The Light Between Oceans Read-A-Long discussion

Out of everyone in these chapters, the character my heart went out to the most was Lucy. Remember being young and sent off to school, crying the instant you left your parents? Now picture that feeling multiplied by 1000 when Lucy is ripped from the people who she thought were her mother and father for her entire life.

The other character’s I felt deeply for were Isabel’s parents. After all the hardship those two have been through, losing their sons in the war, and to now lose a granddaughter is so heart wrenching to read.

The more I read, the more I lose sympathy for Isabel. Many of you may disagree, but I just can’t keep making excuses for her actions. In the beginning, it was her miscarriages and vulnerability that I allowed as her reasons for keeping Lucy and the secret all these years. But now, once everything has been revealed, the way she is treating Tom is completely unfair. At the end of the day, it comes down to exactly what Ralph says:

“She is a grown woman, Tom.” (pg 265)

I think it is time for Isabel to take responsibility for her actions, take some of the blame for what she and Tom took part in together.

The most heartbreaking scene to read was the exchange in the shop between Hannah’s family, Lucy, and Isabel’s family. The feeling of relief that Lucy had when she spotted her mother must have been so overwhelming and then to be ripped from her again was probably devastating. I’m interested to see where Lucy and Hannah’s relationship goes, how they find a way to build a relationship together as mother and daughter.

QUESTIONS:

1. Do you agree with Dr. Sumpton’s advice to Hannah? How would you suggest Hannah and Lucy address and cope with their new lives together?

2. Do you think Tom will end up taking the entire brunt of the consequences for Lucy’s “kidnapping”?

Ugh! I am feeling the exact same way! Isabel is really turning into a dislikable character. Poor Lucy!! I am feeling so awful about all that she has been through.

1. Dr. Sumpton's advice is understandable, yet I think that it is hard for Lucy to adjust in this way. If Isabel were to be more sympathetic to Hannah, then I would suggest to allow Lucy to have time to spend with her "other family." I do think that Hannah's dad has the right approach and really got into Lucy's psyche with his trip into the woods.

2. I am not quite certain how things will play out. However, it seems that there are too many people who see that this behaviour doesn't fit with Tom's personality. Maybe things will turn the other way.

Agreed that I'm losing sympathy for Isabel. I can't believe she'd go so far as to suggest Tom's guilty of murder.

1. I agree more with Gwen's suggestion to ease Lucy into the transition a bit more gradually. If Hannah lets Lucy see Isabel, she can then ease Isabel out of Lucy's life gradually. As it is, Lucy misses Isabel and Tom too much to bond with Hannah.

2. No, I'm fairly confident that the truth will come out, either Isabel gets a change of heart or someone else comes forward. Poor Tom has to be acquitted!

These chapters were so hard to read! What an awful situation for everyone, especially Lucy. Isabel is losing my compassion pretty quickly but I'm not enamored with Hannah either. I think listening to the doctor's advice is a bad decision and it is making things even harder for Lucy. You can't tear a child away from the only parents she's ever known and expect her to adapt. Especially not when they live in the same town. I'm hoping for Tom's sake that the truth comes out and that Isabel isn't vindictive enough to let Tom take the fall for a murder he didn't commit.

1. I'm not sure I agree with the advice from the doctor. I think it would have made more sense for Hannah to have been letting Isabel help transition Lucy over so that Isabel slowly moves out of her life, but who am I to say? I don't know which is better - they say ripping off a bandaid if easier to do than to slowly pull it off, so perhaps quick is best?

2. I think given Tom's personality, he will continue to take all the blame to avoid Izzy having to deal with police or serving time in jail. Unless someone comes forward to say different, I think he'll accept the burden of it all. I just hope that Izzy doesn't abandon him completely.

This set of chapters is my favourite so far. The writing is fantastic, not syrupy and sappy like some of the earlier writing struck me. My favourite part of Stedman's writing is the descriptions. The description of the jail building was especially poignant. Suffering for each and every character was inevitable. This kind of "reunion" is never shiny and happy.

QUESTIONS:

1. Do you agree with Dr. Sumpton’s advice to Hannah? How would you suggest Hannah and Lucy address and cope with their new lives together?

I do agree with Dr. Sumpton's advice. In no way would Isabel willingly ease a transition for Grace to return to her birth family. She showed that in the interaction at the store. Hannah and her family are trying to win Grace back. If Isabel were to still be a part of her life, it could only be more confusing for her. If Hannah and the rest of the family can continue to make connections with Grace, her reluctance will ease. She is still pretty young and resilient.

2. Do you think Tom will end up taking the entire brunt of the consequences for Lucy’s “kidnapping”?

Tom will stand his ground. Firm. Isabel still lights his universe. He hasn't spoken to her, he has no idea what horrible thoughts are running through her mind and what she thinks of him. In his mind, Isabel is the victim here. Like other posters have said, unless someone else steps in, highly unlikely to be Isabel, Tom will take all the blame and could hang for the "crimes" he committed.


I have never been sympathetic to Isabel and my opinion is even more resolved than before this section. I can see that it will be a difficult time for everyone, but if they can weather this storm, they will all be stronger for it.

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I am also losing sympathy for Isabel. I can understand the sadness at losing the child she raised for four years and how she is angry at Tom for ‘ruining everything’, but I can’t believe she would consider letting him take the blame for a murder that he did not commit.

1. I agree with Dr. Sumpton’s advice. The new arrangement is difficult on all parties, but I can’t see how Hannah and Isabel could work together to transition Lucy/Grace to her new life. Hannah doesn’t trust the people who kept her child and Isabel is still convinced that Lucy belongs to her. In the scene in the store, I can imagine how Isabel must have felt seeing Lucy and feeling her in her arms, but she did nothing to calm Lucy’s emotions about Hannah.

2. I think that Tom will take the brunt of the punishment for kidnapping Lucy. He has shown how devoted he is to Isabel and won’t let her take any of the blame for what they did. I just hope that Isabel will back him up on the question of murder, so that he isn’t punished for a murder that he did not commit.

What a twisted story! I can't even imagine a way to help Lucy adjust. Especially considering that she hasn't had a traditional upbringing on Janus. She's not used to so many people and things after living on an island. The only advice I would have is just give her time. I know Hannah wants to smother her with love but I think she needs to be slow. It must be so hard for Hannah.

I think Tom will continue to accept the full blame but I think some character witnesses from the village will begin to come forward and defend Tom. Hannah might be one of them. I think the doctor will come forward and testify that Isabelle is unable to have children of her own.

This has been my favourite chapter set to read too! It's been so emotional, and I feel like we just learned a whole lot about Isabel and Tom, meaning Isabel is kind of a mean person who will let her husband take all the blame for this and not step up and tell the truth, and also that Tom is the complete opposite of this; he will step up and take ALL the blame if it means that Isabel will suffer less.

1. I can see why the doctor gives advice to basically rip it off like a band-aid and just let Lucy/Grace forget her old life, but I think it would be so much easier on everyone, especially the child if she could be eased into this new life. I think it would take more time but in the end, I think Lucy/Grace would benefit the most by this.

2. It seems like right now, Tom will continue to take the blame for everything, but people seem to be questioning this because of the "real" Tom. People know his personality and his ethics and I think something may happen to change the outcome, but I don't know what yet!

I can't wait to get to the end of the book! It's been a long 6 weeks of reading this book, and I just NEED to get to the end of it! I've been trying very hard not to read ahead and get ahead of the discussion/questions to not spoil it. Eeek!!!

I feel the same way about Izzy. I felt bad for her in the beginning so I understood her wanting to keep the baby, but later on I couldn't continue feeling bad for her because she even started treating Tom so poorly. her true character was coming out I think.

Tom seems to want to take the brunt of it all in order to save Izzy, but I don't think she deserves this kindness from him. I think she should come clean and let people know that Tom only went along for her sake and she was confused due to her miscarriages. she wasn't thinking clearly.

Poor Tom.

I think that it would be hard to tear Lucy away from all she knew, but since she is so young it might be easiest to try to act like the others are truly gone from her life. like ripping a bandaid off.