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1[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/beyondthewesternsea.jpg]]
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3A YA novel by Avi, published in 1996 in two volumes: ''The Escape from Home'' and ''Lord Kirkle's Money''. A May 2012 reprint of ''Lord Kirkle's Money'' is titled ''Into the Storm''.
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5County Cork, 1851. Soldiers representing Lord Kirkle arrive to tumble the village of Kilonny. Luckily for Patrick O'Connell, 12, and Maura O'Connell, 15, their father is living in America and has sent his wife and children tickets to join him. At the last minute, Mrs. O'Connell refuses to board the ship, forcing Maura and Patrick to continue without her.
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7In London, Laurence Kirkle, 11, is beaten by his brother Albert for an offense he didn't commit. He takes a thousand pounds from his father, not knowing how much it is, and runs away to Liverpool. On Laurence's trail are Mr. Clemspool, a kidnapper hired by Albert to take him to America, and Mr. Pickler, a private detective hired by Lord Kirkle to bring him home.
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9In Liverpool Patrick meets Laurence, and the boys form a plan to stow Laurence on the ship the O'Connells are taking to Boston.
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11''Beyond the Western Sea'' is a homage to Victorian serials, particularly those of Charles Dickens and Anthony Trollope, and uses several tropes popular in that era.
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13----
14!! This book provides examples of:
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16%% * ArcWords: "I knows nothing."
17%%* AristocratsAreEvil: Played straight with Albert, inverted with Laurence, and left ambiguous with Lord Kirkle, who's a bad landlord but cares about his son
18%% * AsTheGoodBookSays: "Am I my brother's keeper?"
19%% * TheArtfulDodger: Rival grifters Fred and Toggs. The latter is [[MeaningfulName named after]] the Dodger's sidekick Charley Bates.
20* BedsheetLadder: Laurence uses a curtain to escape from his hotel room.
21%% * BittersweetEnding
22* BookEnds
23** The first and last lines both contain the phrase "the edge of possibilities."
24** Laurence and Albert argue because Laurence refuses to black Albert's boots. Near the end, without either of them initially knowing, Laurence blacks Albert's boots.
25%% * BritainIsOnlyLondon: Averted when the action moves to Liverpool. Plus Fred is from Yorkshire.
26%% * BrotherSisterTeam: Maura and Patrick as a {{Foil}} to Albert and Laurence.
27%% * CallingTheOldManOut
28* CatchPhrase: Mr. Clemspool likes to repeat, "Am I my brother's keeper?"
29%% * CainAndAbel: Albert and Laurence. {{Lampshaded}} repeatedly.
30%% * ContrivedCoincidence
31%% * CoolShip: It's a church.
32%% * CrossReferencedTitles
33%% * DeliberateValuesDissonance
34%% * DividedForPublication
35%% * EnsembleCast
36%% * {{Expy}}: Laurence to Charlotte in ''Literature/TheTrueConfessionsofCharlotteDoyle''. {{Lampshaded}} when he hides on the remains of her ship.
37* EyeScream: Mr. Grout [[spoiler:had a stake driven in his eye, ending his prizefighting career.]]
38%% * TheFagin: Sergeant Rumpkin
39%% * FailingATaxi
40%% * HappilyMarried: The Hamlyns, the O'Connells, the Browns, the Picklers and probably the Kirkles.
41%% * HeartwarmingOrphan: Bridy
42%% * LastNameBasis
43* LikeFatherLikeSon: Lord Kirkle and Albert in terms of looks, Lord Kirkle and Laurence in terms in personality.
44%% * IntergenerationalFriendship: Nathaniel and Mr. O'Connell. Also see OlderSidekick below.
45%% * InWhichATropeIsDescribed
46%% * LittleStowaway: Laurence
47%% * MeaningfulName
48%% * MeaningfulRename
49%% * TheNameIsBondJamesBond
50%% * OddFriendship
51%% * OlderSidekick: Mr. Drabble to Maura and Patrick, Mr. Grout to Laurence
52%% * OnlyOneName: Fred "No-name"
53%% * OopNorth
54%% * OutlivingOnesOffspring
55%% * ParentalAbandonment: Annie O'Connell
56%% * ParentalFavoritism
57* PetTheDog: Lord Kirkle literally pets Laurence's jacket, Mr. Murdock [[spoiler:looks at Bridy kindly after her family dies]] and Betsy Howard [[spoiler:buries her face in her hands after the boardinghouse burns down.]]
58%% * PlatonicLifePartners: Maura and Mr. Drabble
59%% * ProducePelting
60%% * RoyalBrat: Albert
61%% * ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight
62%% * SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan: Maura and Nathaniel, Mr. and Mrs. O'Connell, Mr. and Mrs. Pickler
63%% * ShoutOut: Lady Kirkle is friends with [[Creator/AnthonyTrollope Lady Glencora.]]
64%% * StreetPerformer: Actor Mr. Drabble
65%% * ThirdLineSomeWaiting: ''Lord Kirkle's Money''
66%% * TitleDrop: Done once in each volume with ''Beyond the Western Sea'' and a few times in ''Lord Kirkle's Money.''
67%% * TwoLinesNoWaiting: ''The Escape From Home''
68%% * TheUnfavorite: Both Laurence and Albert view themselves as this.
69* VictorianLondon: Part of the story is set in 1851 London.
70%% * WhatBeautifulEyes: Maura's blue eyes are admired more than once.

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