![]() ![]() It is a solitary existence, chosen by Tom to escape the post-traumatic stress of the war to end all wars and by Isabel-a sweet girl Tom meets on the mainland of Western Australia-because she loves Tom more than anything. On Janus, Tom is an employee of the government who keeps the light burning to warn commercial vessels of the danger of coming too close at night. Tom and Isabel live on Janus Island, which sits between the Indian and Southern oceans (much is made of the name Janus, the Roman god who looks forward and back). After the third, Tom begins to worry for Isabel’s state of mind. Isabel and Tom wanted a baby so badly, but Isabel seems unable to carry one to term. ![]() When we meet Tom Sherbourne, he is comforting his wife, Isabel, after a miscarriage. ![]() The tragedy is that the people in this story are all truly decent individuals. This is a book about lies and the inordinate pain that they can cause. However, I will bypass the obvious metaphors and instead focus on the ethical and emotional content of this story. I suppose I could do what other reviewers have undoubtedly done, and launch into a lengthy discussion of metaphor-the lighthouse between two oceans being the most obvious (Virginia Woolf was never my cup of tea, so I don’t want to go there). Although it is almost cliché, there is only one word for it: heartbreaking. Stedman (Scribner, 2012), is a book that will have you welling up with tears, especially if you are a parent or grandparent. ![]()
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