What We Thought: The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

Evening Readers

December 2014

The Light between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

The discussion of the author’s debut novel was intense and lasted throughout the evening. Connections were made to present-day situations of adoptions and the care of recovered missing children. Conversation was centered on legal and moral dilemmas of what’s best for the child as opposed to the role of biological parents and parents who have claimed and raised a child as their own. The question was asked, “Would you have kept the baby?” The majority answered “Yes.” But then it was decided that the answer was based on personal feelings and some readers changed their minds about giving up the baby after an undetermined period of time. The life situation of characters Isabel and Tom was far removed from the present day and unique to their time in post-World War I history. However sympathetic we are to what was going on at that time their choices can’t be resolved from our 21^st-century societal perspective.

Hannah, Lucy’s biological mother was confronted with a heartbreaking situation -- the love for her child Lucy and the rejection by her child because of the bond with Isabelle who cared for her in her formative years. Lucy suffered from the separation once she was reunited with her natural mother. Hannah was torn between the happiness of Lucy and her attempts to become a mother to her daughter. Hannah offered to give Lucy back to Isabel in order to keep her daughter from the loss of the only family she has known.  Readers wondered how Lucy recovered from her childhood trauma once she was grown and had a child of her own. They were not sure if things had worked out for Lucy and what memories she had of her early years with both families.

Readers were of the general opinion that the story was fairly realistic for its time in history. They were satisfied with the outcome even though it was sad for all involved. Tom, the keeper of the light house had an obligation to his duty and should have reported the lost child as soon as he was able. He gave into the wish of his wife to raise the child as their own after a second  miscarriage, but then let the true mother know because he couldn’t live with his decision any longer. In the end both Tom and Isabelle did give up Lucy and lived with the consequences of their actions. Readers did not say that anyone lived happily ever after.

This quote from the book invited readers to think about the timing of significant events in life. “There are still more days to travel in this life. And he knows that the man who makes the journey has been shaped by every day and every person along the way. Scars are just another kind of memory…soon enough the days will close over their lives, the grass will grow over their graves until their story is just an unvisited headstone." The title aptly describes the story, Lucy was the light between the oceans of family and her melancholy story will haunt readers for a long time.

A Christmas candy swap lightened the mood of the discussion and was a welcome conclusion to the meeting. Readers are looking forward to the announcement of January’s book selection.