The Light Between Oceans

A Novel

By: M. L. Stedman

Narrated by: Noah Taylor

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)

Very Good Story , the narrator was hard to understand at times

This was a great story which was very well written. I was intrigued by what life would be like tending a light house with the love of your life where all you have is one another.

That being said the narration of the story was very hard for me to understand. The reason for this is possibly the British accent was very heavy at times throughout the story that after rewinding several times to see if I could make out what he was saying, I just fave up and went on with the story.

I do recommend this book and think it is definitely worth listening to. I gave the story 4 stars out of 5 because I reserve my five star ratings for only my most favorite reads.

Great story less than great narration.

Would you consider the audio edition of The Light Between Oceans to be better than the print version?

In this case, no.

What other book might you compare The Light Between Oceans to and why?

The telling of any story is so much the narration. The Bryce Courtnay books are all read by an Australian or New Zealand artist. His performance enhances the quality of the book.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The narrator mumbles, lacks inflection and drops the end of every sentence. Reading the books should be treated as a performance. This one totally misses the mark. I will make note of this narrator's name and will try to not buy a book he narrates.

Any additional comments?

The narrator ruined this experience for me.

Great Narrarator!!!

Love the guy who read this book!!! 5 star story all the way. That decision would your heart out. What a great "read". Gotta check out this movie.

Slow at first, but overall it was excellent

What did you like best about this story?

No judgment is placed on any of the characters. You get to decide for yourself. Also, the imagery was incredible.

What does Noah Taylor bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

At first I did not like Noah's speech idiosyncrasies, and found him to be boring. After about halfway through, I felt like he was the perfect person for this story. I liked his soothing tone and different impersonations.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, too much imagery to take in all at once.

Any additional comments?

Get through the first bit, and you won't regret it!

Depressing

While well written structurally, I found it to be very depressing and almost unpleasant to read. It wasn't violent just full of sad, flawed characters. The reader never really knows why or how the dingy ends up at the lighthouse island or how the father died. I really did not enjoy it at all.

Beautiful and heart wrenching

Heart wrenching story of love and loss , my only negative was the narrators voice being a bit difficult to comprehend.

Didn't have a problem with the narration.

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

Really great story! Can't wait for the film. I didn't have a problem with the narrator at all as other people have. I am a native English speaker, however.

Beautiful story. Hard time understanding narrator

If you could sum up The Light Between Oceans in three words, what would they be?

Consequence of choices we make for love.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The wife of the lighthouse keeper

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Noah Taylor?

Anyone else who speaks clear English

Who was the most memorable character of The Light Between Oceans and why?

The shipwreck and then finding the baby

Good story but hard to listen to

Was very hard to understand almost like he was too close to the mike. Still the story is heartbreaking and so honest both at the same time.

Narration is terrible!!

Very hard to understand. He speaks very quietly, then loudly, so altering the volume of the device only makes it worse. His accent is distracting as well.