Book Review: Along the Infinite Sea by Beatriz Williams

Pages: 464

Genre: Adult Historical Fiction

Pub. Date: November 3, 2015

Other Books By Author: A Hundred Summers,

The Secret Life of Violet Grant and Tiny Little Thing

My Source: Publisher for review

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "Each of the three Schuyler sisters has her own world-class problems, but in the autumn of 1966, Pepper Schuyler's problems are in a class of their own. When Pepper fixes up a beautiful and rare vintage Mercedes and sells it at auction, she thinks she's finally found a way to take care of herself and the baby she carries, the result of an affair with a married, legendary politician.  But the car's new owner turns out to have secrets of her own, and as the glamorous and mysterious Annabelle Dommerich takes pregnant Pepper under her wing, the startling provenance of this car comes to light: a Nazi husband, a Jewish lover, a flight from Europe, and a love so profound it transcends decades. As the many threads of Annabelle's life from World War II stretch out to entangle Pepper in 1960s America, and the father of her unborn baby tracks her down to a remote town in coastal Georgia, the two women must come together to face down the shadows of their complicated pasts.  Indomitable heroines, a dazzling world of secrets, champagne at the Paris Ritz, and a sweeping love story for the ages, in New York Times bestselling author Beatriz William's final book about the Schuyler sisters." 

If you are an avid reader of Beatriz Williams' novels, then you know readers got to know Pepper Schuyler pretty well in Tiny Little Thing.  It's the 1960s and she finds herself pregnant, which is less than ideal as she is unmarried; plus, the father is a politician who doesn't exactly want her to keep the baby.  Pepper plans on selling the rare 1936 Mercedes Roadster that they brought back to life in Tiny Little Thing with the hopes that this money would gain her some financial freedom. She's at the Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida and about to sell it to a woman named Annabelle Dommerich.  Annabelle shows an interest in Pepper and provides her a safe haven, which is especially fortunate because Pepper's political ex-boyfriend's lackeys have tracked her down.  As Pepper spends more time with Annabelle, she realizes that she is more than just a wealthy woman as her past involves everything from being a Baroness, fleeing from Nazis, and having a lover from the Jewish resistance.  Beatriz Williams' Along the Infinite Sea was quite an adventure about two strong women and the many ups and downs that life can bring.  It reminded me a bit of The Sound of Music in the best way possible.

I have always preferred Pepper; she's the Schuyler sister that is spunky, well dressed, confidant and no-nonsense.  When she talks, people pay attention.  I have to admire the fact that she wants to have this baby without her parents' help and she definitely doesn't want to flee back to the safety of their home.  She is trying to figure out a way to be financially independent and when she meets Annabelle, she is at first unsure of her motives, but she comes to realize that she simply wants to help Pepper.  

Along the Infinite Sea is told from both Pepper's point of view as well as Annabelle's flashbacks to pre-Nazi Europe. I found both stories to be equally interesting and both time periods to be wholly captivating.  As I said before, the setting of pre-Nazi Europe and the problems Annabelle encountered reminded me a bit of The Sound of Music, which I absolutely loved.

Fans of romance will adore the stories of both women and will appreciate the ending as well.  I have yet to be disappointed by Beatriz Williams' novels; so,  if you love historical fiction, she shouldn't be missed. I can't wait to get my hands on her next novel due out this summer.