Sea Glass: A Novel
Book Review By Catie Hayes
Sea Glass
by Anita Shreve
Published by Back Bay Books
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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.
Review Copyright 2003 Catie Hayes
About the Reviewer:
Catie Hayes is founder/editor of WomanLinks.com. She is a freelance
writer, a single homeschooling mom of two, and an avid fan of laughter, cats and
chocolate (not necessarily in that order).
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