Along the Infinite Sea. Beatriz Williams

Along the Infinite Sea
Beatriz Williams
Published: Penguin Group Putnam
Date: 3rd November 2015
Format: e-ARC
Pages: 464
Genre: General Fiction
Source: Publisher via NetGalley



The Infinite Sea is a sweeping story of two women that ranges from the late 1930's and into the 1960's. It soon pulled me in to their lives and intrigues.

Annabelle is a young nineteen year old living in France with her father when she is pushed into helping out a Jewish German - Stefan Silverman when he is shot. An attraction springs up. However circumstances happen that sees her being paired with Johann von Kleist, a German Baron working with the German army.

Fast forward to 1966 and we meet up with Pepper Shuyler, she has just sold a 1936 Mercedes roadster to Annabelle Domerich, who once drove in this car to escape Germany in 1938. Pepper needs the $300 000 she sells the car for to help her with the child soon to be born. She believes she can't turn to her parents for help, nor does she want the interference of the married senator who is the father of her baby.  Annabelle who was once in a similar situation to Pepper invites her back to her home at Cocoa Beach.

I really liked both Annabelle and Pepper. Both of them are strong women who deal with the challenges that life throws at them. I loved both their stories and groaned when I was dragged from their story into the others, yet was eager to go there too. I read into the night to find out who did Annabelle eventually live with at Cocoa Beach. I thought I knew and then I didn't, so cleverly done is the story, clues dropped were at times a little misleading, although perfectly correct as well.

The less you know about this book, the more your enjoyment. I didn't read the blurb before and really am very happy I didn't, when I glanced over it after actually reading the book. In it is possibly a clue to how it might have ended up for Annabelle and quite frankly the suspense and mystery surrounding this book is its strength for me. (I am a bit of a back of the book reader, but on a Kindle book while I could do it, the temptation is far less! So happy I didn't look!)

I hadn't read the other two Schuyler sister books previously and I don't think it mattered that much. (I will though!) The danger of the late 1930's for the Jews in Germany, the question of who is Annabelle's husband in the 1960s, the characters themselves and the clever transitioning from one time period to another, Pepper's resilience, Annabelle's compassion and love all combined to make this a book to embrace and enjoy.