February, for me, has been a month of catching up on some of those backlist books I never quite got around to reading. I don't think I've ever set aside a month for this endeavor before, but with nothing being published in February that I was super stoked about, I knew it was time.  ⁣⁣
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One such book was Beyond that, the Sea, by Laura Spence-Ash. Slow and meandering in the best of ways, this was a quiet gem of a novel that really I found myself sinking into.  I have the biggest soft spot for coming of age stories that take place over a good chunk of time, and I got my fix with this one.  Beyond that, the Sea sweeps the reader away to both England and America and takes place over a 37-year period. We follow Beatrix Thompson as she is sent away from London during the perils of war to live with the Gregory family in U.S.  In the five years she spends with the Gregorys, she forms an inseparable bond with each member of the family and with the area that becomes home to her.  When she is called back to London after the war, she finds herself conflicted...torn between her childhood home in and the newfound family who has shaped her early adolescence.  ⁣⁣
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This was a beautiful read, you guys, and one thing I especially loved is how each chapter is told from the perspective of not only Beatrix, but also each member of these families. Paired with the lengthy timeline, this made the story feel more well rounded. If you love a good historical fiction or coming-of-age novel, I recommend this one!  ⁣⁣