No Ocean Too Wide by Carrie Turansky

Greetings!  Guilty as Charred by Devon Delaney, Left Fur Dead by J. M. Griffin, Toxic Toffee by Amanda Flower and Bite Club by Laurien Berenson release on June 25.  A Manor of Dying by Kathleen Bridge is the fourth novel in A Hamptons Home & Garden Mystery series.  It was picked up by a new publisher so the series can continue.  It also comes out on June 25.  

No Ocean Too Wide by Carrie Turansky takes readers to London, England in 1909.  The McAlister family has been struggling since they lost the head of the family in an accident two years prior.  Edna McAlister went works as a seamstress and lives above the dressmaking shop with three of her children.  The eldest daughter, Laura works as a lady’s maid in Hertfordshire and her wages pay the rent.  When Edna falls ill with pneumonia and is hospitalized, the three children are sent to Grangeford Children’s Home.  Once Laura is notified of the turn of events, she rushes to London.  Retrieving her siblings puts Laura up against an unjust system.  Katie, Garth and Grace are sent across to Canada (known as British Home Children) so they can find homes in the hopes of having a better life.  When Laura learns of their children’s fate, she comes up with a plan in the hopes of reuniting her family. 

 

Andrew Frasier is the heir to Barton in Hertfordshire where Laura worked plus, he is a solicitor working with Mr. Henry Dowd in London.  Henry and Andrew are tasked by the Home Secretary of looking into the child emigration program and providing a detailed report.  Andrew helped Laura return to London when she learned her mother was ill and he found himself intrigued by her.  He did not expect to encounter Laura again in the unlikeliest of places.  Andrew agrees to help Laura with her quest and what he learns will become a part of the investigation.  The two become close friends, but Laura knows they cannot be more, even if she wishes it, since they come from such diverse backgrounds.  They work to locate Laura’s siblings, but it is not as simple as Laura had hoped.  Will Laura be able to reunite her family?  What does God have in store for Andrew, Laura and the rest of the McAlister family?

 

No Ocean Too Wide is the first book in The McAlister Family series.  I found this historical novel to be compelling.  I was drawn into the book and I just wanted to keep reading to find out what would happen next to the McAlister family.  I thought No Ocean Too Wide was well-written with interesting characters.  The author’s research is evident in this story which is based on true events.  Laura McAlister has strength, determination, faith and loyalty to her family.  I liked that she learned a few life lessons along the way.  Katie had a strong faith for a fourteen year old girl.  She never failed to pray no matter the circumstances.  Katie never lost faith that God would help her. I found No Ocean Too Wide to be an emotional story that will stay with the you long after you finish it.  I liked that the romance is not the feature of this book.  It plays out gently which suits the characters and their situation.  Christianity is a part of the characters lives.  They seek Him out and are not afraid to share their belief with others or speak of it aloud.  We see in No Ocean Too Wide that God is always with us.  We need to have faith and trust in Him.  We see that there are two sides to every story as with life.  While some people only heard about the good of child emigration, there was a bad side to it as well.  I liked the addition of Rose Carson and Henry Dowd.  They were great additions to this book.  No Ocean Too Wide is a poignant novel that will touch your heart. 

No Ocean Too Wide will be out on June 25.  I am looking forward to reading Gracie and Garth's stories in the rest of The McAlister Family series.  Thank you for joining me today.  I will return tomorrow with my review of Mulberry Lane Babies by Rosie Clarke.  May you have a day filled with happiness.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader