The Light Between Oceans

A Novel

By: M. L. Stedman

Narrated by: Noah Taylor

Length: 10 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

A captivating, beautiful, and stunningly accomplished debut novel - the story of a lighthouse keeper and his wife who make one devastating choice that forever changes two worlds.

In 1918, after four harrowing years on the Western Front, Tom Sherbourne returns to Australia to take a job as the lighthouse keeper on remote Janus Rock. To this isolated island, where the supply boat comes only four times a year and shore leaves are granted every other year at best, Tom brings a young, bold, and loving wife, Isabel. Three years later, after two miscarriages and one stillbirth, the grieving Isabel is tending the grave of her newly lost infant when she hears a baby’s cries on the wind. A boat has washed up on shore carrying a dead man and a living baby. Tom, whose records as a lighthouse keeper are meticulous and whose moral principles have withstood a horrific war, wants to report the dead man and the infant immediately. But Isabel has taken the tiny baby to her breast. Against Tom’s judgment, they claim the child as their own and name her Lucy, but a rift begins to grow between them. When Lucy is two, Tom and Isabel return to the mainland and are reminded that there are other people in the world…and one of them is desperate to find her lost baby.

M.L. Stedman’s extraordinarily compelling characters, still trying to make sense of life in the wake of so much death in the war, are imperfect people seeking to find their north star in a world of incomprehensible complexity.

©2012 Grasshill Communications. (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

“M.L. Stedman’s The Light Between Oceans is a beautiful novel about isolation and courage in the face of enormous loss. It gets into your heart stealthily, until you stop hoping the characters will make different choices and find you can only watch, transfixed, as every conceivable choice becomes an impossible one. I couldn’t look away from the page and then I couldn’t see it, through tears. It’s a stunning debut.” (Maile Meloy, author of Both Ways Is the Only Way I Want It)

Worth a read if just for the turn of phrase

This book is captivating at the start & beautifully written. The last 25-30% is a little slow as would be expected given the storyline.

2nd time was better than 1st!

I had listened to this book a couple of years ago (10/15) for a book club. I listened again for another book club which met this week (1/17). Started listening to refresh my memoty. I was going to just listen to small snippets here and thete to refresh my memory. The complex story and excellent writing caused me to listen to the entire book again. I think I enjoyed it more the second time around. I want to watch the movie but I'm sure the book will be so much better.

Loved this book!

I loved this book because of the love stories, heartbreak, compassion, and wisdom of the author. There were many lessons to be learned from this story.

WARNING: Unable to understand what is read

What did you like best about The Light Between Oceans? What did you like least?

This must come close to the worst narration ever on audible. In fact it's money out of the window. I can't understand this lisping narration, faltering over words and not pronouncing it properly.

I can't comment on the story as I've bought an ebook in stead and are reading it now. I find it so far very interesting. I had to rate it to be able to write this warning to anyone who is going to buy this version.

Well written!

Where does The Light Between Oceans rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Light Between Oceans is one of the better audiobooks I have listended to as an audiobooks. The accents were great and transitions were smooth.

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character was Tom because he was the most relatable. A good person carrying the world on his shoulders.

Have you listened to any of Noah Taylor’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

N/A

Any additional comments?

This is a well written book. The story is captivating, but so very sad. I would recommend it to anyone. I am excited to see what Stedman writes next.

How we contribute to our own tragedy

The title sounded interesting. I could tell immediately this was to be a sad book. The story of a couple who keep and raise a found baby without reporting it - well the reader knows this cannot have a happy ending. Wither them, the baby, the real parents, friends family or all of them will be adversely affected is eminent. Still it's a decent story to remind us "what would I do?" in situations like that. The Audible performance was just ok. The male reader with Australian accent had such a forlorn tone to the reading again it set a tragic tone. Frequently his voice would soften so much I could not discern the words. This required me to rewind the recording. I'd recommend
this book if you need to read something anguish filled and don't want to revisit Shakespearean tragedies.

voice is not very clear

The narrator's voice is very difficult to understand. sounds like he has a lisp. I definitely recommend the book version rather than the audio.

Audible Review

I enjoyed the story but was tempted to stop listening after the first 15 minutes due to the narrator and his speech. I’m glad I finished it and listened to the end, but I know I missed parts due to poor dialect.

Great story

Really captivating. Took awhile to get used to the readers australian accent- but eventually did.

Wonderful story

Where does The Light Between Oceans rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It was one of the better audiobooks I've listened to. The characters were all very real, and the story one of a real moral dilemma. Each character was tragic and I really felt their pain and wanted things to turn out well for them.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The whole book moved me!

Any additional comments?

The performance was wonderful. The reader's Australian accent really gave the book a sense of place.