The Woman Beyond The Sea, was a beautiful historical fiction novel that spanned three generations of women, who were lost and their journey to mend their broken pasts. Told through multiple perspectives, across three generations, we see how the power of forgiveness can unshackle the binds of generational trauma, setting them free, bringing them together.

The journey begins with Eliyah. She’s spent her life trying to get her mother to love her. As like others in this situation, to compensate, they usually find love in the wrong places, hence her husband. We witness the end of her relationship with her husband, which sends her on a downward spiral. In an attempt to end her life, a chance encounter leads her on a path of healing and self discovery.On her journey, an unexpected chance at love begins to mend the broken pieces of her life and her family, including opening the door to a true relationship with her mother.

Lily, her character was tough to read. Throughout the book, you just want to hate her but as the details of her empty broken heart are revealed and her past unfolds, empathy takes over. Feeling abandoned her entitled life, she never felt like she belonged or loved. Despite the unconditional love of her husband, after the death of their first child, her aggressive withdrawal of life with him and their daughter took over time a toll on their familial relationship. In her own downward spiral, Lily comes to a place with the help of her family to seek her truth to find peace not only for herself but for them. As she faces her fears of seeking her past, secrets are revealed that change their lives forever.

From my experience with this novel, I found this deeply moving and heart wrenching. The expression, hurt people, hurt people. The depth of the emotional pain, partly from their different generational perspectives, that flowed through these characters just completely draws you into their lives. As this was a translated version of the book, I’m unsure of the comparison to the original. If anything close to it, this was impactful and the multiple layers of narrative was a fulfilling read. Its subdued ending brought the novel together perfectly. Overall,this was a wonderful read. I look forward to reading more from this author.

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