|
Book Reviews -
Women's Fiction
|
|
Written by Catie Gosselin
|
 Sea
Glass by Anita Shreve
In a quiet New Hampshire town, on the eve of the 1929 stock market crash,
Sexton and Honora Beecher begin married life together in the restoration
of a huge rented house. Honora was swept off her feet by the smooth-talking
Sexton, a natural born salesman. With his 'snap' she is sure they will
have a happy life together. Unbeknownst to her, Sexton cooks up some
questionable business, betting everything they own, to purchase the
house. Despite Sexton and Honora's high hopes, they could not have chosen
a worse time for such a venture.
As the economy takes a turn for the worse, so does Sexton's luck. Shady
dealing revealed, he finds himself out of a job, and he and Honora,
like so many, face loss of everything.
In a twist of fate Honora could not have imagined, Sexton is forced
to take employment in a New England mill. Barely getting by from paycheck
to paycheck, she is forced to realize how little she knows about her
husband's true nature. At a most desperate time, her hope returns in
the unlikely forms of a wealthy socialite neighbor, a near-deaf mill
worker, and a young boy. Like the sea glass she collects from the beach
surrounding her home, these friends become her personal treasure. In
turning to her friends, Honora creates a fuller life for herself despite
her unhappy marriage or social mores.
"Sea Glass" is a beautifully written novel. It is an engaging
story populated with ordinary characters surviving an extraordinary
set of circumstances.
Reprinted with permission.
Catie Gosselin
is founder/editor of WomanLinks.com,
a community of support and spirituality for women. She is a freelance
writer, a homeschooling mom of two, and an avid fan of laughter, cats
and chocolate (not necessarily in that order).
|
