The Woman Beyond the Sea

By: Sarit Yishai-Levi, Gilah Kahn-Hoffmann - translator

Narrated by: Gail Shalan, Tavia Gilbert

A mesmerizing novel about three generations of women who have lost each other—and the quest to weave them back into a family.

An immersive historical tale spanning the life stories of three women, The Woman Beyond the Sea traces the paths of a daughter, mother, and grandmother who lead entirely separate lives, until finally their stories and their hearts are joined together.

Eliya thinks that she’s finally found true love and passion with her charismatic and demanding husband, an aspiring novelist—until he ends their relationship in a Paris café, spurring her suicide attempt. Seeking to heal herself, Eliya is compelled to piece together the jagged shards of her life and history.

Eliya’s heart-wrenching journey leads her to a profound and unexpected love, renewed family ties, and a reconciliation with her orphaned mother, Lily. Together, the two women embark on a quest to discover the truth about themselves and Lily’s own origins…and the unknown woman who set their stories in motion one Christmas Eve.

©2019 Sarit Yishai-Levi. (P)2023 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved. Translation © 2023 by Gilah Kahn-Hoffmann.

Critic reviews

“Excellent narration by Gail Shalen and Tavia Gilbert bring out the characters' raw emotions and communicate the heart-rending ramifications of their difficult choices. Yishai-Levi's sensitive story of mother-daughter relationships and lives overturned by devastating circumstances makes an impact. Share with fans of Kelly Rimmer's The Things We Cannot Say or Lena Manta's The Gold Letter.”—Library Journal

“[Sarit] Yishai-Levi delivers a multilayered narrative of multiple generations suffering from loss and family destruction against the backdrops of pre-World War II Macedonia, British-managed Israel, and Yom Kippur War-era Tel Aviv.…[Her] characters demand empathy as well as attention from readers.”—Kirkus Reviews

“The measured pacing allows readers to take in the rich historic detail—Paris’s Latin Quarter, Tel Aviv after the Yom Kippur War, pre-World War II Yugoslavia, and Jerusalem under the British Mandate—as the family members struggle with loss and abandonment. Thanks to the memorable characters and solid plot, this has much to offer.”—Publishers Weekly

Plot Twist!

Excellent audiobook! I highly recommend pairing it with a physical copy or the Kindle version. Enjoy!

Good narration

This is a very sad story that affected generations until the last words are uttered!

Beautiful

Unbelievably, moving, thoughtful, and inspiring. It tells the truth! Although this is fiction, it dives deep into what it means to be human, and to be a mother. It explores how we reconcile with what life gives us. These are all universal and important ideas to consider.

The complexities of human relationships and how we cling desperately to our own narratives.

One if the narrators was better for me than the other. One’s he few pronunciation was better than the other.

Masterful insight into human condition

It took me a while to warm up to the book because I was annoyed at the naiveté of Eliya. Only to realize the deliberateness of the author in this. I kept up with the story, then devoured it hungrily,
as the rich complexities of each character grew and we have a nuanced portrait of intergenerational trauma and triumph.