Thoughtful observations directed toward women about phases of life. Written beautifully with a gentle tone, these are thoughts and self reflections observed in solitude while she vacationed for a week by the undulating sea. Written decades ago, but so quotidian and profound, the truths are just as relevant today. This is a book I could read over and over, but I don't think I would have really embraced it if I'd read it earlier in life. It requires a thought and focus I wouldn't have given it until my 40s or 50s. A classic, yet a well-kept secret. I'd never heard of until recently.
Written in 1955, with an addendum in 1973, I can see why this book sold so well, and why it remains so popular. It's the kind of contemplative book everyone wishes they could write, and to say this book is prescient would be an understatement. From the Wikipedia post, this says it well: Lindbergh wrote this essay-style work taking shells on the beach for inspiration, and reflecting on the lives of Americans, particularly American women, in the mid-twentieth century. She shares her meditations on youth and age; love and marriage; peace, solitude and contentment during her visit. Sometimes classified as inspirational literature, the book presages many of the themes in that genre of popular literature: simplicity, solitude and caring for the soul.
Gift from the Sea is a pretty quick read, but well worth the price of admission. The target audience was clearly women, but it's a book for men as well, and what really stands out is how prescient this book was, and how relevant the book remains over 60 years after it was written. A big thumbs up for an interesting and quick read.
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