Lit Collective: An Online Reading Retreat discussion

Discussion questions to guide you in your reading...for taking notes and for guiding our discussions, etc.

1. Discuss the novel’s title, The Light Between Oceans. Why do you think the author selected this title? What do you visualize when you hear or read The Light Between Oceans?

2. The novel is rich with detailed descriptions of the ocean, the sky, and the wild landscape of Janus Rock. Is there a particular passage or scene that stood out to you? What role does the natural world play in Tom and Isabel’s life?

3. “The isolation spins its mysterious cocoon, focusing the mind on one place, one time, one rhythm—the turning of the light. The island knows no other human voices, no other footprints. On the Offshore Lights you can live any story you want to tell yourself, and no one will say you’re wrong: not the seagulls, not the prisms, not the wind.” (page 110) Discuss the impact of living in seclusion on both Tom and Isabel. Why do you think each of them is drawn to live on Janus Rock? Do you think, in the moments when we are unobserved, we are different people?

4. When Isabel tries to get Tom to open up about his family, he responds: “I’ll tell you if you really want. It’s just I’d rather not. Sometimes it’s good to leave the past in the past.”(pages 44-45) Do you think it is possible to leave the past in the past? What do you think of Tom’s opinion that it’s a “pity” that we’re a product of our family’s past? What does this tell you about his character? Discuss the impact of family history on Tom, Isabel, Hannah, and Frank.

5. Tom is haunted by what he witnessed—and what he did—during his enlistment in World War I. The narrator reflects that he’s not “one of the men whose legs trailed by a hank of sinews, or whose guts cascaded from their casing like slithering eels….But he’s scarred all the same, having to live in the same skin as the man who did the things that needed to be done back then.” (page 10) How do you think Tom’s experiences as a soldier impact his decisions throughout the novel? What other outside elements, like the war, influences the narrative?

6. Janus Rock is named for Janus, the Roman God of doorways, “always looking both ways, torn between two ways of seeing things.” (page 65) How does this knowledge impact your reading of The Light Between Oceans? Who is “torn between two ways of seeing things”?

7. Discuss the theme of opposites in The Light Between Oceans—darkness and light; safety and danger; land and water; truth and lies. How do these opposing forces shape your reading?

8. When Isabel brings Tom the map of Janus, complete with new names for all the locations on the island, Tom has an interesting reaction: “Janus did not belong to him: he belonged to it, like he’d heard the natives thought of the land. His job was just to take care of it.” (page 62) Discuss the difference in Tom’s point of view compared to Isabel’s. Does this difference in opinion foreshadow future events? How does it relate to their conflicting opinions of what to do with Lucy?

9. Did you sense that the silver rattle might turn out to play a pivotal role in the story?

10. Tom believes that rules are vital, that they are what keep a man from becoming a savage. Do you agree with him?

11. Which characters won your sympathy and why? Did this change over the course of the novel? Did your notion of what was best or right shift in the course of your reading?

12. Tom and Isabel’s deception impacts the lives of everyone around them. What did you think of the other characters’ reactions when they discover the truth about Lucy? Consider Hannah, Gwen, Septimus, Isabel’s parents, Ralph, Bluey.

13. Discuss Hannah’s reunion with Grace. Do you think she had fair expectations? Did you agree with Dr. Sumpton’s advice to Hannah about completely cutting Lucy off from Isabel and Tom?

14. M.L. Stedman makes it clear that there is no one perfect answer to the question of who should raise Grace/Lucy. She seems to undermine all notions of absolutes. It is clear that she will not dismiss all Germans as evil either. There is Hannah’s husband, ripe for persecution, and yet he is utterly innocent. Discuss the places in the novel where easy certainty turns out to be wrong.

15. Were you surprised by Isabel’s final decision to admit her role in the choice to keep Lucy—freeing Tom, but losing her child forever? Why or why not? What would you have done?

16. What did you think of the conclusion of the novel? What emotions did you feel at the story’s end? Did it turn out as you expected? Were you satisfied?

(questions obtained from litlovers.com)

Hi everyone! We didn't get a chance to cover these questions in our chat Thursday evening due to a miscommunication, so I offered up to post my answers on here. I'm hoping to read responses to these questions from others!

A1. A lighthouse is symbolic of hope and a place of refuge, in the middle of the vast ocean particularly at night when it is pitch black. I think the author was trying to convey that sense of hope with selecting this title.

A2. There isn’t really one particular passage that stood out to me, since the entire book is filled with rich adjectives. The natural world is one that Tom & Isabel respect and see as a natural extension of their lives. They view themselves as a part of the natural world, working together with it rather than against it.

A3. I think anyone who lives in seclusion for a prolonged period of time, will eventually lose some perspective on life and reality. Their seclusion has defined a new reality which is subjective only to what they perceive, as Tom and Isabel experienced life on Janus . Tom was drawn to seclusion because of his war experience — in seclusion, he had no one to answer to except himself. Isabel was drawn to seclusion because of her childhood, where she often felt isolated due to the preferential treatment her parents gave her two brothers. Yes, I believe that in the moments when we are unobserved, we can be different people or make choices that we may otherwise not make if observed.

A4. I think you can move on from the past, but it will always be a part of our life so we can never erase it. Tom’s opinion on us being a product of our family’s past tells me that he would rather blame who he is and the choices he makes on others (in this case, his family) instead of taking on the responsibility. Family history does shape who we are to a certain extent but I believe that as adults, we also make our own choices which will shape and define us rather than our family history as it did in the case of Tom, Isabel, Hannah, and Frank.

A5. Tom struggles with survivor’s guilt and that casts a shadow on how he views life. One example is the decision he makes of not writing in the log about the day Lucy arrives. I think this shows Tom doing something that was typically out of character for him. It’s the opposite of what he would’ve done during the war simply because he had to in order to survive. On Janus Rock, he can make decisions that only impact his and Isabel’s life.

A6. There really isn’t a better summary description for this entire book than that short sentence! Tom (and later on, Isabel) is definitely torn between two ways of seeing things. He wants to listen to his mind and do the “right” thing but at the same time, can’t ignore his heart and do the “wrong” thing.

A7. I found myself having a hard time reconciling all the opposing forces. One moment, I would find myself applauding a character’s decision and in the next moment, I would be shaking my head in disagreement. That’s when you know the author has done a fantastic job in creating his characters.

A8. Their two different perspectives about Janus Rock were definitely foreshadowing for what was to come, with regards to Lucy. Tom wanted to continue following the rules, from not disturbing the natural habitat in which he was a part of to the decision of whether or not to keep Lucy. Isabel had a free spirit when it came to the land and wanted to “make it hers”, rather than let it mold her. Also, I strongly believe Isabel’s grief with losing all their babies had a huge impact on how she viewed the question of whether or not to keep Lucy.

A9. I did, but not to the extent in which it happened. I love how the author uses something so simple (a common object, easily overlooked or glossed over quickly) to make such a dramatic impact in the story.

A10. Rules are necessary but sometimes having rules also mean that they will always be met with resistance by some. What someone deems to be a rule to always be followed, can also be seen by another as a mere guideline or as something to be broken.

A11. Surprisingly enough, it was Isabel’s parents who won my sympathy. They endured having two of their children die in the war, their daughter lived on a remote island, and the existence of their only granddaughter was built on a lie. I’d say during my reading, it was hard to imagine what I would do if I was in the position of Tom & Isabel regarding their decision about Lucy when she first arrived. The same can be said for Tom’s decision of whether or not to tell Hannah about Lucy. I kept going back and forth when each character had to make a choice, whether it was “right” or “wrong”.

A12. I think their reactions were to be expected. There was distrust and that would be hard (if not, impossible) to regain. It’s no wonder Tom & Isabel had to move far away. Sometimes that is what it takes for forgiveness and healing to be able to happen.

A13. Hannah’s reunion with Grace was truly the most heartbreaking part of this book to read for me. While I don’t think her expectations were fair, they were definitely warranted. I didn’t agree with the doctor’s advice because Lucy had only ever known Isabel & Tom as her parents, so to tell her otherwise at an age where she could already understand was traumatizing, as evidenced by the way this part of the story unfolded.

A14. Tom and Isabel were certain that their plan of keeping and raising Lucy as their own, would turn out easily. Isabel’s parents were certain that their sons would likely come back from the war, and yet they didn’t. Hannah was certain her husband was still alive and yet he wasn’t. There was a really great line (I can’t remember specifics now, sorry!) where Ralph says to his wife that he’s basically not sure about anything in his/their life anymore. That statement he makes sums up the reoccurring theme in the book that there is nothing absolute in this life except death.

A15. Isabel’s final decision didn’t surprise me all that much, considering everything that happened up until that point. I think it was because she knew it would free Tom of his guilt over covering up for her decision that day when she told him not to write Lucy’s arrival in his log. Isabel’s admission would allow Tom to be free to love her again as he once had and not be bitter toward her. I'm not sure what I would have done if I was in this situation.

A16. I thought the author did a wonderful job of incorporating the “adult Lucy/Grace” into the ending of the novel. I felt relieved on so many levels, because I believe forgiveness and healing had finally taken place in the lives of the characters, even if it didn’t turn out as I expected. It was the type of story that portrays real life and that was satisfying enough for me.