The Distant Shore

Debora M. Coty
Vintage Romance Publishing (2007)
ISBN: 0979332761
Reviewed by Nicole LeBoeuf (age 16) for Reader Views (6/07)


Debora Coty’s “The Distant Shore” was a charming and inspiring novel, able to warm your heart on the coldest of days. Coty, an internationally published columnist, sought after speaker, and former occupational therapist and piano teacher, has succeeded in creating a tale appropriate for all ages. Although she didn’t begin writing until later in life, it didn’t take long for her new career to prove to be a promising one. A sequel is already in the making, entitled “Billowing Sails.” She is also working on other titles, like “Grit for the Oyster: Devotions for Aspiring Writers.”

“The Distant Shore” is the tale of an adventurous young girl named Emma-Lee, the embodiment of innocence, who easily captures any reader’s heart. Set in 1904, Emma-Lee is sent from a broken home and forced to move in with her strict spinster aunt on a remote island off of Florida. Before she even reaches Merritt Island, she meets Captain Stone, a former pirate turned into a God-fearing ship captain, who becomes the father she never had. With his help and the eventual love of her aunt and other members of the close-knit island community, they overcome many obstacles together. They brave everything from storms that ravage the island and smugglers that take advantage of innocence to the worry caused by letters from home and the deep longing to be there once more. In the end, just like any fairy tale, the puzzle pieces are finally rearranged to complete a reassuring picture: that everything will turn out alright in the end of you just have faith.

“The Distant Shore” is as magical as any movie you’d find featured on the Disney Channel. Geared toward children, it is a good book to read to your kids at night. It will fill their dreams with adventure, as the almost over-the-top description paints a vivid picture. The novel is inspiring. The bond of love is always proven strong, God is shown to be an ever-present force, and the ties of family always come through in the end. Emma-Lee learns many important lessons as the story progresses, and from the grimmest of circumstances, hope prevails. Inspired by a true story, “The Distant Shore” will leave you with a different outlook on life.

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