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A Year by the Sea: Thoughts of an Unfinished Woman Audiobook
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(3.01) - 2,423 listener ratings
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Life is a work in progress, as ever-changing as a sandy shoreline along the beach. During the years Joan Anderson was a loving wife and supportive mother, she had slowly and unconsciously replaced her own dreams with the needs of her family. With her sons grown, however, she realized that the family no longer centered on the home she provided, and her relationship with her husband had become stagnant. Like many women in her situation, Joan realized that she had neglected to nurture herself and, worse, to envision fulfilling goals for her future. As her husband received a wonderful job opportunity out-of-state, it seemed that the best part of her own life was finished. Shocking both of them, she refused to follow him to his new job and decided to retreat to a family cottage on Cape Cod.
At first casting about for direction, Joan soon began to take pleasure in her surroundings and call on resources she didn't realize she had. Over the course of a year, she gradually discovered that her life as an "unfinished woman" was full of possibilities. Out of that magical, difficult, transformative year came A Year by the Sea, a record of her experiences and a treasury of wisdom for listeners.
This year of self-discovery brought about extraordinary changes in the author's life. The steps that Joan took to revitalize herself and rediscover her potential have helped thousands of women reveal and release untapped resources within themselves.
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"Ms. Anderson writes about a wish that I believe many middle-age women have. Running away. Spending a good block of time by oneself in order to figure out why on earth one is here beyond being a helpmeet to a husband, a chauffer to children, a shoulder to cry on for friends."
— Marianna (5 out of 5 stars)
A Year by the Sea Listener Reviews
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" I thoroughly enjoyed the insightful and truthful account from a woman who re-defined herself during her mid-life. She made unconventional decisions that ultimately brought her to a place where she was better for herself and her loved ones in the long run. "
— Hope, 2/9/2014 -
" Joan Anderson, a middle-aged women takes a break from her marriage to find herself. While I couldn't relate to this woman's life and what she had been through, I still enjoyed her story and the process by which she re-discovered herself. "
— Michele, 2/8/2014 -
" I loved this book! A woman in her 50s trying to figure out the next phase of her life...boy, could I relate! "
— Kristi, 2/5/2014 -
" A quick enjoyable read. I think the setting in the cape really added to the book. "
— Sandy, 2/4/2014 -
" Basically this book represents everything I hate about this genre: it's self-indulgent and, worse, self-pitying. Joan Anderson is fortunate enough to have the means to take an extended period of time "off" from her marriage and mid-life crisis to figure herself out, but the life lessons virtually slip past her as she wallows in the "shoulda-couldas" of her life until now. Her story in not at all unusual, nor, frankly, all that sad or interesting. And unlike Elizabeth Gilbert in EAT, PRAY, LOVE, who had the good fortune of not only taking a year off from a bad marriage and unknown future, but who also got to do so in exotic locales, Anderson never shows real growth or self-actualization. She relays her year in Cape Cod in little more than journal entries, without the "a-ha!" And unlike Gilbert, there is no humor nor flair for prose. In fact, the most enthralling character in her memoir is not HER, but Joan Erickson, the widow of famed pyschologist Erik Erickson. And it is Joan Erickson's wisdom that Anderson passes on to her readers, nothing that she has earned on her own. The subtitle of the book is: "Thoughts of an Unfinished Woman." She needs to keep working on that. "
— Tamidel, 1/24/2014 -
" Joan had an interesting journey, one which I can't completely identify with. I'm not sure who I would recommend this to, perhaps it would give men some incite to the conflicts women have with their roles as wife, mother, and self. "
— Jennifer, 1/17/2014 -
" All I can say is wow, what a wake-up call. This book really speaks to me at this time of my life. "
— Ann, 1/17/2014 -
" This book was so good! It certainly made me think about how many choices I have! "
— Carey, 1/12/2014 -
" Actually I would give this 3 1/2 stars, if I could. Will save a more in-depth review for after book club... "
— Tacey, 12/27/2013 -
" A beautiful story about a woman's journey into herself. Loved it! "
— Wendy, 12/19/2013 -
" Journey through a mid-life crisis where she goes to the beach to "rediscover" herself. Nothing groundbreaking but a sweet story. "
— Steph, 11/14/2013 -
" I'm not as old as the character in the novel, but I most certainly can relate to feeling the way she does at times. I believe it takes an extraordinary person to walk away from one life and do what is best only for himself/herself in another life. "
— Stefanie, 11/4/2013 -
" A wonderful writer and inspiring story. "
— Sylvie, 10/24/2013 -
" Great book on a woman who leaves her life and finds herself again. Sounds cliche.. Isn't. Quick read and has some great sequels about a friendship and marriage. "
— Leslie, 10/7/2013 -
" It is a quiet journey. Perhaps not on the grandios scale of finding one's self as in Eat, Pray, Love, but a book about self discovery and re-creating one's self. "
— Julia, 9/18/2013 -
" What a wonderful story - really made me sit back and think about what we do that makes us happy. "
— Amy, 8/13/2013 -
" Stacy shared this with me at a turning point in my life. Anyone facing change in their personal life---this is a must-read. "
— Tina, 7/12/2013 -
" A bad choice. A fluffy waffle of a memoir. "
— Judith, 6/26/2013 -
" She spends a lot of the book mumbling thoughts and not enough time describing the events that are happening. Or developing any of the other characters. "
— Sara, 4/27/2013 -
" Relevant! I'm going to keep this book to re-read occasionally. "
— Mardell, 4/10/2013 -
" Enjoyed her experience...style sometimes a bit wordy for me. "
— Kathy, 3/29/2013 -
" Makes you analyze your own marriage and how you fit in to the world. Belongs with "A Gift by the Sea" by Anne Morrow Lindbergh "
— Cia, 3/7/2013 -
" Book Club selection that was a wonderful read. It is about a woman who has always been the woman she thinks her husband, children, friends thinks she should be. She takes a year of living by herself to really find her true self. A good read. "
— Barb, 1/8/2013 -
" I liked it a lot. i just ordered her other books. She has a good sense of humor, and as foggy a look on life as i have! "
— Shaleigh, 12/2/2012 -
" I liked this book, it captures thoughts, feelings and adventures or situations that will come up during a woman's life even if they are not yours. "
— Lynn, 10/28/2012 -
" I read this at my Dad's Cape Cod house and I can't wait to read it again sometime soon. Beautiful. "
— Evonne, 10/17/2012 -
" Very very good story! Important for women approaching the mid-life mark to embark on a journey of self re-discovery. "
— Kim, 10/1/2012
About Joan Anderson
Joan Anderson is a journalist and the bestselling author of A Year by the Sea, An Unfinished Marriage, A Walk on the Beach, and A Weekend to Change Your Life. She lives with her husband on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and conducts weekend workshops for women around the country.
About Laural Merlington
Laural Merlington is an audiobook narrator with over two hundred titles to her credit and a winner of multiple Earphones Awards. An Audie Award nominee, she has also directed over one hundred audiobooks. She has performed and directed for thirty years in theaters throughout the country. In addition to her extensive theater and voice-over work, she teaches college in her home state of Michigan.