The feature book this month is a great beach read for you to indulge in this summer! “Gift from the Sea” by Anne Morrow Lindbergh is known to be a ground-breaking best-seller. Originally published in 1955, Lindbergh shares her honest reflections on her youth, relationships, marriage, and makes predictions for a changing future, all during a solitary vacation by the sea. Unlike any other book I have read before, “Gift from the Sea” is a light, easy read with incredibly deep reflection that leaves you with complex questions and a desire to have a solitary retreat of your own.
Lindbergh skillfully weaves sea and beach metaphors throughout this narrative, which helps the reader to envision they are there with her as she takes her strolls along the seaside. She also discusses the importance of taking time to be alone to recharge and rejuvenate. Two things that Sand to Pearl Coaching loves are the beach and self-care so this read is an absolute favourite.
“Moon Shell, who named you? Some intuitive woman I like to think. I shall give you another name – Island shell. I cannot live forever on my island. But I can take you back to my desk in Connecticut. … You will remind me that unless I keep the island quality in-tact somewhere within me, I will have little to give my husband, my children, my friends or the world at large. You will remind me that woman must be still as the axis of a wheel in the midst of her activities; that she must be the pioneer in achieving this stillness, not only for her own salvation, but for the salvation of family life, of society, perhaps even of our civilization.” - Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Gift from the Sea, p. 51-52
A mother of five children, a devoted wife, a praised writer and aviator, Lindbergh provides a unique perspective with great wisdom and insight. She discusses modern advancements in society and how they can overwhelm us, she talks about new inventions of gadgets thought to be saving time that complicate matters rather than simplify, and she talks about shifting relationships and the state of marriage. The book feels like taking a leisure sociology class while relaxing on a beach.
Lindbergh is pure in her words and not only discusses the current state of affairs but presents a vision of the future and how modernity can threaten us. Although published in 1955, Lindbergh’s insight and future predictions are quite eerily accurate. Most of all, she encourages readers to reflect – to pause, to listen, to think, to ask, and to be creative.
Lindbergh led a truly remarkable life as a mother, wife, and career woman as an aviator. She is very well-travelled, spending her childhood with family on a Maine island, accompanying her husband on his flights around the North Atlantic to launch the first transoceanic airlines, raising her five children on the Connecticut coast, and traveling to Africa and the Pacific to conduct research on the environment. Her perspective is unique and interesting.
With a beautiful introduction by her daughter, Reeve Lindbergh, about her mother’s acclaimed work, the 50th anniversary edition of “Gift from the Sea” offers a second unique perspective. Reeve talks about how she’s read this book countless times in her own life and not only has it provided her with great insight but it has given her and the readers a sense of freedom. Freedom to remain open to life – the highs and lows, the challenges, and the opportunities. Open to whatever life may bring.
“I am looking at the outside of a shell, the outside of my life – the shell. The complete answer is not to be found on the outside, in an outward mode of living. This is only a technique, a road to grace. The final answer, I know, is always inside. But the outside can give a clue, can help one to find the inside answer. One is free, like the hermit crab, to change one’s shell.” – Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Gift from the Sea, p. 29
If you are feeling a little lost or just want to be inspired by a life well lived, I highly recommend “Gift from the Sea”. A truly inspiring read about living simply, enjoying the silence, contemplating, reflecting, and never leaving the island life behind.
Happy reading!
Sabrina
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