash chose for the chapters as I felt that the stories in each chapter were cut short. I was happy when a few had different views of the same time from different characters. Bea growing up in the United States while dealing with her own home back in London being under war is the best part of the book.
The second half of the story is bland and depressing. The novel takes long circular routes to get to the ending that you know is coming. It would have been much better to spend more time as children and see the changes in Bea as they happen. I get that Spence-Ash was trying to show how as an adult she was affected by her family situation, but we truly only see how her mom feels. Finally, Bea just tells you word for word how she has been changed close to the end of the book. This whole section of the book was just sad and could have been refined for a better (and happier) story.
This book looks at some deep themes during an emotional time in our world’s history. Childhood here is beautiful followed by a darkness that is adulthood

Upon reading the first look of this book, I knew that I had to have it. Historical fiction at it's best, this book follows the story and life of Bea, a young girl at the beginning of the story who is sent to America to live with a family during World War II. Although it could be considered WWII historical fiction, it surpasses that, and is a great, timeless story, that is elevated above your typical WWII story.

This book is told from multiple perspectives, and shows how one act in your life (such as being away from your family for five years) can really shape and form your own life into something that it may not have been, had the event not occurred.

This book was beautifully written, with short vignettes that switch off from perspective to perspective. I loved the short and sweet chapters, which made it easy to follow and easy to read and come back to at a later date. Definitely recommend this book!!!

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.