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My copy is dog-eared and highlighted in multiple neon translucent shades. The first draft of The Shell Keeper actually had a quote from her wonderful book at the start of each chapter. Numerous edits determined....sadly, that it was better not to include them. But her voice stays in my mind and I hope its spirit is in my book.
Del, Claire and Gwen, my 'gals' in The Shell Keeper are all learning, in Anne's words, to live through the ebb-tides of one's existence. The shells Anne wrote about back in 1955, as concepts for the passages of a woman's life, also inspire Gwen as she captures their beauty and characters on canvas.
If Gwen had read Gift from the Sea she would surely have pulled out her hot pink highlighter to underscore this: And my shells? They are there to remind me that the sea recedes and returns eternally.
This book is especially suited to women, but I see no reason why a man wouldn't enjoy it as well. It uses the sea as a metaphor for our lives and finding the balance we need in the busyness and craziness our world. When you consider how long ago she wrote it, it seems unbelievable how it still seems so topical today. Women will appreciate the understanding that Morrow-Lindbergh has of the roles that women play including mother, wife, sister, daughter, friend, etc... and the importance of taking the time to care for yourself so you can be there for others.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that many men would get a great deal from the book-and they might even learn something about the women in their lives. I'm just not sure how many would elect to read it, versus a James Patterson novel, for instance. Perhaps a Cliffs Notes version?!
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