Wow. What an incredibly beautiful and moving, layered story. I read a lot of WWII historical fiction and this book is something different. The author's writing in wonderfully nostalgic and I fell in love with each character, you really see life through their eyes. I highly recommend the audiobook. I would love to see this as a movie!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC audiobook for an honest review.

I was excited by the premise of this piece because it was based on an actual practice of sending British children to the US during the early days of WWII. However, the writing really wasn’t hooking me. The author's use of the multiple narrators device in such small chapters felt like snippets of cursory info without really diving into any of these relationships or characters fully except in their relationship to Bea. I shifted from the hard copy ARC the publisher sent me over to the audio production because I felt narration in multiple voices might keep me interested, and I also wanted to multitask (laundry, cleaning, dishes) to the finish. I think the increase in dialogue that happens more in parts 2 & 3 really helped, but overall if I hadn't been participating an early reader buddy read program I would probably have DNF'd this one. Thank you for the advanced listening copy.

I have read A LOT of World War 2 historical fiction, and several of those have been “English kids sent to the countryside during the Blitz,” which in itself seems pretty niche. However, I had not read any stories of English kids being sent to America. The combination of being away from family, having lived in the war, and experiencing the war from the States (especially after the US entered the war) made for interesting perspectives.

The first half of the book spans 5 years. Spence-Ash did a great job of establishing characters and showing the change in attitude towards Beatrice’s presence over that time. However, because there was so much time to cover, there were often big leaps in time, which startled me. There were several times that I thought there would be follow-up or repercussions to a storyline, then we’d jump months ahead, and the storyline/ actions had been dropped.

Spence-Ash is a wonderfully evocative writer. She makes me nostalgic for a place and time I’ve never been. It is a war story, but more than that, it’s a story about love and loss, family and chosen-family; one that could be set in any time. A book as beautifully lyrical as the title

When I read a historical fiction book, I like to learn something about that time that I didn't know, I like characters I can relate to and wonder whether I would make the same decisions, and a compelling story line. This novel checked all of those boxes. I knew during WW2 that families living in London sent their children to the english countryside and even Canada. I did not know they also sent their children to live with families in the US. This story is about a family who sent their 11 year old daughter to live with a family in the Boston area. Mar 2023 pub date. The narration was excellent.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. It is 1940 and there is war raging in London as Germans drop their bombs. Beatrix is 11 years old and her parents make the difficult decision to send her to America to live with complete strangers in order to stay safe from the War. At first Bea really misses home but as she starts to fit in with her new family and their 2 sons, she starts to like being in Boston. Each summer they travel to Maine to the cottage and Bea and the boys have a lot of fun together and grow closer and closer everyday. Once the war is over in London Bea is to return home but she does not want to leave her new family and friends behind. This is a story of love and strength and what you will do to keep your loved ones safe even though it tears your heart apart. This was a great read. Enjoy!!!

What a gut punch of a book! Historical fiction, romance, a little family drama come together in a beautiful story that spans decades. This is the perfect book for those who love a good story even if there's not a big reveal or climax. It's a steady plot that just keeps moving forward and building layer upon layer.

This is beautiful coming-of-age about an 11 year old girl sent from London to Massachusetts during WWII and how the five years she spent with the Gregory family shaped her life.

There are multiple POV’s but all were very easy to separate and felt so imperative to the development of the story. I never felt like one time period lasted too long. It might be a slower character-driven story but it moved at a nice clip and I loved every minute of it!

I did a combination of print and audio and can easily recommend either option!

Thank you @Goodreads and @Celadon for #gifted copy I won in the giveaway. And thank you @netgalley and @Macmillanaudio for the #alc in exchange for an honest review.

Beyond That, the Sea is a beautiful and endearing story that follows two families, one British and one American, brought together by Beatrix. It's a story about family and love in every form, and I found myself enjoying it so much more than I thought I would. This is a love story that isn't necessarily a romance, and it is so beautifully written. I can't wait for this to officially publish!

I definitely recommend this book if you love historical fiction. Thanks to Netgalley I was able to listen to the audiobook and not only loved the book, but also the narrator. I love all the characters different POVs and different timelines that bring the story together.

Beyond That, The Sea is a lovely story of an 11 year old English girl, Beatrix, who is sent to America by her parents during World War II when London was being bombed by the Germans. She crosses the Atlantic on a ship with other children, having no idea what to expect. When she arrives in New York, she is the last child to be picked up, but to her surprise, the family that has taken her in, live in a beautiful house outside of Boston. The book is written from the perspectives of all the members of her family, as well as the family to whom she has come. Nancy and Ethan have two sons, William and Gerald, and she soon bonds with them as well as with their parents. Her parents, Millie and Reginald struggle to overcome the feelings of guilt over sending Beatrix to America and Millie's anger at Reginald for pushing her to do it.
The reader follows these families for many years, and experiences their lives as they unfold. Spencer-Ash does a phenomenal job of presenting the very realistic events and scenarios that develop through the years listened to the audiobook which is narrated by Ell Potter who does an outstanding job of voicing all the characters, male and female with their respective accents. I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to anyone. Thank you to Celadon Books Publishing and Netgalley for allowing me to preview this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and Celadon Books for the audio e-book in exchange for an honest review.

The audio book was so well done! British and american accents were authentic and the switching of narrators was flawless! I really enjoyed this one and highly recommend the audio!

This is a family drama that spans 40 years, from the onset of WWII in the early 1940s through the 1970s-1980s. It follows 2 families as they are impacted by the war. The Thompsons, a London family, make the heartbreaking and difficult decision to send their 11 y daughter, Beatrix, to America to live with the Gregories, a wealthy family in Massachusetts. Thinking this is only a short term arrangement, Beatrix arrives and ends up staying 5 years before returning home.

The book is divided into three parts, when Beatrix arrives in America, and then Beatrix's life after America, which is split into the other 2 parts. In Part 1, Beatrix grows and blossoms with the Gregorys, who provide such an idyllic family life and a much better one that would have been provided in London. The Gregories adore Beatrix and completely enjoin her in their family. The flip side is the war torn Thompsons suffering through air raids and coping with their only child gone and then Beatrix's own guilty feelings, knowing she has it so much better than her parents.

Parts II and III show how much of an impact the American life had on Beatrix as an adult and on the Gregories as well.

I absolutely loved this story and highly recommend it to any historical fiction readers!

What defines someone as your family?

During WWII, Bea's family sends her from London to a family in America to hopefully keep her safe during the war. In addition to Bea's viewpoint throughout, we get to see the viewpoints of both families. When the war ends, she struggles to let go of her found family even as she's thrilled to go home.

While this was set during the war, it wasn't really about the war and we only experience the war peripherally. This was a story about what makes someone your family, how you reconcile with the things family does in the name of love, and where you consider "home."

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the opportunity to review this book ahead of publication. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

It’s 1940, in the midst of World War II, when Millie and Reginald Thompson make the heart wrenching decision to send their 11 year old daughter, Beatrix, off to America to live safely with the Gregory’s (Nancy, Ethan, and their two sons, Gerald and William). Although at first scared and displaced, Bea quickly finds herself warming up to the Gregory’s by learning their ways, listening to their stories, and adjusting to their lifestyle.

Once the war is over, Bea is sent back to London where she finds herself navigating through life while also remembering the world she left behind.

I truly do not know how to put into words how much I adored this debut novel! The writing is absolutely magnificent and had me feeling like I was right there with the characters (and oh, how I loved the characters!). I also really enjoyed that this book read in the third person, switching each chapter between the viewpoints of everyone in Beatrix’s life. It was a nice change from what I’m used to!

This book eloquently touches on all the emotions of life: love, loss, heartache, forgiveness, joy, and grace. I found myself laughing at the innocence of growing up and misty eyed at the rawness of growing old.

I’m so sad that this book has come to an end; I only wish it were longer! I would highly recommend to all.

This book is between 4-4.25⭐️ for me! It was a sweeping tale, perfect for fans of historical fiction and multi-POV character stories.

It was part coming of age, war, family & romance - none overshadowing each other. It’s a story of the ways we all connect in life, both unexpected and destined.

It’s timeless message about how old becomes new, history being written everyday, and finding who you are meant to be takes years.

I was pleasantly surprised by this one & am glad I read it! I don’t know if I would have had I not gotten an arc from Celadon!

What caught my eye and attention initially was the title, then the premise of the story and the cover photo. I was hooked.

I read this novel on audiobook and was completely absorbed in and swept up into it. The narrator is the lovely Ell Potter who brought me right into the 1940's (long before I was born!). And in this case, Ell Potter also kept me interested in the characters and plot.

This is an emotional novel, which features a young Beatrix, who lives with her parents (Millie and Reg) in England during WWII (1940's). "They" decide it's best for Beatrix to go to America during the war, instead of staying with them, in order to keep her safe from the constant bombings of London.

I can only imagine how frightening it must be for children of wartimes who are sent away to live with complete strangers. I have a close family member who was brought up in Hungary and was sent to Switzerland with his 2 siblings when the Russians pillaged and took over their country. The 3 children were split up and his Suisse "cousins" were unwelcoming, unloving, and cold to this young and tender boy. It was a terrifying and lonely period in his life.

However, in this case, Bea is extremely fortunate as she is sent to live with a wonderful family living on the east coast in Boston, Massachusetts. This fairly affluent (upper middle-class?) family vacations, or should I say "summers", in beautiful Maine at a cottage handed down to Mrs Gregory. The Gregory's, have 2 sons, one younger and one slightly older than Bea. She is treated very kindly and respectfully by everyone, and the younger son clearly has a smacking crush on Bea. As the elder boy ages, things change a bit in their relationship. Although they aren't wealthy, the Gregory's live in a lovely home, do fun things and are fun to be with, and buy new things for Bea that she never had before (a good dress, a pretty winter coat, etc.). Mrs. Gregory is particularly loving, kind, and welcoming in every way. Bea lives with this kind family for 5 years! Over this time, it's clear that they have become each other's family now and Bea is fully immersed into their lives.

Once WWII is over, Bea is summoned back to London and she finds her father has died. It is a hard transition for her back in England and she misses her life with the Gregory family, but Bea continues to do the right thing and adapts to her new almost-adult life. We learn of her mother's new husband, later some of Bea's friendships and dates, and how much Bea's connection with the oldest son means to her.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and MacMillan audio for this ARC.
I'd also like to thank the author Laura Spece-Ash and congratulations on her first published book!

Absolutely love this book. The storyline was amazing. It kept my focus.i would definitely read more from this author.

Thank you to MacMillan Audio for an advanced audio copy of this book.

I mostly listened to this one and loved the narration by Ell Potter and highly highly recommend consuming this one via audiobook although a physical also has its perks. When I picked up the book to read, the formatting is different with dialogue, which may be a love/hate thing for readers. I personally enjoyed it as it allowed the book to flow. Another thing I liked about the book was the timeline on the bottom of the book. Each part had the years that would come up in that section, and the year they were currently in was bolded. As someone who loves to flip back and reference earlier sections, this was useful.

As for the story itself, I wasn't so sure at first and almost set it aside for another day, thinking it would be too historical fiction-y for my mood. What it turned out to be was a beautiful story of a complex family situation and relationships over the years. Please do not see the historical fiction tag and dismiss this book.

The characters were real, each having their flaws and their strengths. The emotions were real. The highs and the lows, the happy times, and the times of grief. If you love stories of family and home I cannot recommend this one enough.

It is not a fast-paced read, but one that made me feel so very invested in the story. It's one I think will stick with me and has earned an early notation in my top books of the year list.

This book exceeded my expectations. Having read many World War II stories I was interested to read a new perspective, one where European children were sent away for their safety and how those years abroad shaped their lives. It was both heartbreaking and beautiful to read.

Ell Potter did an incredible job bringing these characters to life. It’s always amazing to hear one’s multitude of voices, both male and female, and she did not disappoint.

Thankyou to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC.

I really enjoyed Beyond That, the Sea by Laura Spence-Ash. The main character Beatrix is sent, as a child, to live with an American family during World War 2, where she forms strong and lasting connections with the two sons, William and Gerald. While I've read plenty of WW2 stories, this one felt different and unique. It focused less on the war and more on the character's lives and development. I loved how her relationships with the brothers changed over time, and how the story didn't stop at the war's end. Getting to see them all grow into adults with complex dreams and desires, seeing how they remained connected to each other, was moving.

I don't read a lot of historical fiction, but I'm glad I decided to give this one a try. I get tired of the same old war stories, so I was relieved and delighted when this turned out to be more of a family saga instead.

Thank you so much to Celadon and also MacMillan Audio for my complimentary ARC and ALC.

3 stars

This is my first read from this author, and I look forward to adding to that list.

Beatrix's (later Bea's) parents make a decision when she is very young to move her out of the country in an attempt to protect her from the immediate horrors of war. In the process, they create a child who has two sets of experiences, people, and selves, to some degree. Spence-Ash creates a nice sense of flow and enough investment in Bea and her joint worlds to keep readers engaged.

One of my favorite experiences with historical fiction is getting to really feel like I'm in the character's time and place and - to a large extent - headspace. I'm not sure if it was the audio format or what the central culprit was, but I did not connect as much with this character or setting as I expected to based on past encounters with the genre. I still felt interested in the story throughout but not as deeply connected as I hoped.

Overall, this is a solid read, and I recommend the audio version when and where accessible.