No Ocean Too Wide by Carrie Turansky (McAlister Family #1)

Have you ever heard of the British re-homing children across the ocean to Canada? I had never heard of this until reading this book by Carrie Turansky. No Ocean Too Wide is a story based on historical events during the late 1800's and into the early 1900's.


From the Back Cover:
Between the years of 1869 and 1939, more than one hundred thousand impoverished 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 the children 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 mother to scrape by for her three younger children, while the oldest, 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 seven-year-old Grace are forced into an orphans' home before Laura is notified about  her family's unfortunate turn of events. With hundreds of British children being 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 historical 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."

My Thoughts:
I love history and books like this one bring history to life! I had never heard of the orphan ships that traveled from Britain to Canada, so this story was eye opening for me. My heart-strings were tugged as I fell in love with the characters and followed their story across the ocean and into a broken system that had let them down. Laura is willing to care for her siblings, but she is blocked every way she turns. This story is heartbreaking, and there is child abuse mentioned so be forewarned about that if you are triggered by such events. I also wasn't expecting this book to be the beginning of the series, so i was a little surprised it ended without wrapping up the McAlister's story. Overall, I think it's a good story and one that should be told for all of those families that were affected by these historical events. This story is going to be continued in the next book coming out in 2020. I really wished the author would of put a section in the back of the book to let the reader know what is fact and was is fiction.

Check out the Book Trailer!


 

My Rating: ★★★★

***I received this complimentary book from Waterbrook & Multnomah. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.