Carrie Turansky: No Ocean Too Wide

By Kelly Bridgewater

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 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".

From Goodreads

My Thoughts:

No Ocean Too Wide by Carrie Turansky is a chase across the Atlantic Ocean to find family. I heard about the orphan trains in America with Jody Hedlund's series, The Orphan Trains, but I didn't know London was sending over orphans to work in Canada too. The historical aspect backing this story was fascinating. I really liked the part where Turansky didn't shade away from the harsh realities of what happened to some of these servants. She was honest and showed the effects on the children as they laid in a hospital. The plot flowed nicely, moving from one part of the story to the next. The characters wanted nothing more than to be together. I liked Laura. The romance between Laura and Alex seemed to move along nicely, but then Turansky ended the novel with the predictable, yet slightly unconventional way, for Alex and Laura to earn their happily-ever-after. I could have done with their romance stringing along a little longer. Maybe into the next book. Overall, No Ocean Too Wide is an original, yet unpredictable story with four siblings trying to complete their family again. I really can't wait to return and see how Grace and Garth come home. Fans of Jody Hedlund's series might want to pick this series up and compare the two.

I received a complimentary copy of No Ocean Too Wide by Carrie Turansky from Waterbrook-Multnomah Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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About the Author:

From Amazon

Bestselling Inspirational Romance Author Carrie Turansky writes historical and contemporary novels and novellas set in England and the US. She has won the ACFW Carol Award, the Holt Medallion, and the International Digital Award. Readers say her stories are: "Heartwarming and inspiring! I couldn't put it down!" . . . "Touching love story. It captured me from the first page! Rich characters, beautifully written" . . . "My new favorite author!" Visit her website and sign up for her email newsletter at Carrie Turansky.com. Follow Carrie on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram. (Taken from Amazon.)