 |
| GIVEAWAY |
NO OCEAN TOO WIDE
Between the years of 1869 and 1939 more than one hundred thousand impoverished British children were sent across the ocean to Canada with the promise of a better life. Those who took them in to work as farm laborers or household servants were told the children were orphans -- but was that the truth?
After the tragic loss of their father, the McAlister family is living at the edge of the poorhouse in London in 1909, leaving their mother to scrape by for her three younger children, while the oldest, Laura, works on a large estate more than an hour away. When Edna McCalister falls gravely ill and is hospitalized, twins Katie and Garth and seven-year-old Grace are forced into an orphans' home before Laura is notified about her family's unfortunate turn of events. With hundreds of British children being sent on ships to Canada, whether truly orphans or not, Laura knows she must act quickly. But finding her siblings and taking care of her family may cost her everything.
Andrew Frazier, a wealthy young British lawyer and heir to the estate where Laura is in service, discovers that this common practice of finding new homes for penniless children might not be all that it seems. Together Laura and Andrew form an unlikely partnership. Will they arrive in time? Will their friendship blossom into something more?
Inspired by historical events, this moving novel follows Laura as she seeks to reunite her family and her siblings who, in their darkest hours, must cling to the words from Isaiah: "Fear thou not; for I am with thee; be not dismayed; for I am thy God."
My Review:
Whew!!! My heart is still shattered into a million pieces! Knowing about the British Home Children is one thing but actually living that piece of history through the lives of one family is like being emotionally pummeled. I'm still reeling from the caustic indifference of some of the secondary characters and was on pins and needles all the read long! Phew -- be prepared for both your emotions and nerves to be engaged for this one!
It's completely mind-blowing that the government and institutions had such power. And, of course, with that power came ample opportunity for abuse. All the snooty uppity-ups wanting to clean up their streets by shipping orphaned (and sometimes not orphaned) impoverished children overseas. They get an easy peasy solution to an age old social problem and no accountability for what happens to the children. Gah! I could rant for hours, but this is a book review. Clearly, the author has captured my imagination with this first book in the McAlister Family series.
Loved the contrast in class between Laura and Andrew -- she's a lowly maid and he is heir to the manor. But what's lovely about Andrew is he has a compassionate heart and sense of nobility that has nothing to do with social status. An aristocrat who not only wants to work but chooses a profession that allows him to serve others. That might give his father conniptions but it set my heart all a flutter and Andrew certainly lived up to my lofty heroic expectations. :-)
Then there's Laura so desperate to keep her family together and trounced by bureaucracy at every turn. I especially love her gumption and take-charge attitude when it comes to finding her siblings. Yes, she'll eventually need Andrew's assistance when it comes to legal matters. He can open doors and talk to people who wouldn't give her the time of day. But it's Laura's spunk and determination that propels their adventures.
I'm also a fan of the strong faith elements that Turansky gently works into the plot. Never preachy, but there's no doubt that God is at work, even in the most dire of circumstances.
If you enjoyed Jody Hedlund's Orphan Train series or Lisa Wingate's Before We Were Yours, you'll definitely want to add No Ocean Too Wide to your reading list. Historical social justice at its best.
GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:
If you would like a chance to win a copy of No Ocean Too Wide, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday September 21 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!
