Lisa of Troy's Reviews > The Ocean at the End of the Lane

An unnamed man comes back to attend a funeral in his hometown. He stops by his neighbor’s house where he ponders events that happened when he was seven years old. During his youth, he witnesses a tragedy which ignites a series of events, much like the first domino to fall in a set. His neighbor, an eleven-year-old girl, Lettie, promises to keep him safe. Will she be able to keep that promise?

This was an enchanting story that reminded me very much of childhood. In the story, Lettie talks about how her pond is the ocean. Do you remember having pure imagination as a child and nothing could talk you out of it? Did you ever wear those friendship bracelets until they fell off? Did you ever believe that if you dug a whole deep enough that you could reach the other side of the world?

The unnamed boy at one point tries to tell his father about a bad character. However, his father doesn’t want to hear it and punishes the boy. This reminded me of my childhood where an adult would come into my room, go through my things, and refold my blankets on my already made bed. I let my thoughts be known that I did not want anyone in my room or touching my things. The adults in my life decided to take me to counseling to “fix me.” However, they were in for the shock of their lives when the counselor laid into them stating that I was completely in the right, that their actions were completely inappropriate, that they needed to respect boundaries, and that I deserved a safe place in the world. I never went to counseling again, but the person never went into my room again. Sometimes adults don’t want to hear the truth. They are so focused on being right that they aren’t open to the truth, they miss what is right in front of them, and it crushes the person who was sharing the truth, being so vulnerable.

The Ocean At The End of the Lane also had a certain charm to it. Lettie promises the boy, “I’ll make sure you are safe. I promise. I’m not scared.” That is a really big promise especially in this age where people don’t even want to commit to attending a half-hour Zoom call. This unwavering commitment to the boy’s safety reminded me of Jay Gatsby, one of my favorite characters.

Overall, this book was breathtaking and a remarkable journey.

Another word, if I might…….

When reading this book, I used a technique called immersion reading. Immersion reading is where you listen to the audiobook while you are following along in a copy of the text (either a physical printed copy or a digital version of the text). Whenever possible, I practice immersion reading for a variety of reasons. However, it is expensive as it involves getting the book twice: one as an audiobook and twice as the text. While Audible has the most extensive library, it is extremely expensive. After some help from my friends on the internet, I was introduced to Everand which is $84.99 per year (or $8.99 per month), and it offers unlimited books (text) and audiobooks. Through Everand, I procured a copy of the text and listened to the audiobook. The author, Neil Gaiman, narrated the audiobook. His voice has almost a magical quality to it, and it was such a treat just listening to him read the book. What is better than reading a book? Reading a free book (or almost free book).

2025 Reading Schedule
Jan A Town Like Alice
Feb Birdsong
Mar Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Berniere
Apr War and Peace
May The Woman in White
Jun Atonement
Jul The Shadow of the Wind
Aug Jude the Obscure
Sep Ulysses
Oct Vanity Fair
Nov A Fine Balance
Dec Germinal

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