Beyond the Moon

*Longlisted for the 2019 Exeter Novel Prize

A strange twist of fate connects a British soldier fighting in the First World War in 1916 with a young woman living in modern-day England a century later, in this haunting literary time travel novel.

Two people, two battles: one against the invading Germans on the battlefields of 1916 France, the other against a substandard, uncaring mental health facility in modern-day England. Part war story, part timeslip, part love story – and at the same time a meditation on the themes of war, mental illness, identity and art, Beyond The Moon is an intelligent, captivating debut novel, perfect for book clubs.

"Taylor’s accomplished, genre-bending book succeeds as a WW1 historical novel and a beguiling, time travel love story... The sharply written narrative deftly moves back and forth between the past and present." — Kirkus Reviews

"Historical fantasy at its very best." — Historical Novel Society"

*Shortlisted for the Eharmony/Orion Love Story Prize 2019

“An unflinching portrait of the horrors of war, and a look at the torturous extremes a human soul can endure. It is a sonnet to the transformative power of love, even as it is also a criticism of the futility and pointless destructiveness of war." — Shaylin Gandhi, author of By The Light of Embers

In 1916 1st Lieutenant Robert Lovett is a patient at Coldbrook Hall military hospital in Sussex, England. A gifted artist, he’s been wounded fighting in the Great War. Shell shocked and suffering from hysterical blindness he can no longer see his own face, let alone paint, and life seems increasingly hopeless.

A century later in 2017, medical student Louisa Casson has just lost her beloved grandmother – her only family. Heartbroken, she drowns her sorrows in alcohol on the South Downs cliffs – only to fall accidentally part-way down. Doctors fear she may have attempted suicide, and Louisa finds herself involuntarily admitted to Coldbrook Hall – now a psychiatric hospital, an unfriendly and chaotic place.

Then one day, while secretly exploring the old Victorian hospital’s ruined, abandoned wing, Louisa hears a voice calling for help, and stumbles across a dark, old-fashioned hospital room. Inside, lying on the floor, is a mysterious, sightless young man, who tells her he was hurt at the Battle of the Somme, a WW1 battle a century ago. And that his name is Lieutenant Robert Lovett…

For fans of Kate Quinn, Sebastian Faulks, Diana Gabaldon, Ken Follett, Kristin Hannah, Susanna Kearsley and Paullina Simons.

*NB Contains graphic descriptions of war violence and injuries, as well as profanity and mild sex.

Title: Beyond the Moon

Author: Catherine Taylor

Hardback:  494 pages

Publication Date: 06/26/2019

Publisher: The Cameo Press Ltd 

Language: English

ISBN: 1916093213

ISBN-13: 978-1916093218

My Review

If a person can wear their emotions on their sleeve readable by everyone then this novel is undoubtedly the transparent works of an intuitive, kind, and empathetic writer. Throughout the entirety of the novel, Taylor's voice feels virtuous and tender, caring about the subject matter with respect to the time period and the character's struggles.

As a fan of time travel novels, hence my blog name, I have certainly indulged in a few of these kinds of stories. The blurb listed on Goodreads actually gives a great synopsis of what is happening in BEYOND THE MOON:

"In 1916 1st Lieutenant Robert Lovett is a patient at Coldbrook Hall military hospital in Sussex, England. A gifted artist, he’s been wounded fighting in the Great War. Shell shocked and suffering from hysterical blindness he can no longer see his own face, let alone paint, and life seems increasingly hopeless.

A century later in 2017, medical student Louisa Casson has just lost her beloved grandmother – her only family. Heartbroken, she drowns her sorrows in alcohol on the South Downs cliffs – only to fall accidentally part-way down. Doctors fear she may have attempted suicide, and Louisa finds herself involuntarily admitted to Coldbrook Hall – now a psychiatric hospital, an unfriendly and chaotic place.

Then one day, while secretly exploring the old Victorian hospital’s ruined, abandoned wing, Louisa hears a voice calling for help and stumbles across a dark, old-fashioned hospital room. Inside, lying on the floor is a mysterious, sightless young man, who tells her he was hurt at the Battle of the Somme, a WW1 battle a century ago. And that his name is Lieutenant Robert Lovett…"

I am not the biggest fan of romance as the central focal point in my reading choices but wanted to give this one a try since it involved WWI.

Louisa, who lives in 2017 meets 1st Lieutenant Robert Lovett, in Sussex in 1916 his time, after entering an old and dilapidated hospital wing. He has suffered trauma during his service and is dealing with the recovery. The two of them share an instant connection despite Robert's temporary loss of sight and strangely, no one else at that time can see Louisa either.
Right before Robert is fit to go back to lead his men, an incident tears them apart as they were about to make a promise to each other.

Distraught by the events, Louisa wants to see Robert again and thankful for a chance, another visit in that hospital wing takes her to a place in France, however, away from Robert into the midst of a military hospital in Amiens. She now is one of the awaited VAD nurses to arrive and aid the doctors in vetting and caring for injured soldiers.

How was a girl from 2017 supposed to fit in and do the job required and limited to the knowledge of 1916? This is the part that stood out the most to me and Louisa's character and her experience took to a shine.

"She found the chamber pot and used it rather inexpertly, after taking a good while to find a way through all the foreign-looking underclothes she had on. Everything was so old-fashioned: a long woolen skirt and cotton blouse, thick black tights held up by garters, a pair of drawers, two frilled petticoats and, under a cotton chemise, a pink satin corset that was digging into her, all terrifying hooks, eyes, and laces."

How was she supposed to pass as an experienced VAD, she wondered, when she didn't even know how to put on a corset? "

In the meantime, Robert is in the trenches fighting the Germans and leading his soldiers into battles he knows are close to hopeless endeavors. His leadership is critical and with his brothers in arms, they do all they can to survive. He has no idea Louisa is in France, they have had no contact for weeks.
Unfortunately, Robert becomes a POV. Across the leaders of any nationality, there seems to be a respectful understanding of rank, yet undoubtedly, cruelty is inflicted on him and the other POV's and he suffers greatly by the end.

Louisa is hoping desperately to find out if Robert is anywhere near and alive. With the aid of a friend, she finds out more about the person whose life she has taken over and finds aid in tracking down Robert.

In these last parts of the book, the plot and writing shine the most. There are action, drama, and heart-aching moments that propel this enduring story forward and redeem it to a satisfying end.

As I mentioned, I am not a reader of romance, so this part is unfair of me to rate or pick apart. Personally, the new love at such an underlying deep level after a few visits at the old hospital wing at the beginning took too fast, despite a plot that was languid in the establishment of all settings.

The main characters seemed like rather very nice and kind people...almost too good to be true for the most part of the story. This is why I wasn't really sold on them until it came to the trenches and the nurse duties that gave me a bit of that feist I enjoy reading about in characters to show what it takes to endure the circumstances.

The historical details were atmospheric and carefully researched. The setting in this novel, between France and England in WWI was my first fictional experience to travel to and experience a military hospital. Procedures and the lack of modern medical knowledge made these parts in the novel a riveting read.

Though Beyond the Moon is a labor of love to appreciate and exquisitely sweet, I wanted to love it even more than I did. Readers of romance will most likely find a deeper connection with this lovely book and the enduring love of the characters. Overall, it is a charming time travel novel full of heart.

Happy Reading.

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

All opinions are my own. Thank you.