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 narrator was wonderful. 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. Since I listened to the audio I can also highly recommend it – the narrator 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

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* This was a good change of pass from thrillers for sure, would recommend

This book was outstanding. It took a while to get used to the multiple perspectives but it was nice that the author had the character’s name for each chapter so you knew who was talking. I appreciated the story going all the way to the main person’s life. It was a sweet and tender story and highly recommended.

I have just listened to the Audio version of Beyond That,The Sea, by Author Laura Spence-Ash, narrated by Ell Potter.

I was drawn to this Historical Fiction about war, and children of war who were shipped to America to protect them during these times as I am a fan of Historical Fiction as a whole.

The main character is eleven-year-old Beatrix, who is sent by ship to a family in Boston. The story takes us through her life, and the time during the war as well as after the war.

The family who she is sent to is a lively family with two boys. They are rather affluent compared to what her life was like. back in London. Vacationing in Main, parties’ dresses, and food quite unlike her war stricken home across the pond.

This audio book took me a very long time to get through, much longer than is the norm for me.

I really had a hard time finishing it. But I do not like to leave a book unfinished one I start it. It just was not a good fit for me.

I found it overall very somber, and slow going. However, it is so far getting very good ratings, so I am not in the majority with my opinion.

Thank You to NetGalley, The Author and Macmillan Audio for my advanced copy to read and review!

2.5 Stars

#Netgalley #macmillanaudio

Do I have a good historical fiction recommendation for you. Beyond that, the sea is a story that is set during World War II in London England. Bombings are becoming more frequent so many parents were sending their children to America or other places to stay safe. We have Beatrix (Bea/Trixie) and her family decided to send her to America to live with the Gregorys. We get to watch be grow up over the years and see her interactions with the Gregorys, William and Gerald, the two sons and the mother and father. This is not without that strain on her own family back in England. We see her interactions between these two different women that have become her mothers and these two boys who are like brothers but not really. We watch her grow from a teen girl all the way to a young woman, living a life on her own back in England. It’s a beautiful story with lots of heartache and love. You follow not only Bea’s life but the life of all the characters in the books you see where they start and where they end. I highly recommend this.

Thank you to @laura_spence_ash and @celadonbooks @macmillan.audio and @netgalley for the gifted physical and audiobook copies of this book that comes out in March.

Beyond That, the Sea by Laura Spence-Ash is an epic tale that spans more than three decades and two continents. It is near the beginning of World War II that a family in London, the Thompsons, make the heartbreaking decision to send their eleven-year-old daughter, Beatrix, to America so she will be safe during the war. This decision has a profound impact on both the Thompson family and the American family, the Gregorys, for many years to come. Together and apart, they suffer heartbreaks and loss, make life changing decisions, and search for happiness and meaning in their lives.

By following the individuals in these families (and we do get to hear parts of the story from the perspectives of all the different family members) over such a long time span we really get to know the characters and become invested in how they grow and forge a life for themselves. I enjoy stories that explore the intricacies of relationships in a family and this book which includes both biological and found family units delivers in this regard.

I listened to this book on audio and the narrator, Ell Potter, was very easy to listen to and did a great job voicing this emotional tale.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for sending this audiobook for review consideration.

I loved this book and I loved the narration. The story was so well woven and I fell in love with the characters.

Wow, I am constantly at awe as to what people went through and to what extent they went to make sure their family was safe during WW2. This book is an example of what a family did to keep their daughter safe and how this one decision changed not just their family but also so many others . I am glad that I read this even though it is a fiction book it is still a very real example of what went on during that time.

Thank you so much to my partners @celadonbooks and @macmillan.audio for these #gifted copies.

Tender, evocative, poignant. I was completely absorbed in this epic saga that delves into themes of home and belonging.

As bombs rained down on London, Beatrix was forced from her home in England to the safety of America. It didn’t take long for her to feel at home with the Greggorys, deeply connected with each member of this new family and blossoming in a way she couldn’t have in Europe. And yet, when the war was over, she would have to return to her mother and to London. Belonging to families on both sides of the Atlantic, Bea felt stuck between two worlds and two versions of herself.

This is a sweeping tale, spanning decades. And I found myself engrossed in the unfolding. It’s a journey through life with all its complexities and challenges. But mostly, it’s a story of connection and belonging.

Beatrix is our focal point, but it’s the other characters that create the depth in her story. With a heart forever entwined to the Gregory family and a deep abiding obligation to her mother, the shifting POVs allow a broader examination of the juxtaposition with which Beatrix finds herself. The characters are intricately woven, and the richly layered relationships provide an intimate examination of the variation of bonds that bind.

Features I appreciated:
🌿 Beatrix’ two names- Trixie to those in England, and Bea to those in America. The names didn’t just indicate with whom she kept company but also with which version of herself she identified at the moment.
🌿The timeline at the bottom right corner of the pages- With the novel spanning decades, the boldfaced corner feature seamlessly allowed the passage of time without confusion.

There’s some bit of magic Spence-Ash has woven throughout her prose and plot. I closed the pages of the book nostalgic for a time and place I’d never experienced, longing for connections to people that I’d never actually met.

This is a standout debut, and I’ll be eager to see what Laura Spence-Ash does next.

🎧 The audiobook is beautifully narrated by Nell Potter. With a lovely British accent and affecting tone, her depiction drew me in. And even when I wasn’t listening to this one, it was Potter’s voice I continued to imagine for Bea.

The narrator did such an amazing job with this book. I loved the different accents for each character, it really added to the listening experience. This was such an emotional story about family and found family. I enjoyed every emotional minute of it.

I loved the twist love story at the end. Although, part of me kind of felt like she was settling I was still happy to see Bea getting to live out her childhood dreams in a way. So much tragedy and yet, so much love as well. I just love that they were all so impacted that they kept touch over the years.

🌀Synopsis
As WWII rages in Europe, Beatrix’s parents choose to send her to America to live with a family and keep her safe. Bea goes to live with the Gregory’s who show her a whole new world. Her “adopted” brothers William and Gerald are her best friends and she falls in seamlessly with her new family.
Before she knows it, though, she is due to return to England. She’s hopelessly in love with William and sad to be leaving. Worse yet, she must face the reality of losing her father during the war and returning to a new stepfather who she hasn’t yet met.
Her relationship with her mother remains rocky through the years but she manages to keep in touch with the Gregory’s too. When Mr. G dies, she gets a chance to see William again and they fall in love again. Through the years they lose touch but his tragic death brings her back to the states where she rekindles her relationships with Mrs. G and Gerald.
Bea grows closer and closer to Gerald and finds herself loving him as much as she loved William. The two ultimately end up together and are able to live both their dreams.

At eleven years old, Beatrix is sent to live in America by her parents while London is being bombed during WWII. This is a story of two families living through World War II on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean, and the shy, irresistible young woman who will call them both her own.

I adored Beatrix and her journey to America on her own! I loved the multiple points of view from both families and hearing about how Beatrix grew up with her American family in part one and what her life was like after she left America and returned to London. Elle Potter’s narration was superb. I recommend this novel.

It’s 1940, and in WWII London, families are sending their children to America to keep them safe during the bombings. Beatrix is one of the children. She’s sent to live with the Gregory’s in Massachusetts and quickly becomes a part of the family. William and Gerald are like her brothers, but also so much more. After the war ends, Bea must return to London, but she can’t let go of her American family.

Laura Spence-Ash’s take on WWII historical fiction was so unique and beautifully told. I didn’t realize that children had been sent from London to live with American families during the war so that was eye opening for me. I couldn’t imagine what that must have been like for them, and reading Bea’s story made it seem magical yet, tough at the same time.

I loved Bea as a character and reading her story and growth as a person through the 37 years of this book. The book is told in three parts, 1940-1945, August 1951, and 1960-1965 with the epilogue set in 1977. The chapters are short and told from many different perspectives. This worked so well for me! I loved seeing how the different times affected each character differently.

To me, the best part was Bea’s connection to the Gregory’s and how she just couldn’t let them go after returning to London and how they couldn’t let her go either. She lived with them during her formative years, and they definitely had an impact on her life.

Although this book starts off during WWII, this isn’t a only WWII historical fiction story. There is so much more to this book, and the war is just a minor part. I thought this story was beautifully written, and I loved everything about it.

I listened along to the audiobook while reading my physical ARC. Ell Potter was the perfect narrator for this story. I liked how she changed the voices to differentiate the characters, but not in a drastic way. Her voice was soothing and worked so well for this book.

Thank you Celadon Books and Macmillan Audio for advanced copies in exchange for my honest review.

Incredible! This book is so well written. I didn't want it to end. A lovely story of a couple in London who makes the impossible decision to send their school age daughter Beatrix to live in America during WW2. Bea quickly folds into the mix with her new family, the Gregory's. This novel tells the story of how Bea came to Boston to live safely (and temporarily) during the early 1940s. She is the sister Gerald and William always dreamed of. Soon the US joins the world war and Bea finds herself heading back to London. She's missing her new family but also looking forward to finding herself back in Europe. This story follows what it means to love, to experience loss and to find understanding after many years apart. I could not put it down. It's definitely a must read in 2023!

A special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for an advance copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.

Sometimes the very best books are the ones you weren’t even looking for.

When this book arrived unsolicited in my mailbox wrapped in brown parcel paper and tied with string showing a vintage stamp and Air Mail insignia, I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it, but some friends’ glowing reviews convinced me to try it. I even got the audiobook to listen along.

I was a fool to wait. This was a beautiful debut by Laura Spence-Ash!

When eleven-year-old Beatrix (Bea) Thompson’s parents, Millie and Reginald, send her to a foster family in America to shelter her from the WWII bombing raids on London, they can’t foresee how this one choice will impact the rest of her life. What Bea finds is that “love” and “family” aren’t as easy to define as you’d think.

Ethan and Nancy Gregory and their two boys, older son William and younger son Gerald, become Bea’s de facto family for five very important formative years … years she spends being folded into this affluent family’s lifestyle, home, values, and community. She also finds her first love. Unfortunately, she has to leave that love behind when her mother calls for her return to London.

Here’s the thing that surprised me the most about this book: I was expecting Bea to find romance, and it was there, but what I wasn’t expecting is that the true “romance” of this book would be falling in love with the Gregory family and Bea’s relationship with them!

For those who worry that this may be dry WWII-based historical fiction, let me assure you that this book is a full emotional experience. There were moments of frustration and sadness for sure, but also a whole lot of tenderness and heart! Bea was particularly special. I also loved the American setting of Boston and the family trips to Maine. Those trips reminded me just a bit of my favorite book from last year: Every Summer After by Carley Fortune - only set in an older timeline.

The plot is divided into three parts covering 1940-1945, August 1951 and 1960-1965 with an epilogue set in 1977 to show Bea’s time in America and the aftermath of returning to London after the war. My favorite part was the older timeline, but honestly all three parts came together so well. The book definitely went in a couple directions I didn’t see coming, but Spence-Ash skillfully wove the story threads together into a heartwarming and memorable story.
Whether you read it, listen to the excellent narration by Ell Potter, or both, it’s a beautiful debut and I highly recommend it!

★★★★ ½

Thank you to Celadon Books and author Laura Spence-Ash for the gifted copy and Macmillan Audio for the ALC to review. My opinions are given freely and honestly. It's due to be published March 21, 2023.

I’ve read a lot of books about WWII but not as many books about what it was like after the war. This particular story is abut Bea, an 11-year-old sent to America during the bombings in London. She assimilates into an American family with two sons during the war years, only to be wrenched away at the end of the war.

Her time in America forever changes Bea, and she struggles to reconnect to her home country and her family. As she grows up, her American family is never far from her heart. I loved to see how she merged her two families over the course of her life. While often sad at times, it was truly a lovely tale.

I thought this book would be more about WWII, but was interesting to have a different perspective after reading The Nightengale which was heavily war-focused. I didn't know that children would get sent to America to have a sense of normalcy. It gave a new view into the war and its impact on families.

This is a tender story about many caring people. I enjoyed this audio book narrated beautifully by Ell Potter. A work of fiction but a small bit of history I wasn't aware before listening to this book. It tells the story of a young girl, sent from England during WWII, by her parents, to be kept safe by a family (unrelated to her) in America until the war ends. The attachment she develops to this loving family is what carries us through the entire book. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys women's fiction with historical reference. Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Net Gallery for an early listen to this lovely story in return for my honest review.

Beyond That, the Sea…. A coming of age novel by Laura Spence-Ash. A story about finding yourself in the midst of wherever you are. Bea is only eleven when war breaks out in Europe. She is sent to America to live with the Gregory’s. The Gregory’s are a lovely family who make her one of their own. When the war ends and she must go home, she has to figure out who she is now. Told from multiple perspectives, Beyond That, the Sea, will allow you a glimpse into the heart and how, as we grow, so does it. And how, as we change and get older, the things we love remain the same but so very different. A sweet book. And the narrator did an excellent job. Thanks #NetGalley and the publishers. All opinions are my own.

Thank you, Celadon Books, for the gifted copy of Beyond That, the Sea 🌊 {partner}

Genre: Historical Fiction
Time: 1940 — 1977
Format: 🎧
Pub Date: 3.21.2023
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆.5

“She understands now that death has a way of providing freedom.”

I've strayed away from WWII-centered books for the last year or two. But then I decided to sign up to read Beyond That, the Sea through the Celadon Read-along initiative. Once I signed up and received the book, I became apprehensive — what if I didn't like the book? I felt guilty for potentially taking on this book when it's been a genre I've avoided.

But this is different from your typical WWII book. It may begin during the war, but Beyond That, the Sea is much more than that. It encompasses one of my favorite historical fiction tropes - following a character over their lifetime. In this book, we follow two brothers (William & Gerald) in America and a young English girl (Bea) who flees her home during the war to live with her family in the states.

In this character-driven story, we are given an inside look into their journey throughout the war, how different it was for families here vs. families in Europe, and then life after Bea returns to London. It was a beautifully written story, and I'm so glad I chose to read this with Celadon.

Don't get me wrong, Beyond That, the Sea was heartbreaking at times, but the ending brought me so much comfort. These characters had survived so much, but they kept going, and I love this gentle reminder to keep moving forward.

3️⃣ Told in three parts
👥 Character-driven
⏳ Coming-of-age and then some
🎧 No quotation marks (I loved the audio)
🗓️ Love the years added to the bottom of each page - it was such a nice touch to the story

I recommend reading Beyond That, the Sea if you enjoyed reading The Dutch House or The Most Fun We Ever Had.