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Summary: Year By The Sea
Review: I read this book in one night and I want to read it again. This is an insightful book into a year in the life of a woman having to discover who she is. She makes the decision to take a year off and goes to a cottage by the sea. I relished each page in this book. From the dolphins, to the seals, to her working at the fish market until the end when she really finds herself. I only wish that I could take a year by the sea. All woman should read this book. Old and young will see something of theselves in this great book.
Rating: 
Summary: Very disappointing
Review: This book was a big disappointment -- filled with cliches and platitudes, and shallow "insights". Although I certainly never expected it to be another "The Outermost House" (HIGHLY recommended), I was expecting *some* depth, or at least detailed thoughtful observations. None to be found. The author has read "Women Who Run With The Wolves" but has obviously not digested it. Pass this one by.
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Summary: Fabulous!!
Review: This is a book women of all ages can learn from. I bought this book for every female friend and family member and they have all been just as excited about it as I have. A must read!!!
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Summary: A REFRESHING LOOK INTO SELF-DISCOVERY
Review: Living on a small island, I can appreciate Joan Anderson' story and her affinity for the sea. There is something about being at one with the sea that causes a person to reflect deeply on life's purpose and who they are really are. This kind of solitude is often difficult to find, especially for those living in a concrete jungle. For all my travels, I would not choose to live anywhere but by the ocean, and if you have never had the opportunity to do so, it may be a difficult way of life to understand. While there are disadvantages, especially if you enjoy a fast-paced life style, the splendor and beauty of a morning mist, or the colour and magestic wonder of an evening sunset totally makes one realize how at one with the universe we are capable of being. You do a lot of soul-searching and from that you become the best person you can possibly be.I love this book because the author tells her story and reveals her feelings in a down-to-Earth, realistic approach to family and life, the challenges and opportunities. The book is well-written, and the author has the ability to make you feel as if you are walking in her shoes, or that she is in a place, emotionally, that most women have been at one time or another. Life is all about choices, decisions and change, choices that can forever affect those around us. As she tells her story, you can almost hear the waves beating against a peaceful distant shore and hear a seagull's lonely cry.
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Summary: I can relate!
Review: "Wow, Joan Anderson must have been writing about my life or the life of some of my women friends. Wether you leave or stay the process of finding the true women within yourself is a trip of discovery. The process that this book takes, is one of self discovery and acknowledgement that we (as women) are not alone. There are similarities that can be found from each of our lives. I found this book enjoyable, rewarding and have read it twice. Other women (especially 40 something women) should read this.
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Summary: Captivating Read, Soulful
Review: Read it in one sitting, couldn't put it down on a snowy New England day this past winter. The atmosphere of the book continues to permeate my consciousness. This true life heart-to-heart story is filled with compassion and encouragement. The author's candor in sharing her spiritual journey about self-renewal and self-esteem rings true. A great read and a great help. Can't help but relate my experience with this book with a Web site I've been going to lately -- spirituality.com. There are some great articles there that echo the book's themes and have been encouraging as I continue to ponder the spiritual journey we'll all working on.
Rating:
Summary: A year by the Sea
Review: A wonderful book that needs to be read by all women. Joan Anderson captures the truth that many women experiecne when their children have grown and leave home and they are left to continue their life with their husband. She experiecnes and has the courage to do what the rest of us only dream of. Great reading!!
Rating:
Summary: A Year By The Sea
Review: I found Joan Anderson's story of her year to learn about herself and to be comfortable in her own skin a book almost impossible to put down. I passed this on to friends who had the same reaction that I did. One friend finished the book only to start page one again immediately. This was peaceful, reflective and a most enjoyable read.
Rating: 
Summary: The Wishy-Washiness of Soliloquizing
Review: Just recently, I've kind of begun to delve into the whole "Non-fiction, memoir" thing, and it's working out pretty well for me. I mean, I've had a few problems--bookstores being overcrowded, use of un-unified vignettes, too many fish, whatever--but I think this one was really worth it. Everyone likes to write about the sea and its effects, but Joan Anderson goes one step further and does, and she puts it all in this book. Amazing. In this book, the sea really has a pull on her life--truly like undertoe--that refuses to let go. And her writing is incredible; her descriptiveness is simply that--descriptive. As I read this book, I really gained mental representation of the author's life, which I can only use one word to describe: basketball. Seriously, I really think Joan Anderson would make an incredible b-ball player. Just picture her in a Knicks uniform, busting down court on a fast break, totally schooling her defender, Kenny Wayne Shepard, and putting up a sweet sweet layup--just right over his head. Boom. It would be so sweet. I swear, I should work for a team with draft picks. Incredible.
Rating:
Summary: Lulls You Like the Sea Itself
Review: This author's gentle, insightful style mirrors the calm and depth of the sea itself. Her spiritual journey is beautifully portrayed in the language and structure of the story. For those familiar with recovery language, this story sheds light on how enlightenment happens in an ordinary life (if there is such a thing) to an ordinary woman (there definitely is no such thing). I truly did not want the book to end.
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