Beyond That, the Sea

A Novel

By: Laura Spence-Ash

Narrated by: Ell Potter

"Ell Potter's narration spans countries and decades as the story follows Bea and her connection to two families and two very different lives. Potter creates believable distinctions between well-developed characters of different ages from different locales. Listeners will be captivated by this compelling story."—AudioFile Magazine

A sweeping, tenderhearted love story, Beyond That, the Sea by Laura Spence-Ash tells the story of two families living through World War II on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean, and the shy, irresistible young woman who will call them both her own.

As German bombs fall over London in 1940, working-class parents Millie and Reginald Thompson make an impossible choice: they decide to send their eleven-year-old daughter, Beatrix, to America. There, she’ll live with another family for the duration of the war, where they hope she’ll stay safe.

Scared and angry, feeling lonely and displaced, Bea arrives in Boston to meet the Gregorys. Mr. and Mrs. G, and their sons William and Gerald, fold Bea seamlessly into their world. She becomes part of this lively family, learning their ways and their stories, adjusting to their affluent lifestyle. Bea grows close to both boys, one older and one younger, and fills in the gap between them. Before long, before she even realizes it, life with the Gregorys feels more natural to her than the quiet, spare life with her own parents back in England.

As Bea comes into herself and relaxes into her new life—summers on the coast in Maine, new friends clamoring to hear about life across the sea—the girl she had been begins to fade away, until, abruptly, she is called home to London when the war ends.

Desperate as she is not to leave this life behind, Bea dutifully retraces her trip across the Atlantic back to her new, old world. As she returns to post-war London, the memory of her American family stays with her, never fully letting her go, and always pulling on her heart as she tries to move on and pursue love and a life of her own.

As we follow Bea over time, navigating between her two worlds, Beyond That, the Sea emerges as a beautifully written, absorbing novel, full of grace and heartache, forgiveness and understanding, loss and love.

A Macmillan Audio production from Celadon Books.

©2022 Laura Spence-Ash (P)2022 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"A young’s woman’s family loyalties are divided as she leaves her London home for Boston during WWII in Spence-Ash’s magnetic debut... Readers will be riveted."—Publishers Weekly, STARRED Review

"Beyond That, the Sea is a shimmering dive into a lost past. With deft, beautiful prose, Laura Spence-Ash brings us into the worlds—both inner and outer—of two families in wartime, and over the years that follow. This novel is as haunting as it is accomplished."—Meg Wolitzer, The New York Times bestselling author of The Female Persuasion

"This gorgeous novel, about the profound impact on children and families of even the most benign forms of displacement, 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

The reader switching back and forth with accents. Stunning book to listen to

Lovely story with excellent reading. Looking for more books by this author. Made me very happy and content.

Well done story

This was a beautiful story of a very sad and traumatic time in our history: WW2. The author tells the story through multiple main characters point of views which gives the reader insight into their very personal feelings and thoughts. It was a story from WW2 that I had never heard before. It was an in-depth viewpoint of multiple families over almost an entire lifetime. Very well done!

Loved it!!

I loved the story & history present throughout. The character’s development through the decades was full & I did love the ending!

Love!

Fun story! Great listen!!
Enjoyed every but of it and hated for it to end

I feel like I know them!

wonderful performance, capturing the sentiment and emotions. The writing has just enough detail for you to feel like you are there.

Maine, ocean images.

Compelling story told over a few generations. Wartime as seen in London. Boston but mostly Maine. Familial relationships built from people taking care of each other. Great reader!!

Wonderful endearing story

Narrator is amazing! The writing is musical and visual and brings you back to a time not so long ago!

Perfect

Not since A Gentleman in Moscow,have I loved a book so much. But it comes down to the narration and this was sublime ! I got involved with all the characters lives and I felt at home with all of them. Maybe because I grew up in Boston and I now live on the water in Maine. But mostly I have not heard a narrator bring people to life like this. I believe w a different narrator it might not work. Such craftsmanship! I loved this book from its first paragraph.

Wonderful Story

A rare find beautifully narrated. An excellent reflection on life ranging from pure joy to heartache. An engaging story.

Awesome!

The book kept me on the edge of my seat. Brilliant!
Ell Potter was a excellent narrator.