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The Shell Seekers
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| List Price: | £7.99 |
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Product Description
Artist's daughter Penelope Keeling can look back on a full and varied life: a Bohemian childhood in London and Cornwall, an unhappy wartime marriage, and the one man she truly loved. She has brought up three children - and learned to accept them as they are.
Yet she is far too energetic and independent to settle sweetly into pensioned-off old-age. And when she discovers that her most treasured possession, her father's painting, The Shell Seekers, is now worth a small fortune, it is Penelope who must make the decisions that will determine whether her family can continue to survive as a family, or be split apart.
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #54712 in Books
- Published on: 2005-06-06
- Original language: English
- Binding: Paperback
- 672 pages
Editorial Reviews
Review
'Her genius is to create characters you really care for' (Daily Express )
'The novel beguiles because of Pilcher's warmth, sincerity and easy, undemanding prose' (The Sunday Times )
'Pilcher's storytelling skills are serene and beguiling' (The Times )
'A wonderful, not-to-be-missed novel that is destined to provide many hours of pleasurable reading' (Woman and Home )
'Whether she is being poignant, wry or perceptive, Rosamunde Pilcher is always gentle' (Woman's Realm )
'It is never too soon to discover Rosamunde Pilcher' (Good Housekeeping )
''This is storytelling at its best . . . A long satisfying read which would enhance any holiday (Today )
'A beautiful, haunting story . . . that will tug at your heartstrings' (Prima )
'A huge, warm, saga . . . A deeply satisfying story written with love and confidence' (Maeve Binchy in The New York Times Book Review< )
Synopsis
Artist's daughter, Penelope Keeling can look back on a full and varied life: a Bohemian childhood in London and Cornwall, an unhappy wartime marriage, and the one man she truly loved. She has brought up three children - and learned to accept them as they are. Yet, she is far too energetic and independent to settle sweetly into pensioned-off old-age. And when she discovers that her most treasured possession, her father's painting, "The Shell Seekers", is now worth a small fortune, it is Penelope who must make the decisions that will determine whether her family can continue to survive as a family, or be split apart.
About the Author
Rosamunde Pilcher has had a long and distinguished career as a novelist and a short story writer, but it was her phenomenally successful novel, THE SHELL SEEKERS, that captured the hearts of all who read it and won her international recognition as one of the best-loved storytellers of our time. Her bestselling novel, COMING HOME, was made into a television film. Her most recent bestseller was WINTER SOLSTICE, also adapted for television drama. She was awarded an O.B.E for services to literature in 2002.
Customer Reviews
An all-time favourite
I first read this book way back in 1987 when it first came out and have just now re-read it - 21 years later and it still is an amazing read. Rosamunde Pilcher really makes you care about the characters and what happens to them and I really didn't want it to finish!
The book hops back and forward through time with chapters detailed by different characters' names but this only adds to the book as you discover things about the characters that happened previously and everything is explained in the fullness of time. The only characters I found somewhat unconvincing were Nancy and her family - they didn't seem to have any redeeming features at all and I found that a bit hard to believe.
The description in the book is very good and you feel that you are there feeling the wind or smelling the roses - Rosamunde Pilcher is presumably a keen gardner!
I can definitely recommend this book and will probably read it again in another 20 years time!
Beautifully written and not too dated
This is a really lovely book about human relationships and how they can change over the course of a lifetime, and how they can be affected by major historical events. Through flashbacks and through her 3 adult children, you learn about Penelope Keeling from when she was a teenager to a 64 year old woman, and ultimately you become emotionally attached to her. The characters are fantastically strong and are either likeable or disagreeable depending on the person and their situation. Places are described beautifully and you can picture Penelope's garden so clearly in your mind. Although this book was written in the 80s, it doesn't feel too dated, other than some odd references to clothes and the language some of the younger characters use (not many teenagers today would call their boyfriends 'Darling'), so I am convinced that readers today who are new to Rosamunde Pilcher would find it very easy to lose themselves in this book.
Fantastic!
This was one of my mothers and grandmothers favourite authors and as a sulky teenager I found it difficult to get into. However now a mature?! mid twentysomething I could not put it down! A beautifully written story that takes you through such a range of emotions relating to family life. Also being a cornish family ourselves it was something we could all relate to!! A definate must for everyone's book shelf. I can't wait to start her next one.
