Sea Glass: A Novel

Sea Glass, a novel set on the New Hampshire coast in the early days of the Depression, introduces several very different characters, all from different social classes, who come together under extraordinary circumstances. Honora Beecher is a young and naive woman, swept off her feet and quickly

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married to the secretive and charismatic Sexton. Sexton and Honora have recently pooled all their resources to buy an abandoned house on the coast, where they hope to share their lives. Sexton, a traveling office machine salesman, soon gets himself in over his head with some financial trickery and ultimately gets fired from his job. During this tough economic time, his only choice is to begin working at the mill, a job that feeds off the very souls of its workers. Vivian is a debutante with too much money and too much time on her hands. Running and hiding from her usual set after an unspecified difficulty, she finds herself on the New Hampshire coast with her close friend Dickie. Dickie has recently begun renovation on a house that he wishes to share with Vivian, but the stock market crash changes all that. Soon, Dickie has fled the scene in disgrace and Vivian is in sole possession of the big house. Whiling away her days alone, Vivian longs to make a change in her life, to find direction and meaning in the turbulent times. McDermott is a young mill worker. As he toils away repairing the machines that have robbed him of most of his hearing, he comes across some troubling news about the mill. Management is planning on cutting wages, increasing production, and lengthening hours; and McDermott has had enough. Quietly he becomes involved in a workers strike that will pull in the likes of Honora, Vivian, and Sexton. As these unlikely accomplices come together, they will discover new sides of themselves and new opportunities that had never before seemed possible. Unexpected loyalties will form, relationships will be tested, and lives will be forever changed by the events that they all become complicit in.

After reading so much praise for Anita Shreve's novels, I was surprised to find that this book fell so flat for me. I think the crux of the problem was that every aspect of the book was very subdued and, frankly, dull. I found all of the characters to be thinly formed and to have little to no tension or spark of life within them. They all seemed very drab and curiously passionless. Because of this, I never really felt any emotion for any of them. I didn't really care who was falling in love with who, or who was dealing with financial upsets or, well, anything that was going on with them. And it seemed like they didn't care either. The characters lacked the solidity that was necessary for me to engage with them, and as a result, the story was thin and unremarkable. There was very little emotional examination in these people; they just seemed to trudge along and let things happen to them without taking any kind of emotional stock of themselves or those around them; and when they did exhibit the perfunctory emotion expected of them, it didn't feel genuine or heartfelt. They just didn't feel very real or convincing and I found that to be especially frustrating. It made me want to hold them all at an arms length instead of investing any care or concern in them.

I also didn't find the plot to be all that interesting. Mostly it dealt with the striking workforce of the mill and the clandestine operations of the people organizing the strikes. There were other aspects of the plot, like the floundering intimacy between Sexton and Honora, the unlikely friendship between McDermott and a young boy who also worked in the mill, and a secret and ill-planned romance. However, all this paled in comparison to the emphasis that was placed on the strike at the mill, which portrayed the harsh conditions and unfairness of factory life and provided the backdrop for the melding of the characters, who were all of differing social classes. One could argue that the love story was meant to take center stage, but it was not developed or nuanced enough to take the reigns and move forward as the main plot element. I felt the plot to be a bit heavy-handed and not very engaging, and although it was very easy to read (which I am not sure is a compliment), I found that anything and everything distracted me from the story in front of me.

Here I must add that I did enjoy reading the letters that Honora's mother wrote to her detailing daily life that was strictured by depression era economies, but those were few and far between. I would have been more pleased to have read more in this vein, as it did tend to give the story some much needed atmosphere and historical resonance. Towards the end there was a shift in the storyline, and finally some action, but it was a brief plot sequence. Unfortunately, I had made up my mind about the book by that point and I was not swayed by the plot twist.

The conclusion was fully as disappointing as most of the book had been, with most of the characters finding new depths of misery in which to wallow. Perhaps an alternate and more satisfying ending would have made me a bit more charitable in my feelings towards this book, but I don't really think so. I can understand that some books are meant to be quiet and subtle, but in this situation, I think the book definitely suffered from the lack of tangible feeling and emotional depth and range. Maybe this is a particular writing trait of the author, or maybe it was unique to this book, but I didn't find it to be a very compelling or engrossing read.

Thought I didn't particularly like this book, I have heard really good things about The Pilot's Wife, one of her other novels. Honestly, I wished I had read that one instead. This book was the second selection of our book club, and surprisingly, I was in the minority in my opinion of it. Most of the others in the group felt very strongly about the characters and their plights, and Sexton in particular was unanimously hated and vilified. Others thought that Honora was a very boring character in the first half of the book but that she later became more interesting. The conclusion seemed to be disliked by all that were present, but overall they agreed that this was an entertaining read. For my part, I don't feel that I can honestly recommend this book, as I feel that the sparseness of both the plot and characters detracted heavily from my enjoyment of it.

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Basic plot: A story of how the lives of six characters from different social class levels intertwine during the Great Depression.

The beginning is kind of slow, and the ending is very disappointing, but everything in between is good strong writing.

I really enjoyed this book -
I thought the characters were well formed and I loved the imagery and scenery of the beach area where most of the plot unfolded. I might be biased though - because hunting for sea glass was and still is a favorite hobby of mine -

I thought the ending was a little rushed

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but other than that i found it a satisfying read.

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A friend recommended Anita as an author. I love her writing but I tend to like a happier ending

Liked the book. Hated the ending. Liked the use of different narrators. Liked that the woman collected sea glass, and the frienship she makes. Her mistakes, and lose of love. How she doesn't realize who her husband is, and the loses her one true love, because of her husband.

It was a nice "summer read" - nothing over the top great, but a nice story.

This is the story of a young married couple, and it is also a portrait of a mill town in New Hampshire just at the beginning of the Great Depression. The central character is Honora, the wife, though especially at the beginning there is a surfeit of unconnected characters, and it is not entirely

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clear which one is at the center, and it takes some time for the threads to come together.

The writing, structure, and research are all excellent. One comes to care for the characters. But it is not a book to read if one needs cheering up.

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I almost passed on this book when I found it at a thrift store. The book's plot looked promising and I wasn't disappointed. My favorite quaote from the book:"The only problem with looking for sea glass", Sexton says one day when he and Honora are walking along the beach, "is that you never look up.

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You never see the view. You never see the houses or the ocean because you're afraid you'll miss something in the sand."

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Anita Shreve tells a story I really want to read. I enjoyed following Honora, our heroin, from her early days of marriage when she was humble and vulnerable to the climactic ending which characterizes her as a `strong and thoughtful woman.

This story takes place during the 1920's when a typewriter salesman, Sexton, marries a young bank teller, Honora.

The beginning of the book starts with chapters on many of the main characters individually then a few chapters in they are slowly connected. The story to me was very slow to unfold. Of

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course it is a sad time of history so the book is a bit depressing. I was hoping for the not so typical "event" for Honora at the end of the book but was disappointed.

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I wasn't sure if I wanted to read this book. I read The Pilot's Wife and wasn't too impressed. But I really liked this book. It takes place right at the beginning of the Great Depression. It kind of confused me at the beginning because it jumps from person to person, but once I got to know the

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characters and could see how all their lives tie together it all made sense.

It is about Sexton, a typewriter salesman and his new bride Honora; McDermott, a mill worker; Vivian, a rich writer from a good family; and Alphonse, an eleven year old boy who is forced to leave school and work in the mill after the death of his father.

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I had a hard time getting into the book as Shreve jumped around with the characters. But by page 60, I was hooked. I loved the way the characters were interwoven and each comes into the Great Depression at a different stage in life. A book that I will remember for a long time. A wonderful quick

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read!

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A story of Honora and her typewriter salesman husband Sexton during the 1920's and the beginning of the Great Depression. Really liked the eclectic set of characters and how they all came together throughout the story. It hooked me from the first page and didn't want to put it down. Next time I am

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walking at a beach I will be looking for Sea Glass, especially red! Plan to pick up The Pilot's Wife and Fortune's Rockers.

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I listened to "Sea Glass" on audio CD and enjoyed the reader and the story. Set in a mill town in the late 1920's when stores were closing and mill workers were out of work. Times were very hard and many people facing eviction and long waits in food lines and soup kitchens. Unions were making

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strong inroads into changing the faces of workers in these town but first there was a price to pay.

I have always loved collecting bits of rock and shells and sea glass washed smooth by the ocean, rivers and streams. I understand the love of these small smooth objects. During a time of change and hardship it is especially important to celebrate things of beauty. For Honora, who marries a typewriter salesman Sexton Beacher, life feels full of promise. The reality of daily life quickly overcomes their lives and Honora turns to the sea and those beautiful pieces of sea glass for her solitude and peace.

Friendships, love, family and community all are part of this lovely story that develops as peoples lives intersect and blend together. It is a simple story that could be told today, when economic suffering or tragedy brings stranger together to form new bonds and friendships and love.

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This book has a slow start as the reader is introduced to a smattering of unusual, but not especially interesting, characters. It is not until about page 199 (but who's counting?) that the characters really begin to converge and the real story begins. After that, it is a rather good book!

I slurped this wonderfully smooth-written novel in two days, while enjoying the atmosphere, the characters and the emotions all the way. A wonderful read.

Another classic by Anita Shreve.

As in all her previous books, the ending left me a bit shaken and wanting more and vaguely wanting to throw the book against the wall. Disturbing, yet appropriate.

Well drawn characters, lovely location, what's not to like? THE ENDING!!! Honora Beecher deserves better.

It is a house on the beach that Honora doesn't mind renting. Despite its age and all its flaws, the old house is the perfect place to start off a new marriage. She and her husband, Sexton, throw themselves into fixing it up, just as they throw themselves into their new life together. While Honora

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fixes up the derelict house and searches for sea glass on the beach, Sexton risks everything they have to buy the house they both love.

Along with the entire population of America, Sexton is blindsided by the stock market crash of 1929 and finds himself penniless. The only work that he is able to find is in the local mill, where a labor dispute is erupting into violence. As their financial pressures continue to mount, Honora begins to see how little she actually knows about this man that she has married.

I think this was a wonderful book - I really found myself caring about the characters, and the plot was very believable to me. I give this book an A+! and will keep it for a while to reread at some point.

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Having just read [book: Whitethorn Woods] by [author: Maeve Binchy], I find a number of similarities to this book, especially the story being told from different perspectives. The major difference between the two is that in [book: Sea Glass], you come back to characters to hear more of the story.

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In [book: Whitethorn Woods], you only got one shot to hear from a character. I liked this book, because, unexpectedly the house is a character and pops up in other books I have read, including [book: The Pilot's Wife] and [book: Fortune's Rocks]. This book tells the story of a young girl who marries a con man and the unexpected turns her life takes after that. It explores the knowledge that wives have of their husbands' activities and how strange circumstances can lead you to your true destiny... whether or not that works out.

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This book takes place in 1929 1930 right when the stock market crashed, and the hardships that followed that. Anita Shreve wrote this book very well the characters are so wonderfully written, and it is so easy to either love or hate them. the book starts off a little slow kind of reaching up to

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things but then after that it's like a downhill roller coaster. As much as I wanted this book to end the way that I wanted it to end, the ending is very well written because it does not follow the typical fairytale. Overall, I very much enjoyed this book and I was not able to put it down towards the end of the book. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

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I quite liked the plot of this book, and loved Shreve's characters, as usual. But I admit that I tire of swearing in novels, most especially when it seems anachronistic. I'm so tired of finding the f-bomb riddled throughout novels set in the 1910s and 20s. It's only been in my generation that I

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find people feel the freedom to use it unapologetically in their speech, so it irritates me to find it used so constantly in the speech of, for lack of a better word, 'historical' characters.

So, because I'm uncomfortable with it both from a literary and an ethical standpoint, my enjoyment of this book was tainted a bit.

On the other hand, I'd like Vivian and Honora and McDermott and Alphonse to all move in down the street from me, please.

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Sea glass begins as normal shards of broken glass that are then persistently tumbled and ground until the sharp edges are smoothed and rounded. In this process, the glass loses its slick surface but gains a frosted appearance.

This was the first book I've read by Anita Shreve and I enjoyed the

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steady, slow pace that many readers have complained of. When so many characters emerge, it is necessary to take time for a proper introduction so the reader can make a connection with all involved. Sea Glass takes place during the stock market crash of 1929, against a New England setting, where every social class is affected by this enormous financial crisis but it is the mill workers story that Shreve tells with such heartbreaking depth and honesty. Men and women struggled to feed, clothe and house large families. Mill owners cut wages that were already too low and workers were forced out of homes, left to the streets or starvation. Workers formed unions and strikes were inevitable. It is here where Shreve explores raw emotions and extreme human conditions. The story is told from several different points of view but mostly centers around the Beechers, Honora-( O-nor-a )and Sexton. Sea Glass explores the many facets of love, friendship, hope, trust, honor, tragedy and loss. I believe that Shreve used sea glass as a metaphor to show how lives are changed and shaped by one's choices, the people we surround ourselves with, friends and those we love and the life that continues to go on, despite our best efforts to control the many situations that we are faced with on a daily basis. Sea glass is tossed around by strong currents and forces until it's rough edges have been worn down. Isn't this how one feels when life throws us a curve and takes a direction we never chose? When one's life becomes complicated, don't we feel as if we have been worn down at the edges, too? However, although battered and bruised, don't we often times recover, bounce back and emerge with hope and a better understanding of ourselves. Perhaps we see the task in front of us as a little less cloudy, with a lot more beauty.

Honora and Sexton are young newlyweds moving into a spacious but run down beach house on the New England coast, in the late-20's. They courted only a short time before they were married and as a result, know very little about the other. Like most newlyweds, they are full of hope for the future together and begin to restore the home. Sexton is an ambitious fellow and will not be content to rent the 3 bedroom home. He is a travelling salesman with a silver tongue and manages to surprise Honora with a newly acquired mortgage from the bank. Honora is an attractive, dutiful wife that Sexton is proud of and she takes pleasure in being his wife. Honora loves the homes location on the beach. During her many walks along the shore, Honora begins to collect the different colored sea glass she finds in the sand, after the waves have receded.

Alphonse is a young boy who works at the mill, where his mother works, too. It is necessary for him to work. His father left the family to manage on their own. There are too many mouths to feed and they live in a run down housing provided by the mill. Alphonse rarely has a day off but makes the most of the time he does. He is at the beach one day watching a young woman collecting something along the waters edge.

McDermott belongs to a group of men, unhappy with the pay cuts and working conditions at the mill, deciding to form a union and strike until their needs are met. Meetings must take place in secret. State militia and thugs are hired by owners of the mills and have been known to retaliate with force against those that threaten to strike. McDermott befriends Alphonse one day, while standing outside of a meeting that takes place next door to the boy's housing. McDermott tells Alphonse that he must not repeat what he sees taking place. McDermott feels sorry for the boy and a great friendship is established between the two. Alphonse worships McDermott.

Vivian is a sophisticated socialite unaffected by the financial crisis that is sweeping the country, wiping entire family fortunes and savings away. She recently acquired a lovely beach home and she is glad to escape the demands of the city. She bores easily but loves the time she spends at the shore. Vivian watches a woman searching for something in the sand and decides to assist. The young woman explains that she has not lost anything and opens her hand to show Vivian her unique collection of sea glass found on the beach. Vivian is intrigued by the young lady.

Sexton was a great travelling typewriter salesman. He made ends meet until the economic crisis that threatens to ruin him. Sexton becomes a man psychologically and physically changed by the effects of the crash. He retreats into himself and hates the failure he believes he has become. How can he look Honora in the eyes? What must she think of him? He is forced to take a job at the mill and live in horrible conditions during the week. Sexton should not be working at the mill, he thinks. He should be in an office. But it is here that Sexton makes a sales pitch that will change his luck once again.

The characters blend together perfectly. Sea Glass is not the story you are looking for if you want adventure and action or boat loads of mystery. Shreve tells a story about a group of people, brought together by circumstance, when the stock market crash will spark a decade long crisis, known as the Great Depression, bringing an end to the roaring 20's and a time of wealth and excess. Sea Glass tells a poignant story that brings change to the lives of all involved. It left this reader broken hearted but hopeful.

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Sea Glass is a cinematic story in with its beautiful descriptions and the way the mood builds and carries from scene (chapter) to scene. The book starts innocently enough as a perfect homage to the types of novels written at the time of the story (1929-30) but with the start of the Great Depression

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the novel takes on a much darker and frantic tone ending with each and every character marked and changed. Shreve's style of writing mimics well authors of the time: Kelland, Lincoln (who also wrote about a fictional coastal town), Fizgerald and Steinbeck making the novel all the more engaging and believable.

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