-
The Light Between Oceans
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Noah Taylor
- Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy for $21.50
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Publisher's Summary
After four harrowing years on the Western Front, Tom Sherbourne returns to Australia and takes a job as the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, nearly half a day’s journey from the coast.
To this isolated island, where the supply boat comes once a season, Tom brings a young, bold, and loving wife, Isabel. Years later, after two miscarriages and one stillbirth, the grieving Isabel hears a baby’s cries on the wind. A boat has washed up onshore carrying a dead man and a living baby.
Tom, who keeps meticulous records and whose moral principles have withstood a horrific war, wants to report the man and infant immediately. But Isabel insists the baby is a “gift from God,” and against Tom’s judgment, they claim her as their own and name her Lucy. When she is two, Tom and Isabel return to the mainland and are reminded that there are other people in the world. Their choice has devastated one of them.
Critic Reviews
More from the same
What listeners say about The Light Between Oceans
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance2 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kate
- 12-09-17
Great story, disappointing narration.
I loved this book. It was a very heartbreaking story on so many levels and I found myself very involved with the characters. I found Noah Taylor’s performance disappointing, primarily because so often he would swallow the ends of sentences and it was really difficult to decipher the words even at the highest volume.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- deborah
- 06-14-17
Connect Only Connect!
This book is a fabulously engaging read, well written & satisfyingly executed. The main setting for the story is an island lighthouse off the south west coast of Western Australia. The physical elements of sea, sky and isolation are integral to the telling of the tale which explores the nature of love relationships and their impact for a lifetime. Against this backdrop of unusual physical isolation the author sets up the occurrence of events to illustrate the profound significance of human attachment.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amy
- 02-21-17
Beautiful story about love
This is a such beautifully written story about love for your partner and love for your children. I really enjoyed the scenery and all the characters. The story developed organically and I really enjoyed it!
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance2 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Susannah
- 02-02-15
A tragedy waiting to happen.
What did you love best about The Light Between Oceans?
The idea that 'ordinary' people could do something so out of the ordinary.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Tom, he was such a tortured man in so many ways.
How could the performance have been better?
Noah Taylor is a great actor. He should stick to acting. As a narrator I found him frustrating...he would speed up the narration at the beginning of a new paragraph...then slow down and fade at the end of a sentence. And I swear I heard him yawn at one stage! If not for the engrossing story I would have given up after the first hour...but I had heard it was a good tale so I kept going. But his narration annoyed me right to the end. Sorry Noah...but stick to what you do best :)
If you could rename The Light Between Oceans, what would you call it?
Janus.
Any additional comments?
Audible...please re record this fabulous story with a different narrator.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mari
- 10-07-16
Absolutely Beautiful Read
I loved this book - it is so hauntingly beautiful. When I listened to a sample of the book I thought Noah Taylor's narration dull. More fool me, his narration had a wonderful soft, melancholy tone that so suited the book. I found myself only listening to a chapter or two each day, then let the wonderful writing and characters resonate with me for the rest of the day. By the end I was a complete mess - crying like a baby. Highly recommended.
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Stargirl456
- 03-15-16
hauntingly beautiful never forgotten
Narrated by a most tender voice, I cried and couldn't stop wanting to hear more of this story. a young family caught up in a tragedy ,in a small Australian country town. It's a powerful story written and read in a gentle yet thought provoking way. Be warned tissues are a must.
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mike
- 11-07-17
Powerful
highly recommended this gripping story. Had to hold back the tears at work whilst listening. Once i finished the book i watched the trailer for the movie and cried the whole 5 minutes.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Barb
- 09-16-17
Ripper
Wonderful story that makes you laugh and cry. Great narration. Worth every minute of your time.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- BookwormDownUnder
- 10-16-16
A fantastic listen
Loved this story and loved the narration. It bought it all to life vividly for me. I wept and laughed with my he characters. Sorry to get to the end.
Brilliant book.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Debra
- 11-20-16
Beautifully Read
What made the experience of listening to The Light Between Oceans the most enjoyable?
Heart wrenching tale beautifully read. A tale of loss, love and loneliness set against the magnificence of nature and the hardiness of the human spirit.
What does Noah Taylor bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?
Noah Taylor brings an authentic Australian voice.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Philip
- 02-20-15
Noah Taylor's voice work is illuminating
Noah Taylor's performance of this engaging and engrossing work by M. L. Stedman brings a real lyric to the typically Australian dialogue - something Australian readers or those who appreciate the Australian vernacular and it's oft-denigrated accent will revel in. His voicing of the various characters, each of whom has much to say, is brilliantly executed. His rendition of the child Lucy/Grace brings the character to life most believably. With angst and anguish so central to this story, Taylor's slightly laid back approach to the narrative passages adds a crisp dryness to the otherwise quite juicy story.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Natalie
- 09-17-17
heart wrenchingly good
Any additional comments?
This was recommended to me and to be honest i didn't know what i was getting into. It's so powerful, I haven't cried like that in such a long time (thank goodness!). This manages to absorb you so much with it's beauty and its tragedy. Noah Taylor is fabulous of course, read this, it is really truly a great book.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dawn Winter
- 09-03-17
Captivating
I loved the unusual theme of the story. It was touching and at times emotional.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amanda
- 07-21-15
Captivating
Caught between the person you love and doing right...portrayed perfectly. Read so well. A great listen!
5 people found this helpful
