A Year by the Sea: Thoughts of an Unfinished Woman

I've read loads of great reviews from this book so I was excited to read it. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed. The author constantly complains about the limits that she has imposed on herself her entire life. Granted, some of these limitations (e.g., always making sure you're smiling when your husband gets home from work, no matter how crappy your day was) are imposed by society, but one does not necessarily have to follow these rules. It appears as if the author did and lived a miserable upper-middle-class wife as a homemaker because of it. I commend her for recognizing these issues and finally taking time for herself, but throughout the book I had the sense that she was making excuses for not living her life the way she wanted to.

Perhaps it is a "generational thing" - I'm in my twenties and would never think of repressing myself for the sake of my family. For me, this book served as almost a warning to make sure that I do not loose myself in a marriage, family, etc. It was also interesting to see how much the author felt compelled to take on the role of wife, and how this caused her to loose touch with herself.

A positive aspect of the book is the author's description of the Cape. Having spent lots of time there, it's great to be reminded of the Cape's beauty. She does an excellent job of describing the landscape, people, and places. However, I kept screaming "WHERE" wanting to know where on the Cape she was.

Aren't we all unfinished? What I loved about this book was its unflinching look at how women tend to give themselves away by giving themselves to "functions" whether for their husbands, their children, or work. I loved that the author took the time to reflect on what it meant to be her, in solitude. We each need to take some time for solitude, perhaps not a year at the beach, but maybe an hour reading a book, this book.

Reading this book is a lot like spending a weekend in a house by the sea with your best friend. Women at transitional times in their lives love this book, but women of all ages will benefit from reading about the author's journey. Share it with your daughters; pass it along to your best friend. Or buy them their own copies so you can keep yours and read it again whenever you feel at sea.

easy reading every women should read all 3 books by Anderson!

This is an incredible true story of a truly incredible woman. Her view of life and the uninhibited way in which she enjoys every minute, savors every experience, and then shares it makes me embrace my maturity and says no matter how old you are, you can act young.

I have given this book as a gift and will always have it in my library to read over and over again.