The Light Between Oceans

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of racism and illness or death.

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What does the title The Light Between Oceans signify to you, and how did your interpretation change as the story progressed?

2. How does the post-World War I setting influence the moral dilemmas Tom and Isabel face throughout the novel? How might their choices have differed in a different time or place?

3. The moral choices in The Light Between Oceans echo those in Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See, where characters make difficult decisions during wartime. How do these novels differently portray the impact of war on personal ethics?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Tom and Isabel’s decisions are shaped by their experiences with loss. How has loss influenced important choices in your own life?

2. Isabel justifies keeping Lucy because she believes an orphanage would harm the child. Have you ever rationalized a questionable action because you believed it would benefit someone else? 

3. Janus Rock’s isolation allows Tom and Isabel to create their own reality. Have you experienced isolation that changed your perspective or moral boundaries?

4. Tom adheres to strict principles, while Isabel follows her emotions. Which approach do you tend to use when making difficult decisions, and how has this affected your life?

5. The novel shows how love and grief can blind characters to the consequences of their actions. When have you witnessed or experienced something similar?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. How does collective, post-war grief in the tiny town of Point Partageuse shape the community’s moral landscape and their response to Tom and Isabel’s actions?

2. Frank Roennfeldt falls victim to anti-German sentiment after World War I. How does the novel address xenophobia, and what parallels exist in today’s world?

3. The novel centers on who has the right to raise a child. How have societal views on parenthood, adoption, and children’s welfare changed since the 1920s setting of the novel?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Janus Rock is named after the Roman god with two faces. How does this symbolism reflect the moral dilemmas the characters face throughout the story?

2. How does Stedman use the lighthouse as both a physical setting and metaphor throughout the narrative?

3. Weather and storms mark pivotal moments in the narrative. How do these natural elements mirror the characters’ emotional states and moral struggles?

4. The novel shifts perspective between characters. How does this narrative technique affect your understanding of the central conflict and your sympathies toward different characters?

5. Stedman’s exploration of isolation’s effects shares similarities with William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. How do both novels demonstrate the relationship between isolation from society and ethical boundaries?

6. How does Isabel’s character development throughout the novel reflect the theme of grief and its potential to transform a person?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Draft a letter from Hannah to Lucy-Grace that she might give her daughter when she’s old enough to understand her early life story.

2. The novel ends with Lucy-Grace’s brief reunion with Tom. What might happen in the years following this meeting? Describe how their relationship might develop.

3. Tom’s logbook represents both official record and personal truth. Write an entry he might make on his final day as lighthouse keeper.

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