I thought the story was nice and I enjoyed all of the characters, but the author basically just told us everything without showing us - every time some sort of important event was supposed to happen, it would suddenly be the next chapter with a time jump and we would just get the aftermath. We didn't actually see much of anything. I also didn't really see *SPOILER* Bea ending up with Gerald--I guess there was some lead up but her falling for both of her "brothers" just felt a little weird?

Eventually it got a little tiresome to read because nothing huge was happening, and for a character driven story I really didn't FEEL the character growth; a lot of the characters just read like the same voice to me.

Overall not a bad story at all, but based on the plot summary I suppose I was hoping for more. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC

A simply beautiful character driven work. Beatrix is sent to live in America when being in London just isn't safe anymore during the times of WWII. I can't imagine having to make that decision as a parent. The parents feel guilt, Beatrix feels anger, and actions have consequences. Quite luckily for her, the family that Beatrix is sent to welcomes her and she folds beautifully into the family. Then the war is finally over and has to go back home - but can she? This story is told from many points of view and it was so very well done!!

Wow, this was quite a book! 4.5 stars!
Imagine, if you will, being a child sent away to America during the Blitz in WW2. Being more fortunate than some, you’re taken in by a wonderful couple with two boys near your age, and after a bit of adjustment, everyone just “clicks” together. This family sees you through your beginning teen years, celebrates birthdays and holidays together each year, vacations in Maine together every summer. The war and your parents always seem far away, even though letters are exchanged over the years.
Then, WW2 finally ends… and you find yourself leaving the place that has been home for more than 5 years, heading back to the country of your birth…and everything in you longs to stay put.
This book takes the reader from the ‘40s into the ‘70s. Written in third person, one “gets into the minds” of Bea the evacuee child, her host family, her parents that let her go for her own safety, and a few others, over the span of four decades. Years of global changes, and personal changes as well.
Beautifully written! For an avid reader of historical fiction like myself, this book was like chocolate candy!
*Thanks to Netgalley for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.*

What a lovely debut! Laura Spence-Ash’s Beyond That, the Sea, is a captivating, intelligent, emotional, coming of age tale of love, family, grief and resilience. Ambitiously told from the perspectives of multiple characters, this story is beautifully written, if occasionally meandering, melancholy and sad. And the sense of place through decades from WWII London to New England is strong throughout. The descriptions of the WWII era summers at the Maine island and family home are particularly exquisite.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the complimentary ARC. Opinions are my own.

This book is a mixture of historical fiction, family drama and romance.

The book begins with Bea being sent to America by her parents to avoid the London bombings by the Germans in the early 40’s. Bea is young, shy and doesn’t comprehend why she is sent so far away to live with strangers. Those strangers become her second family over the years she spends with them though, intertwining their lives forever.

People die, divorces happen, relationships come and go for Bea, William and Gerald. Years pass without contact, then they come back to each other’s lives. Bea’s Mom struggles with guilt over permitting Bea to be sent away, and the two of them clash often.

I liked the book, but I think I would have enjoyed it more without the drama and angst. It was well-written and edited, just less historical fiction than I expected.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

This book brought me back to my childhood of reading Kit Pearson's trilogy on the same subject, though this was a story much more fitting for adults with all the ever afters I wondered about!

What a beautifully written story. This book hooks you on the first page and doesn't let go. It has wonderful characters and a great story line. I loved how the author brought this book to life with her words, and made you feel like you were there. I highly recommend this book to any who is a fan of Historical fiction.
I received a complimentary copy from Celadon Books via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I found this book engaging from the moment I started reading and had difficulty putting it down. This is an aspect of WW2 that I had heard about but hadn’t really thought about what the impact would be. It is the story of a young girl sent to safety in America during the war. It is a character driven story with richly developed three dimensional characters from both the British and American side. The book captures the angst, joy and trials of both the decision and resulting struggle of sending your child so far away to unknown people for the child’s safety and the decision of accepting an unknown child into your family. Overarching that, is the impact those decisions have on this young girl, reconcile how to merge the cultures/families The book addresses these issues with warmth, sensitivity, sadness, realism and love. It is a wonderful read. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for letting me read this book.

Captivating to say the least!! Extremely well written, i loved every page and oh how I rooted for Bea to end up with one of the Gregory boys. I also enjoyed the multiple points of view, especially in a character driven novel, this helped move the story along quickly without feeling rushed. A home run ;) for sure!

Beyond That, the Sea was just the gentle, immersive book I was hoping for after reading a wilder, more adventurous novel. In 1940, 11-year-old Beatrix Thompson's parents send her from London to the United States in hopes that she'll be safe from Hitler's bombings. Bea is lucky enough to end up in Boston with the Gregory family. She misses her family terribly and they miss her, but she quickly fits in with 13-year-old William and nine-year-old Gerald. Bea learns how to swim at the Gregory's island summer home, excels academically, and grows into a teenager. When the war ends, she is unsure about where she belongs and fearful about returning home to a different London and a family that is much different.

The story is told in short chapters, each from a different POV. Laura Spence-Ash provides plenty of insight and emotion without writing overwrought drama. I very much enjoyed this WWII era story told from a unique and original perspective.

Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. It will be published on March 21, 2023.

When I first saw the table of contents I thought - Oh my goodness, I'll never be able to keep these people straight. That was an issue. They are delightful, interesting people and not difficult to get to know. I actually hated to see the book end!
Beyond That, The Sea is a wonderful story beautifully told. In my opinion all of the characters are likeable, even Bea's mum.
This lovely novel restored my belief in the goodness and generosity of people.
I highly recommend this book.
Thank you to NetGalley, Celadon Books and Laura Spence-Ash for an ARC of Beyond That, The Sea.
#BeyondThat,TheSea#LauraSpence-Ash#CeladonBooks#NetGalley

I enjoyed this book. It follows Beatrix over the course of her life from a young teen through adulthood. She is sent to America during WW2 to live with an American family where she will be safe. She builds a strong loving relationships with her new family, but must return to her home in England after the war.

The story is told from many perspectives, Beatrix’s as well as members of her American and English families.

Characters are well developed, but the storyline is slow and often predictable. I both read and listened to this book. The narrator’s voice and English accent are beautiful and inspired me to listen.

4.5 crafted stars rounded to 5
“Every day is a new adventure, even if they are doing things they’ve done before and before and before.”

Beyond That, the Sea shares twenty-five years in the life of two families connected through WWII. It captures bygone slices of America. Spence-Ash is descriptive with few words. “When you look back, it’s so easy to see the path that you’ve traveled. But looking forward, there are only dreams and fears.”

Spencer-Ash creates personal, nuanced characters that the reader grows to care about in this tender sweet book. Emotions ring true. “Bea burns that letter, late one night in the courtyard, holding a match to her angry words. Her two worlds, colliding. Smashing up against each other.” The book makes you feel the passage of childhood and the longing for what was.

Spence-Ash transports the reader with lovely writing: “She was struck, whenever she saw the island from the mainland, at how different it was when seen from afar. It was beautiful, a blurry patch of green, caught up between the ocean and the sky. It was also so small that she could hold it in the palm of her hand. When they were on the island, though she was the one who was small; it was her whole world. It was as though nowhere else existed.”

The only thing I’d improve is the lackluster title. Perhaps ‘Caught Between Ocean and Sky’ has a bit more momentum.

Nell Potter’s narration brings the story to life. Characters are easy to differentiate. At first, I thought the voice was a tiny bit too sophisticated for the characters, but I quickly grew used to it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this gut wrenching character driven, historical fiction set during WW2.The differing point of views gave the full perspective about what was going on. Loved the plot and story but it was hard to follow at times.

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for providing me with this eARC!

Beyond That, The Sea is a historical fiction novel of a young girl who was sent from war ridden London to America during WWII. This story dives into the life of Bea as a child who became part of another family, to an adult Bea and how her life changed when coming back to her home after the war.

I really did enjoy this book but I wish there was more of her childhood in America and less of her adult life. I loved the innocence of Bea as a child and growing up into a young woman in America without her own parents. I found myself slightly bored with the story after the war. Sure there were many surprises throughout but nothing that really made me want more.

Pub date: 3/21/23
Genre: historical fiction, coming of age
Quick summary: In 1940, 11-year-old Londoner Beatrix is sent to Massachusetts to keep her safe - but five years in the US will change her life, her host family's lives, and her parents' lives forever.

I love coming of age stories, and this one had me hooked! It's hard to write a "new" World War II story given how saturated the genre is, but Laura Spence-Ash found a unique angle. I enjoyed seeing WWII America through Beatrix's eyes and watching her grow up and become part of her host family, the Gregorys. I listened to the beginning of the book on audio, and narrator Ell Potter did a great job bringing me into Beatrix's world.

This book is primarily character-driven, and Beatrix's relationships with both sets of parents and her host brothers William and Gerald were a highlight. I also loved their idyllic childhood summers in Maine. The book extended through the 1970s, so the reader could see how these relationships changed over time after Bea returned to London. The childhood timeline was my favorite, but I thought the ending of the book was quite fitting.

If you enjoy coming of age and character-driven stories, give this one a try!

Thank you to Celadon Books for my e-ARC and Macmillan Audio for my ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my God I loved this book. I got the audio and became a social pariah because all I wanted to do was listen to the story. The story is of Bea, a young girl sent from Britain to Boston by her parents at the start of WWII for her own safety. She lives with the Gregorys a family with two boys around the same age she, William and Gerald, two very different personalities but both love Bea in their own way. She becomes part of their family and by the time she goes home, she is a very different Bea than she was before. The novel, which takes on the voice of all of the characters, follows them throughout the lives and adds voices as characters are added to the novel.

The story was beautiful, the characters, even those you thought you wouldn’t love, were given such dimension that you feel empathy for everyone in the book. I kept wanted to know what happened next to each person and the family as a whole. I loved following this family throughout their lives and I highly recommend this book for someone looking for a good read. Sometimes I enjoy going back and forth between audio and reading (I walk a lot). This is a great book to do that with since I thought that narrator was really good, she didn’t over emphasize any character and I found her a very soothing storyteller.

This is a 4.5 star review.

Thank You to NetGalley, Celadon Books and Macmillan Audio for my advanced copy to review

This is a beautifully written and very touching historical fiction that follows a British evacuee and her surrogate family during World War II. I love when a book is written with multiple POVs and this is no exception. There are so many characters and it is amazing to see into their thoughts and feelings throughout the book. The middle part of the book really dragged for me (specifically anything with Rose and the Kennedys). Otherwise the pacing was good and the storyline exciting. For me personally I view books differently after becoming a mother. So the storyline of sending your child across an ocean to keep them safe but missing out on their childhood is heart wrenching. You can feel that not only is it extremely difficult for Millie and Reg to make such a decision but it puts such a strain on their relationship. Nancy and Ethan are loving parents but have a similar strain with the addition of a child to their home. How long will she be there and how does one deal with raising a child that isn’t yours? The family drama is dynamic and well written. However, the romantic drama was a little off to me. I can’t understand how William and Bea can have such feelings and not try harder to visit or do something about it. Gerald was one of my favorite characters and I feel like his storyline is a total afterthought. The setting is amazing and the story is wonderfully entertaining. I highly recommend! I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.

I barely have words for how much I adored this book. A beautiful story about two families living through World War II on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean, and for how complex that already sounds, it goes so much deeper. I loved seeing every character's perspective throughout, feeling as if I was getting such a rich and varied perspective. And I loved the many themes of grief, coming of age, healing, friendships, and deep love. But most of all, how incredibly difficult it is to not be able to go back to our past and live in it, bask in its warm glow, feel its familiar edges -- but how, even when it's gone, it continues to shape who we are today. Just a wonderful story that I truly don't think I'll ever forget.

Millie and Reg Thompson make the heartbreaking decision to send their 11 year old daughter, Beatrix, to America to live with the Gregory family during the London Blitz early in WW11. I absolutely loved this historical fiction/coming of age novel which is told from various perspectives and covers over 30 years. It is beautifully written with an original storyline and characters that came to life for me and lingered in my thoughts for some time after I read the last word.