Helpful Score: 4
This book was written with heartbreaking real emotion and discretion about life in the U.S. Navy and the effect on one man's family. But it is also equally real about military life in any of the armed services with regard to deployments and how they affect the families involved. I laughed and I cried-something I just don't do with any old book! I highly recommend this book!
Helpful Score: 3
Wiggs writes an emotionally-charged story of facing tough decisions at an inopportune time. Wonderful tale of a career-Navy marraige and tough times that the family has to work through. Highly recommeded.
Helpful Score: 2
I really had to concentrate when I first started reading this book. Since I have never been around any 'Navy' language I wasn't familiar with the terms Susan Wiggs used. After she introduced the Navy character and moved onto the other main character, I was able to get into this book. It was about a woman who had been known as the Navy wife and wanted to find herself again. It dealt with many things all women go through especially turning 40. Great read and I hope after reading this review you will consider asking for a swap!
Helpful Score: 1
In "The Ocean Between Us", Susan Wiggs deftly portrays the struggles and triumphs of an American family facing life's greatest challenges as they come to understand the timeless lessons of the heart.
Helpful Score: 1
Great read...about navy families.
Helpful Score: 1
A gentle exposition of the difficulty of being a Military (Navy) Wife. Quite enjoyable. EC
On the surface Grace Bennett has it all--three wondersul children, a devoted husband and a life of adventure and travel. But somewhere between her husband Steve's demanding career, raising a family, the constant uprooting and the Navy's routine, Grace has lost her sense of self. And when a nearly forgotten secret resurfaces,her discontent comes into sharp focus. Something needs to change. She needs to change.
On the surface Grace Bennett has it all--three wondersul children, a devoted husband and a life of adventure and travel. But somewhere between her husband Steve's demanding career, raising a family, the constant uprooting and the Navy's routine, Grace has lost her sense of self. And when a nearly forgotten secret resurfaces,her discontent comes into sharp focus. Something needs to change. She needs to change.
Helpful Score: 1
A wonderful book about a Navy family and the crisis in personal relationships caused by relocations and family separations in addition to the usual difficulties of family itneractions. Wiggs is as usual an intelligent and articulate writer, and it's ahrd to put the book down. One of my favorite Wiggs books.
Helpful Score: 1
This is a great book and I really enjoyed reading it. It is different from the usual books that Susan Wiggs' writes but I could not put the book down until I finished it.
3 stars - enjoyable romance, good story of Navy family life
A very touching story of a navy family and their struggles and accomplishments and how they grow used to living two separate lives--one when the ship is in and another when the ship is out. Susan Wiggs gives great insight into the sacrifices that navy (and all our armed forces)personnel and their families make to help keep us all safe. I loved the book.
Very good portrayal of military families, especially navy wives. I liked the way the book started with the "tragedy", moved back in time, and then came back to the tragedy. However, when it did get around to it again, it was like reading a synopsis of a book instead of a story. I think that could have been handled better. However, the characters were great, and the story was very moving.
Wonderful, engrossing read. Enjoyed every aspect of the story.
You have to be patient though because Wiggs skips around. Sometimes you get really into a chapter only to have it end and skip to something else. If you can stand that, you would love it.
You have to be patient though because Wiggs skips around. Sometimes you get really into a chapter only to have it end and skip to something else. If you can stand that, you would love it.
Susan makes you feel good inside when you read her books.Good read
Great book on Navel life.
I enjoyed this book very much. The trials and tribulations of navy life for three couples. Sad but heart warming also.
Susan Wiggs always writes great novels. This is a great family story about the US Navy.
This was an EXCELLENT book !! The kind that you don't want to end and stays with you for days after you finish !
I seemed to get bogged down by all the technical talk.
Enjoy service stories that are real life. Liked it!
Wonderful story
For military families and those who would really like to know how a military family functions and works together ...this book is a MUST.
The story of a family facing life's greatest callenge as they come to understand the timeless lessons of the heart
This book was very enjoyable, that I couldn't put it down. It's about a Navy Family and the father going out to sea while the mother is trying to keep the family together after finding out that her husband has another child so now she is making decisions on her own, like buying a house, dog, etc. Everyone should read this book
great book I enjoyed it very much.
Struggles, triumphs, tradgedies of a naval family; well-drawn and engaging characters.
A woman deals with having a husband in the Navy, and raising three teenagers on her own during a mid-life crisis. Great book - will draw you right in!
GREAT STORY
Susan Wiggs one of my favorite authors. This book is so good I almost want to keep it on my shelf to read again, but I would love so much to share this story with someone else and hope that they love it as much as I do!
On the surface Grace Bennett has it all three wonderful children, a devoted husband and a life of adventure and travel. But somewhere between her husband Steve's demanding career, raising a family, the constant uprooting and the Navy's routine, Grace has lost her sense of self. And when a nearly forgotten secret resurfaces, her discontent comes into sharp focus. Something needs to change. She needs to change.
Then duty calls. Now, separated by an ocean of regrets and longing, Grace and Steve are forced to take a hard look at their faltering marriage. But when the unthinkable happens, Grace is left to face a Navy wife's worst nightmare the cold truth that life's biggest chances can slip away while you're looking for guarantees.
On the surface Grace Bennett has it all three wonderful children, a devoted husband and a life of adventure and travel. But somewhere between her husband Steve's demanding career, raising a family, the constant uprooting and the Navy's routine, Grace has lost her sense of self. And when a nearly forgotten secret resurfaces, her discontent comes into sharp focus. Something needs to change. She needs to change.
Then duty calls. Now, separated by an ocean of regrets and longing, Grace and Steve are forced to take a hard look at their faltering marriage. But when the unthinkable happens, Grace is left to face a Navy wife's worst nightmare the cold truth that life's biggest chances can slip away while you're looking for guarantees.
Excellent story about a family torn apart by doubts,career tension and family pressures.
Good modern story of romance and duty to country and family.
This book takes Susan Wiggs' research and writing to a new level. The opening chapter is stunning in its intensity and detail. As the story progresses, it doesn't disappoint. Her character development, plot line, and prose are all top notch. I devoured this book!
Somewhere between her husband's demanding career and raising a family, Grace has lost her sense of self. When a nearly forgotten secret surfaces, her discontent comes into sharp focus.
But when the unthinkable happens, Grace is left to face a Navy wife's worst nightmare - the cold truth that life's biggest chances can slip away while you're waiting for guarantees.
But when the unthinkable happens, Grace is left to face a Navy wife's worst nightmare - the cold truth that life's biggest chances can slip away while you're waiting for guarantees.
From Booklist: Steve Bennett is a perfect navy officer with a perfect navy family, and he's confident that his world is just the way it should be. But his son wants to be an artist instead of attending the U.S. Naval Academy, and his stalwart and capable wife of 20 years, Grace, is tired of being the perfect navy wife. She wants her own home, and she wants her own career. She's feeling altogether unsettled, but nothing is more unsettling than the secret her husband has hidden from her their entire marriage. Nothing, that is, until the accident on the carrier. Wiggs has done an excellent job of depicting what lies beneath the surfaces of relationships--assumptions, misunderstandings, and expectations. She's created a family in emotional transition and has explored their feelings so well that we feel as if we know her characters.
Wiggs deftly portrays the struggles and truimphs of an American family facing life's greatest challenges as they come to understand the timeless lessons of the heart in "The Ocean Between Us".
Love her stories and this one is just as good if not better than usual.
Loved the interesting plot twists and enjoyed the characters.
Excellent read.
Loved the interesting plot twists and enjoyed the characters.
Excellent read.
I really enjoyed this book - there was suspense, joy, sadness, fear. Being a middle-aged woman myself, I could relate to what the main character was going through as her kids were becoming adults and she was looking back on her life and wondering what happened to her own wants and needs over the years. Being able to make some personal changes and still try to hang onto her marriage at the same time was a tough struggle that was very realistic. I recommend this book!
good read
Really touching story. I'm a wife of a sailor, and while our life "in the military" has been relatively easy, I could definitely relate to some of the feelings shared in the book.
A very good book where Susan WIggs portrays the struggles and triumps of an American family facing life's greatest challenges as they come to understand the timeless lessons of the heart. Grace Bennett has it all, three wonderful children, a devoted husband and a life of adventure and travel. Her husband being with the Navy they are seperated by an ocean of regrets and longing. Grace and Steve are forced to take a long look at their marriage. Then the unthinkable happens..........how does she cope?
great read
An entertaining book, if a little confusing at first. I kinda didn't understand the wife's attitude and the author sort of settled it at the end, but not really.
Excellent book - could not put it down
This is a view of what happens to Navy families when they are seperated for long periods of time. Lots of human interest dilemmas involving all family members. A very god read.
Great depiction of Navy life for the famlies and I should know as I am a Navy wife!
This book handles the problems of family relationships and communication with sensitivity.
Good book!
Good book!
She really captures the spirit of the main character
Great read - couldn't put it down!
Good read....S Wiggs does it again, her books are well written.
Excellent book!! Susan Wiggs is a wonderful writer!
I have not read this book yet, but if you want to swap I will make sure to put it aside to read.
