In M.L. Stedman‘s debut novel The Light Between Oceans, a husband and wife are faced with a choice: to keep an abandoned baby as their own or to go to the local authorities to find the truth, ruining their chance at parenthood. Intriguingly, the author does not lobby for a right or wrong answer and instead explores the consequences of their life-altering decision.
In a Q&A with BookPage, Stedman explains:
I don’t think there are any “bad guys” in the book, just some poor choices made on the basis of imperfect information or perspective (i.e. the lot of the standard-issue human)… I didn’t want there to be any “safe place” in the book where the reader could relax and say, “I’m completely sure of what the right thing to do is here.”
The Light Between Oceans is also one of our audio picks this month, a great alternative to the print version if you have a lot of driving or exercising time in your week.
The book trailer, narrated by Stedman, speaks further about the questions of right and wrong the author is asking:
Will you check out The Light Between Oceans? What would you do in the couple’s situation?
Just finished this book. It is one of those books you will remember. Absolutely mind- and heart-wrenching. Contains multiple ethical situations resulting from one ethical decision. You feel and understand each character’s viewpoint. Strongly recommend.
I am so glad you enjoyed it. I thought it was a wonderful debut and I can’t wait to see what Stedman has for us next!