Between the years of 1869 to 1939 more than 100,000 poor British children were sent across the ocean to Canada with the promise of a better life. Those who took them in to work as farm laborers or household servants were told they were orphans–but was that the truth?After the tragic loss of their father, the McAlister family is living at the edge of the poorhouse in London in 1908, leaving their … 1908, leaving their mother to scrape by for her three younger children, while oldest daughter, Laura, works on a large estate more than an hour away. When Edna McAlister falls gravely ill and is hospitalized, twins Katie and Garth and eight-year-old Grace are forced into an orphans’ home before Laura is notified about her family’s unfortunate turn of events in London. With hundreds of British children sent on ships to Canada, whether truly orphans or not, Laura knows she must act quickly. But finding her siblings and taking care of her family may cost her everything.
Andrew Fraser, a wealthy young British lawyer and heir to the estate where Laura is in service, discovers that this common practice of finding new homes for penniless children might not be all that it seems. Together Laura and Andrew form an unlikely partnership. Will they arrive in time? Will their friendship blossom into something more?
Inspired by true events, this moving novel follows Laura as she seeks to reunite her family and her siblings who, in their darkest hours, must cling to the words from Isaiah: “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God”.
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In this heartwarming story about the lengths to which family will go to protect one another, Turansky deftly weaves a tale that combines a sometimes shocking history with a tender romance. This beautiful story will breathe hope into readers’ hearts.
No Ocean Too Wide is a fine example of a historical novel performing one of its most important functions: bringing to life, honoring, and preserving a piece of history that might otherwise go forgotten. Turansky’s novel is sure to capture readers with the heartache and hope entwining the McAlister family’s story. Those interested in America’s orphan trains will not want to miss this fresh new tale about the British Home Children.
No Ocean Too Wide is a classic story of hope and perseverance for readers of Lisa Wingate, Cathy Gohlke, and Susan Anne Mason. Turansky excavates a little-known history to sew a tender narrative about the inherent desire for place and belonging. Beyond the well-drawn journey and the romantic connection slowly unfurling into deepest love, Turansky encourages the reader to seek the power of God’s forgiveness in the hardest to reach places.
Great audiobook. I listened to this novel via an Audible.com download. You’ll learn to love this English family and root for them all the way to the end!
If you enjoyed Christina Baker Kline’s Orphan Train or Lisa Wingate’s Before We Were Yours, you are sure to love Carrie Turansky’s latest, No Ocean Too Wide. Carrie Turansky’s warm heart and her love for Jesus shine through an endearing cast of courageous characters faced with tragic circumstances in No Ocean Too Wide. Beautifully written, this riveting historical romance is based on the little known history of British Home Children sent to Canada—with or without their parents’ permission, and will live long in readers’ imaginations. A perfect treasure of a book. Not to be missed.
I read this book via audiobook and was completely captivated by the storyline from the very beginning. I felt deeply invested in the characters and their plight and couldn’t wait to learn more about them. I had never heard of British Home Children until this book which is the first part of the McAlister family saga. With its inspiring message, wonderful storytelling and great narration, this is a must read!
I loved this book! I felt like the the main character’s quest to find her siblings and the exploration of justice for the British home children was not overshadowed by the romance that was also developing. It was a lovely balance, and this story definitely left me on the edge of my seat. I’m looking forward to the sequel! I also love it when I can finish a book and feel perfectly comfortable passing it along to my teenage daughter.
Make sure to have plenty of tissues on hand because this will definitely make you cry. It is hard to read about some of the things that people do to children even when they say they are doing it to help them. This is so interesting to read about what happened to some of the children that were sent from England to Canada. It was fascinating to learn why this was done and what bad and good that came out of it. The characters were great. I am looking forward to reading more about how this family finds each other after being pulled apart. I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
No Ocean Too Wide is definitely one of the best books I have ever read! This compelling story held my interest from beginning to end. I was not familiar with the British Home Children and the issues involved in their emigration from England to Canada; but through her well-developed characters and historical details, Carrie Turansky brings to life the fictional story of one family’s struggles which educated me about the process. Her portrayal of the trials and joys of the British Home Children is heart-warming and at times heart-wrenching. It is a captivating story of hope, love, and perseverance made possible through faith in and reliance on God and stresses the importance of family bonds. I highly recommend this book especially to lovers of Historical Christian Fiction. I am looking forward to the sequel!
Ready for the sequel now! Deep characters, plenty action. The lack of integrity (in general) in the early years of adoption from England to Canadian families is spelled out well. The oldest sister in this story goes to amazing lengths for the love of her siblings — much determination and grit. Well-written. Excellent read!
This book is filled with a story that tore my heart as it captured it and took along with in the journey across the ocean to Canada with the McAlister’s children. This is part of history that I did not know. I was surprised and full of disbelief that people would take children away from their families and give them away basically without caring about the children’s future. This story is based on the children that were orphaned or not that were taken in by people for farm laborers or servants at their home. More than 100,000 British Children would ship across the ocean to Canada promised a better life for their future and yet some found an ending unimaginable. I love the way Author Carrie Turansky did a wonderful research and combined facts and entwined it together to create such a story. I could picture every detail and enjoyed it. How much as I would like to say about this story I don’t think I can do it justice, but is a treasure to read.
This story is about a Sister and the Faith in God to bring back home her brother and two younger sisters after a terrible accident takes their father away and their mother becomes very ill. Despite all the detours and all the heartaches Laura finds strength in her Faith in God and her 3 friends that she makes along the way to restore her family separation. While using a different name and doing everything she can in finding her brother and sisters, her brother Garth finds himself working in a farm, her little sister Grace has been adopted and Katie is being treated abusively at a farm. But when she feels that it might be a dead in end again her strong feeling to find her sister leads her to her and with the help of Rose, Henry and Andrew the son of the lady she used to be a lady maid to she is much closer to getting her family back together. You will not want to miss this story, is a story that is a remarkable treasure to include in your library at home. You won’t be disappointed and I highly recommend it.
No Ocean Too Wide is the first book in The McAlister Family series. I found this historical novel to be compelling. I was drawn into the book and I just wanted to keep reading to find out what would happen next to the McAlister family. I thought No Ocean Too Wide was well-written with interesting characters. The author’s research is evident in this story which is based on true events. Laura McAlister has strength, determination, faith and loyalty to her family. I liked that she learned a few life lessons along the way. Katie had a strong faith for a fourteen year old girl. She never failed to pray no matter the circumstances. Katie never lost faith that God would help her. I found No Ocean Too Wide to be an emotional story that will stay with the you long after you finish it. I liked that the romance is not the feature of this book. It plays out gently which suits the characters and their situation. Christianity is a part of the characters lives. They seek Him out and are not afraid to share their belief with others or speak of it aloud. We see in No Ocean Too Wide that God is always with us. We need to have faith and trust in Him. We see that there are two sides to every story as with life. While some people only heard about the good of child emigration, there was a bad side to it as well. I liked the addition of Rose Carson and Henry Dowd. They were great additions to this book. No Ocean Too Wide is a poignant novel that will touch your heart.
No Ocean Too Wide is about the British Home Children, and the issues surrounding sending British children to Canada. It is similar to the Tennessee Children’s Home Society scandal depicted in Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate and The Pink Bonnet by Liz Tolsma.
The underlying idea behind the stories is the assumption that the children are better off being adopted out to more affluent families. However, the issue with the British Home Children is that many of them weren’t adopted into loving homes, affluent or otherwise. Many of them were little more than slaves, bought for a few dollars.
As such, parts of the first quarter felt a little contrived. Would Laura really do this? Would Katie do that? I wasn’t sure. But I knew those things had to happen for the story to get going, so I was prepared to look past a few things that didn’t necessarily make sense.
Katie, Grace, and Garth McAlister are placed into an orphanage after their mother falls ill and is admitted to hospital. Their older sister, Laura, is a lady’s maid for the Frasier family, so doesn’t hear about her family’s troubles in time. Andrew Frasier offers to help Laura, but experience has taught her not to trust rich men.
Andrew is asked to look into possible issues with the British Home Children scheme. He is surprised to find his mother’s maid involved. He’s even more surprised by her claim that her siblings have been sent to Canada, and vows to help reunite her family. But the law is not on their side …
No Ocean Too Wide is the first novel in a trilogy about the McAlistair family and their fictional experiences as British Home Children. Yes, it’s fictional, but the scheme itself—and many of the events portrayed in the novel—are based on fact. As such, it’s an excellent piece of historical fiction, as well as being a strong Christian historical romance. Recommended.
Thanks to Multnomah and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.
Did you know about British children being sent to Canada? Sometimes without parental permission. Author Carrie Turansky did a good job researching and writing about this sad time in history and I learned many new things.
This book is definitely not “fluff”. Faced with difficult situations, the well developed characters must learn to hang on to God and His promises not to leave them. Life isn’t all lollipops and rainbows, and Turansky shows us this in this story. I appreciate reading books written honestly instead of glossing things over.
An interesting story with clean romance, I was surprised by some things I didn’t expect to happen. I am looking forward to the next book in this series, since No Ocean Too Wide wasn’t quickly and neatly wrapped up. I need to know what happens next! I recommend this book for those who enjoy Christian historical fiction based on real life.
I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review.
No Ocean Too Wide is Carrie Turansky at her finest, as she weaves rich historical details and engaging characters with the heart-wrenching complexities surrounding the emigration of British Home Children in the early 1900s. I thoroughly enjoyed this glimpse into English and Canadian history, with its echoes of the trials faced by orphans in books such as Anne of Green Gables, and the strong message of faith and trust in the heavenly Father who never abandons us.
I have loved Carrie Turansky’s books before this, so I knew I would enjoy this one. I really loved it! I didn’t know about the child emigration before this book. I think she did a great job telling this story. It touched my heart. My heart broke for the children. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more! I highly recommend this book!
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
I had to digest this book before writing my review, as it brings to life a piece of history that should not be forgotten. Carrie Turansky does a wonderful job of doing stellar research and then weaving a story that lets us view history through new eyes. My heart was aching and I felt emotionally drained when I finished and I warn you to have tissues on hand. This book struck home for me as my mom was raised in an orphanage and therefore I could identify with these characters and feel their hurts and frustrations. The author paints a picture with each stroke of the pen and you will be reflecting on it days later, as it carries a powerful impact . This is an outstanding Historical and I recommend it as a must read. I loved each of the main characters and can’t wait to read the next book that continues the story.
I received a complimentary copy from the author/publisher. The honest review and opinions are my own and were not required.
History comes to life within the pages of this latest novel from Carrie Turansky. Prior to picking up this book, I was not aware of the painful, heart-wrenching history of the English Home Children. Before I started reading this book I took a little time to familiarize myself with some of this history. I saw the faces of some of the real-life children that lived through this reality. However, picking up this book bought it all vividly to life.
I appreciated the character growth throughout the story. We witness first hand how Laura McAlister takes matters into her own hands and watches as her choices to rush ahead of God instead of taking time to pray to lead her down a few difficult paths that could have been avoided. This is something that I feel we all could learn from. It’s so easy to think that we know the right answer and to rush ahead.
Andrew Fraser has a big heart and desires to help others less fortunate. However, because of his affluent upbringing, he often sees things a little more rose-colored than they are. As time progresses, he begins to gain a clearer picture. Through it all His big heart shines through. He has a strong faith, and while he’s not perfect and makes mistakes, he shares his faith with others and helps bolster them along the journey.
It is easy to read this story and feel heartbroken for the children and what they went through in this story and yet have a measure of disconnect because it is all the past. The sad reality is that children are still being mistreated and hurt today. It is just as important today that we watch out for children as it was 100 years ago!
While this is a heavy topic, there are moments of laughter and sweet moments of new love. Within the pages, you are invited to an intimate look at both the worst and the best of humanity. I do have to say that I was not satisfied with the ending, as I was hoping for a little more closure. I’m really glad that there will be more stories to come, and you can be sure that I’ll be first in line to see what happens next!
(I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including Netgalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own.)
Carrie Turansky has another best seller on her hands! I was pulled into this book from page one. I absolutely loved the characters, each character grabbed my heart in a different way. The history of orphans being sent over seas to Canada was interesting to learn about. I cannot believe how hard it was for those children being taken away from all they knew. The author did a wonderful job showing how Laura’s faith grew throughout the story. Laura started out running ahead of God instead of trusting him to go before her. I love the spiritual aspect of this story, it was very well done and spoke to my heart. The story was never slow and kept me turning pages as fast as I could. This is definitely a book that will keep you thinking on it for days!
Was given a complimentary book from Multnomah publishing. All opinions are my own.
This poignant story of the McAlister siblings touched my heart. It’s hard to imagine children that young being placed on a boat in London; shipped to Canada; and then becoming basically indentured servants for families in Canada. It seems atrocious to us today, but that’s what happened with thousands of children in the early 1900’s. Some were placed in very good homes, but some found themselves extremely mistreated with no one to advocate for them. The author has done a wonderful job of incorporating the facts about these children and presenting their difficult situations to us through the story of the McAlister family. My heart ached for Katie, Garth, and Grace as they found themselves separated from each other and having little hope of being reunited. Their adult sister, Laura, risks much to travel to Canada to find them. Her faith is severely tested, and she has to trust God’s guidance and her friends’ support to accomplishment what seems impossible.
There’s a love story that builds all through the story between Laura and Andrew. Separated by social class and economic status, Laura has no choice but to trust Andrew to help her with her search for her siblings. Their relationship does not always run smoothly, and they both have much to learn about faith and trust. I enjoyed reading this book and since all was not completely settled at the end of this one, I’m eager to continue the McAlister family story.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.