The Light Between Oceans – Week Two

Isabel is depressed. She has been unable to bear a living child, and the last one was almost more than she could bear. Just when all hope seems to be lost, a miracle arrives on their little island. A boat washes up with two occupants, the body of a man, and a baby. The baby is alive, but scared out of its whits. Isabel immediately latches onto the baby, and refuses to let go, while Tom looks over the little boat that has arrived. The man is young, but there are no other signs as to what happened to him. When Tom returns to the little cottage, he tells Isabel that they have to report the boat and the circumstances, but Isabel will hear nothing about it. She convinces him to wait until the morning. When morning comes however, she convinces him to wait even longer and then eventually to not say anything about it at all. Tom just wants her to be happy, but he feels that they should have reported the incident, and it haunts him. Instead, he messages ahead that Isabel has had her baby and all is well. After all it is just a small lie…

Isabel blossoms with the new baby, and as time goes on, Lucy worms her way into Tom’s heart as well. It is hard to imagine life without her, and the small family is happy. When they visit the shore and have her christened, the small lie that they told comes full circle. A small memorial placed near the Church commemorates a man and baby, lost at sea. Both Tom and Isabel are shaken, but they keep their secret quiet, and continue forward. After all, Isabel reasons, they have come to far to go back. Tom isn’t so sure, but he says nothing.. just a small note in the mailbox of the mother, letting her know her child is loved and safe.

For Hannah, the note from the stranger is a small ray of hope in her dark world. She has been mourning for her husband and daughter since they were lost at sea, and she had given up any hope of them being alive. Her life with Frank was not perfect, but it was happy. Her father disinherited her, and she went from a life of ease, to one of work, but with her husband she could not have been happier. When her Grace was born, it brought about a change in her father, and the gifts for his granddaughter started pouring in.

Isabel and Tom can’t help but think of the grieving mother back on shore, but Isabel refuses to dwell on it. Tom has a harder time with the secret they are keeping, but there is nothing that he would not do to keep Isabel happy.. even if it means a life of unknown for another.

This week we are reading Chapters 10-18

Questions:

1. Isabel has determined to keep the child and convinced Tom to not say anything about it in his logs. Was this the right decision?
2. Lucy brings out the best in Isabel, and Tom is thankful for the healing that the child has brought to his wife, but the nagging continues. If you were Hannah, would you have given up the search?
3. Would you have left an anonymous note, on the off chance that you might be discovered?

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