Overview

A tender-hearted love story: the tale of two families living through the Second World War on opposite sides of the Atlantic, and the girl who calls them both her own As bombs fall over war-torn London, Beatrix’s parents make an impossible choice to send their eleven-year-old daughter to wait out the war with another family in America. Swept up into the Gregorys’ affluent lifestyle, Bea soon adapts to life with Mr and Mrs G, and their sons William and Gerald. Distracted and entranced by new traditions, young love and summers on Maine’s coast, Bea’s old life feels like a distant memory. Until, abruptly, the war ends and she is summoned home to England. In post-war London Bea tries to move on, but memories of her American family never fully let her go . . Beyond That, the Sea is a beautifully written, absorbing novel, full of grace and heartache, forgiveness and understanding, loss and love.

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9781789652642

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Reviews

'Spence-Ash has written the novel in eight points of view, but each character is utterly three-dimensional and distinct. This debut novel captivated me from start to finish' Julia Quinn, author of the 'Bridgerton' Series 'A timeless exploration of what it means to create a family, of how dreams can die and be reborn in surprising ways' New York Times Book Review 'Laura Spence-Ash has written a gorgeous novel filled with wonderful characters' Ann Napolitano, bestselling author of Dear Edward and Hello Beautiful, an Oprah Book Club Pick 'A shimmering dive into a lost past. Deft, beautiful prose . . . As haunting as it is accomplished' Meg Wolitzer, New York Times bestselling author of The Female Persuasion 'Gorgeous . . . Marks the debut of a very gifted writer. I adored Laura Spence-Ash's characters and deeply admired her precise, resonant prose. Beyond That, the Sea is a marvel' Ann Packer, author of The Dive from Clausen's Pier and The Children's Crusade 'In this beautiful novel, Laura Spence-Ash renders the last century with painterly precision . . . A story as rich and vital as life' Claire Messud, bestselling author of The Emperor's Children and The Woman Upstairs

Author Information

Laura Spence-Ash’s debut novel, Beyond That, the Sea, was published in North America by Celadon Books in March 2023. Laura was named one of the 10 Writers to Watch in Spring 2023 by Publishers Weekly. The novel was chosen as a Good Morning America Buzz Pick, an Indie Next Pick for April 2023, and it received a starred review from Publishers Weekly. Translated and published internationally in nine languages, the book has particularly strong readership in Germany and Romania. Laura was the founding editor of CRAFT, an online literary journal, and she has taught for Rutgers University, the Princeton Adult School, and One Story. She has received fellowships and support from MacDowell, the Virginia Center for Creative Arts, the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center, and Sewanee Writers’ Conference. She earned her MFA in Fiction from Rutgers-Newark, where she received the Presidential Fellowship, and she lives in New Jersey.

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