A Year by the Sea: Thoughts of an Unfinished Woman (Paperback)

by Joan Anderson (Author) "The decision to separate seemed to happen overnight..." (more)
Key Phrases: unfinished woman, dune grass, Joan Erikson, Memorial Day, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
"I'm beginning to think that real growing only begins after we've done the adult things we're supposed to do," confides Anderson, a journalist and author of children's books (Twins on Toes, etc.). She came to this conclusion after a year living alone in a cottage on Cape Cod. Feeling that her marriage had stagnated by the time her two sons were grown, Anderson surprised and distressed her husband by refusing to move out-of-state with him when he accepted a new job. In this accessible memoir, she shares the joy and self-knowledge she found during her time of semi-isolation. In order to supplement the income from her royalty checks, she found a job in the local fish market and began making new friends who sustained her. After her hot water heater broke down and her husband refused to help, she earned the additional money for the repair by digging and selling clams. Through vivid and meticulous observations about the natural world, Anderson makes clear her strong affinity for the ocean, with its changing tides, subtle colors and burgeoning life. A Memorial Day reunion brought Anderson and her husband closer; shortly thereafter she embraced his plan to retire and live with her in the cottage. Anderson has recently begun a "Weekend by the Sea" program for women who need time to reflect.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal
Curling up with this autobiography will refresh readers' souls and adjust their attitudes. With their two sons grown and married, Anderson and her husband decided to take a "vacation" from their long marriage. Her husband moved on to a new job hundreds of miles away, while Anderson cocooned herself in her rusting Volvo and drove to her family's cottage on Cape Cod. During the year-long separation, Anderson reestablished her connection to nature and was able to discover new hope. She swam with seals, ran a marathon, worked in a fish market, and earned extra income clammingAactivities that gave her the opportunity to shed her image as family nurturer and allowed her to grow as an independent woman. After a Memorial Day reunion, her husband retired from his job to live with Anderson on Cape Cod. Anderson's story reminds readers not to overlook their personal needs when providing for family members. This is a good choice for discussion and a companion piece to Anne Morrow Lindbergh's classic Gift from the Sea.AJoyce Sparrow, St. Petersburg P.L., FL
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Broadway; 1st Broadway Books Trade Pbk. Ed edition (August 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0767905938
• ISBN-13: 978-0767905930
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (131 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #7,953 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

100 of 110 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Life Changing for a 29 year old too!, November 27, 2000

By	J. Deutsch "Amazon Lover" (Saint Paul) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I checked this book out from the library after seeing Joan Anderson on Oprah. I read it in a day and a half saving the ending for that second day because I was so moved. I went out the next day and bought a copy for myself so I could highlight. I then bought 15 more for a total of 16 to give as a gift to every woman I knew from 17 to 76 years old. I then read it again. I then tracked Joan Anderson herself down and flew to Cape Cod to meet her for my 30th birthday by myself. No girlfriends, siblings, or husband. You do not have to be wealthy to do this, I'm certainly not. I went myself for my own week by the sea and again met this magical woman. I've never had such an experience in my life and probably never will. Buy the book - buy many and give them to everyone you know. I was 29 when I read it and found myself becoming the author in a few years time. What a blessed woman, what a blessed place, what a blessed book. Amazing.

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pilgrimage to personhood invites readers along., July 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A Year by the Sea (Hardcover)

It is a rare gift to find a soul mate between the pages of a wonderful book. Joan Anderson's style is liquid gold. I was awash in salt air and alternately displaced to Cape Cod and the isle of Roan Inish (my all-time favorite movie). The seals were a fantastic metaphor. Joan's personal pilgrimage is the dream of every woman of her generation who hopes her loved ones will discover her on her own terms. Every woman of a certain age will identify with this story for her own reason. I am also a writer who moved to Cape Cod to complete a womens novel. The outcome and motives are the same; mine is a different story. Anderson will find herself swamped with those of us who want to be her friend, neighbor or confidante. Most of us facing a coming-of-middle-age lack the courage to risk everything. She tackles her pilgrimage with strength and a marvelous sense of humor and emerges a winner in every sense. It was a pleasure to spend time with Joan Anderson. A Year by the Shore is one of those books I raced through, only to find I was sad when I finished it. I was on page 100 before I realized that my feet were cold. I grabbed a cup of tea and some socks and continued reading, saving the last 20 pages so I could savor them in the morning. This book is the perfect gift for many friends of all ages

40 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Year by the Sea: Thoughts of an Unfinished Woman, August 22, 2000

By	"nstep" - See all my reviews

I bought this book on a Saturday afternoon and finished by by Sunday morning.

This is a great little book for any woman who wonders about who they are, and where are they going from here. Are we just going in circles, are we still playful, do we love ourselves, do we love life?

This book shares the authors thoughts of what happened to her over the time period of one year, alone, all alone in a small family cottage by the sea.

If you want to be inspired to think of yourself first so you have something to give to others this is the book for you.