Summaries and Customer Reviews are supplied by Amazon.com

Average Customer Rating:

A good book if you're experiencing life changes

Customer Rating:

I could identify with many of the issues that Joan Anderson was facing; the life changes, my choices and life fulfillment. It is a beautiful book at times, but at other times the author comes off a bit whiny. Still, overall, I give Joan Anderson a thumbs up for having the courage to leave the familiar and to take risks in finding something more and ultimately in the end, finding yourself and your own voice.

Beautiful!

Customer Rating:

As a woman who just turned 30 years old, I found this book incredibly relevant to my life even with the distance in age and outward life circumstances from the author. The book is beautifully written... poetic, moving, deeply meaningful. I read it over two days and look forward to reading it again. There are many passages that resonated with my so deeply, I look forward to going back and highlighting. I would recommend this book to any woman at a point of transition or questioning in her life - surely it will be like a lighthouse for your rocking ship.

banal and trite

Customer Rating:

I bought this book after reading a raving review and I was totally disappointed. The style is bland and common, the topic - finding and understanding oneself, which I believe is one of life most important feat - is treated in a shallow manner. In our day and age, I also found it difficult to relate to a fifties' American housewife type of issues. But, it could have all been bearable if the book had been well written. It isn't, and it never managed to stir a bit of passion, beauty or compassion. I was bored from beginning to end, and I only kept reading the book in hope that it might improve. There are many better books out there that deal with introspection, meaning of relationships, being oneself, or surrounding oneself in nature and discovering life.

Take time for yourself

Customer Rating:

This was a well written book with many ideas that resonated within me. I especially liked how she started each chapter with a quote, a poem, some bit of writing from another author. I feel this book can help any woman looking to "find herself". While I've learned there is no treasure map that leads us to the "X marks myself", there are several good books that are guideposts, and this one could be counted as one of them.

This book helped me stay in my marriage!

Customer Rating:

It was the year 2000, I'd been married almost 20 years -- the kids were pretty much grown and I stood at the edge of my marriage - terrified that I'd jump off and terrified that I wouldn't. Okay, maybe terrified is a dramatic term, but that is how I felt. I truly did not know WHAT to do with my "self" even after many years of intentional inner growth, happiness and many blessings. I didn't know if I needed to be REALLY alone or how to be the ME emerging AND be married. There was no other man - no big outer change I sought...I just felt trapped. Thankfully, a friend told me about this book and I devoured it with gratitude. Joan Anderson is a ballsy, brave wayshower -- she's HONEST about the details I wondered about and I can't begin to say how grateful this wasn't a story about another man. Eight years later, I am HAPPY in me--my life and my marriage AND I am still learning - still growing. And now, Joan has THE SECOND JOURNEY out -- her story about the 10 years after writing her first book. Again, she helps so many as she helps her own life. For those who have found A YEAR BY THE SEA inspirational and helpful, please write to Meryl Streep (or her agent/publicist) or your favorite strong 50's actress to consider pushing this story to be made into a movie. This book has helped so many women, men and their marriages! Thank you Joan Anderson!!