As he walked down the path, he heard the sweet notes of Isabel’s voice as she sang, ‘Blow the wind southerly, southerly, southerly, blow the wind south o’er the bonnie blue sea.’ Though the music was tuneful, it failed to comfort him as he climbed the stairs of the light, fending off a strange uneasiness at the concession he had made.
They break the rules and follow their hearts. What happens next will break yours.
Shattered by his experiences in the World War I trenches, veteran Tom Sherbourne returns to his home in Australia to his wife Isabel. Looking for restoration and peace the couple move to an isolated lighthouse where they try to rebuild their lives and long for a child that never comes. Then, one day, a boat washes ashore with a baby inside – a gift that offers the hope of a future they’ve longed for but the consequences of their actions may be more far-reaching than they could have ever imagined.
A New York Times bestseller and now a major film starring Michael Fassbender and Alice Vikander, Light Between Oceans has long been a favourite of readers and Waterstones’ booksellers alike (with the latter often recommending a box of tissues alongside for good measure).
As the film brings new audiences to this heart-rending story of love and loss, it’s a perfect time to discover the original.
Told with the authoritative simplicity of a fable… Stedman’s intricate descriptions of the craggy Australian coastline and her easy mastery of an old-time provincial vernacular are engrossing. As the couple at the lighthouse are drawn into an increasingly tragic set of consequences, these remote, strange lives are rendered immediate and familiar. – The New Yorker
Publisher: Transworld Publishers Ltd
ISBN: 9780552778473
Number of pages: 464
Weight: 315 g
Dimensions: 198 x 127 x 29 mm
A love story that is both persuasive and tender - The Sunday Times
An extraordinary book . . . Unforgettable - Guardian
A description of the extraordinary, sustaining power of a marriage to bind two people together in love - Daily Mail
It is not only the plot that it so compelling . . . What makes this wonderful novel stand out is the cast of emotionally fragile characters, all of whom inspire tremendous sympathy in the reader - Daily Express
A moving tale . . . prepare to weep - New York Times
Irresistible . . . seductive . . . a high concept plot that keeps you riveted from the first page - Oprah Magazine
A spectacularly sure storyteller . . . Reading The Light Between Oceans is a total-immersion experience, extraordinarily moving. - Monica Ali, author of BRICK LANE and LOVE MARRIAGE
The Light Between Oceans unfurls in small acts, at first feeling slight to touch, then building in emotional substance. Into the spaces between words, Stedman breathes an anxiety and pulsating intensity that roils with the ocean and the lighthouse beacon - Sydney Morning Herald
Book of the Week. Everyone is buzzing about The Light Between Oceans, the gripping debut from M L Stedman - Grazia Magazine
The characters are beautifully drawn . . . A completely unique read. - Heat Magazine
A moving tale. One of this year's must-reads - Stylist Magazine
Told with the authoritative simplicity of a fable . . . engrossing . . . immediate and familiar - The New Yorker
Mesmerising . . . the sheer passion and poetry of Stedman's prose carries us on a wave of emotion and heartbreak - Australian Woman's Weekly
Pick of the month: The memorable and moving tale of one couple’s search for happiness - Woman and Home
A haunting story peopled with characters you care about - Choice Magazine
Lyrical . . . Stedman’s debut signals a career certain to deliver future treasures - People
Stunning and memorable - Booklist
Heart-wrenching - Publisher's Weekly
Exquisite - Kirkus
Delicate and imaginative . . . beautifully written . . . deserves every single bit of its success - Scotsman
