The Bibliophiliac’s Corner – “The Light Between Oceans”
The Connection writer Amanda Merriman admits she is hopelessly addicted to books. It has been this way nearly all her life. Every month she shares what she has been reading with the hope that others will share in her obsession.
Dear readers, if the post-World War I era, lighthouses, life-course altering choices, and an exploration of morality intrigue you, then M. L. Steadman’s “The Light Between Oceans” is a novel very much worth delving into. Tom and Isabel are the main characters in Steadman’s book. Their paths intersect at a time when Isabel is a fresh, pert young woman open to life’s possibilities and living it to the fullest. Tom is the polar opposite with insidious battle scars that are not visible but are emotional. These scars cause him to become guarded, desiring only to live a simple solitary life to make up for all of his perceived wrongdoings in the war. Tom believes this will be achieved through his new post as a lighthouse keeper on a remote island.
When Isabel joins him on the island as his wife, she begins to open his heart in a way that perhaps could only have happened in this isolated setting. Life unfolds during their time there, leaving them tragically childless – that is, until a baby mysteriously washes ashore. Events unfold that neither of them could have predicted, as Tom and Isabel have to live with their choices, torn between what is right and wrong. The Light Between Oceans is a tale of opposing forces and will bring readers along for the ride. This bibliophiliac thinks it would be a great novel for book clubs to devour and then follow up with an outing to see the film adaptation due to be released later this year.
Fellow bibliophiles and book club members, please feel free to join in the dialogue. Blog your thoughts and feedback at www.castlepinesconnection.com and enter the keyword “bibliophiliac” in the search bar. Have you read a great book recently? Don’t keep that juicy tidbit all to yourself. Email your find to amerriman@castlepinesconnection.com.
