The title was what drew me in, of course. The thought of being close to someone and yet feeling like there is "an ocean" between you is something I believe many people can relate to in many ways but the story surprised me with the finesse in which it was written. I particularly enjoyed the way the author's voice was persuasive and understandable.

There was a wide divide of animosity among the IRA. And the men of Ireland for fought for the British in both world wars. This is a story of their plight and the women who loved them. Immigration was a last resort for many Irish. Theirs was a tragic tale.

Most people have no idea the part that Ireland played in World War II, and the price that Irish men and women payed for fighting with the Allies. No real fan of England, Ireland was neutral during the war and in 1943  when young Aileen Sweeney met Niall O’Rourke at a dance, she believed the soldier would be staying safely at home.  Niall’s decision to fight with England, however, shatters her dreams and turns public sentiment against the young man. With the world gone mad and Niall off fighting a war he may never return from, Aileen must face the barely disguised hatred of those she once called friends. This part of history is almost unknown, I know of it only because my British father left to serve in the navy  during the War at age 16, something his Irish mother never really understood