The Ocean Between Us [Import] [Paperback]

Susan Wiggs (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Harlequin Mills & Boon (Aus) (2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1741161355
• ISBN-13: 978-1741161359
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,576,443 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Susan Wiggs's life is all about family, friends...and fiction. She lives at the water's edge on an island in Puget Sound, and she commutes to her writers' group in a 17-foot motorboat. She's been featured in the national media, including NPR's "Talk of the Nation," and is a popular speaker locally and nationally.

When her recent novel, FIRESIDE, hit #1 on the New York Times, the author reportedly reacted to the news by "putting on my lipstick and sweeping the patio." Why? Because she knew that within a matter of minutes, her girlfriends would show up to pop the bubbly and help her celebrate. [Update: FIRESIDE has been chosen of one of Amazon.com's Top Ten Romances of 2009.]

According to Publishers Weekly, Wiggs writes with "refreshingly honest emotion," and the Salem Statesman Journal adds that she is "one of our best observers of stories of the heart [who] knows how to capture emotion on virtually every page of every book." Booklist characterizes her books as "real and true and unforgettable." She is the recipient of three RITA (sm) awards and four starred reviews from Publishers Weekly for her books. Her books make frequent appearances on Amazon's "best of" lists. Several of her novels have been listed as Indie Next picks and optioned as feature films. Her novels have been translated into more than two dozen languages and have made national bestseller lists, including the USA Today, Washington Post and New York Times lists.

The author is a former teacher, a Harvard graduate, an avid hiker, an amateur photographer, a good skier and terrible golfer, yet her favorite form of exercise is curling up with a good book.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, engrossing story, May 6, 2005

By 

Patricia Kay "author and avid reader" (Houston, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Ocean Between Us (Mass Market Paperback)

It's always amazing to me that readers can have such different reactions to books. I confess, I'm mystified by those readers who didn't like this book, because I loved it. The depiction of Navy life was incredibly realistic and I thoroughly enjoyed learning about what it's like to serve on a carrier and/or land a plane on a carrier. I also loved the Pacific Northwest setting, which Ms. Wiggs brought alive so beautifully. But what I enjoyed most about this book were the characters. For me, it's ALWAYS about the characters, and Steve, Grace, Brian, Emma, Katie, Josh, and Lauren crept into my heart and stayed there till the very end, with me rooting for them all the way. This book is beautifully written and a real page-turner. Bravo, Ms. Wiggs! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Her best book yet, March 30, 2004

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Ocean Between Us (Mira) (Hardcover)

For two decades Grace Bennett has been the perfect navy wife to her beloved Steve while traveling the globe when her husband gets restationed and raising their three delightful children. So why is the devoted family matriarch feeling worthless and dissatisfied? Perhaps it is simply that her youngest is in ninth grade and like her older siblings needs mom less, but Grace thinks it goes deeper as she believes it is her identity that she lost.

Steve is bewildered by Grace's sudden change of heart towards him, as he believes that his career proves how much he cares for his family. Now deployed, he knows his marriage is in jeopardy especially since Grace has established a communication black out. He refuses to accept that he lost her without going down fighting as he loves his wife and children, but panics that Grace will not be there when he redeploys. When Stephen's ship is in troubled waters, Grace may not have a choice whether to remain a sailor's spouse with the overseas danger to her husband and the rest of the sailors on board.

THE OCEAN BETWEEN US excitingly plays out on two levels. There is the conflict between Grace and Stephen that serves as a reminder of how much family members sacrifice so that their loved ones can serve in a military that constantly ships out to hot spots (whom else but the military and their family have really sacrificed anything for the Global War on Terrorism?). The second theme is an action subplot that shows how dangerous the world is. Both the relationship drama and the naval suspense thriller combine to make a terrific thought provoking tale.

Harriet Klausner

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hoping for more, April 15, 2005

By 

need to read (new york) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ocean Between Us (Mass Market Paperback)

I just spent an hour writing a great review only to lose it!! So this will be short and sweet! It was a wonderful story. I loved it and want to hear from these charming and very real people again in a second or maybe third book Ms Wiggs!!!!
My husband was in the military for the first ten yrs of our marriage and I was quickly taken back to that period where I experienced many of the things Grace went through. She captures the heart and minds of the military people with excellence and detail. I especially appreciated her recognition of the sacrifice and endurance of our amazing military personnel and their loved ones at the end of the book. It's a good story for corporate families who face moves and any family who faces scruitiny and sacrifice for their jobs. Keep writing contemporary novels Ms Wiggs! You're great at it!