NO OCEAN TOO WIDE by CARRIE TURANSKY


Be warned that boxes of tissues will be needed to read this book. I don’t know where to start with how deeply emotional this story is.  The author has exceeded my expectations of how gifted a writer she is. The story is one that opened my eyes to the fate of children during a time period that was hard on many people.

I had no idea that children of British descent were shipped away to Canada sometimes without real reason to rip them from their families. I am overwhelmed at the cruelty these children were put through. I’m sure most children believed they were being adopted into loving and caring homes, but that was not always the case.

This story follows Laura as she works away from home to help her family out and how her siblings  get caught up in a system that is far more dangerous than most people were aware of. Laura is beside herself when she learns her siblings have been taken away and will do anything to find them. I could feel Laura’s desperation as she travels to Canada to find her siblings. Can she find them before tragedy strikes? I admired her strength to rescue her siblings and how deeply she cared for their safety.

It was hard to read at times the homes the children were placed in. Most of them were treated as servants and had little hope of finding a way to escape their situation.  The children in this story offers hope to those that think Jesus has forgotten them. The author gives us a sense of urgency in seeing that justice prevails and the children are returned to their family. I loved Katie, Grace and Garth and how they clung to their faith that God would rescue them.

Andrew is a wonderful character who helps in trying to reunite Laura with her sisters and brother. I loved that he never gave up and wanted to help not only Laura and her siblings but other children who had been abused by a system that only wanted financial gain. As Andrew and Laura band together there seems to be a little romance brewing between them. I liked that the author gives hints of their attraction but doesn’t make it the main theme of the book.

Children are a blessing from God and this story reminds us of how precious that blessing is. I sat on the edge of my seat as I drew to the end of the story. I was captivated by the emotions and the never ending faith throughout the book. I will be adding this book to my top picks for 2019. The author has promised a follow up book to continue this story and I will be anxious to read it. Thank you for writing a story that heals wounds, reunited families and gives us a look at Gods promise “that He will never leave us nor forsake us.”

I received an arc copy of this book from the author and publisher. The review is my own opinion,