Sea Glass

By: Anita Shreve

Narrated by: Judith Ann Gantly

With all the narrative power and emotional immediacy that have made her novels acclaimed international bestsellers, Anita Shreve unfolds a richly engaging tale of marriage, money, and troubled times-the story of a pair of young newlyweds who, setting out to build a life together in a derelict beach house on the Atlantic coast, soon discover how threatening the world outside their front door can be.©2002 Anita Shreve, All Rights Reserved; (P)2002 Time Warner AudioBooks, a Division of the AOL Time Warner Book Group

No happy ending

Don’t read if you like happy endings! Least likable character gets away with murder and favorite character dies.

A pleasant surprise!

This was the first book by Shreve that I had ever encountered. I was very surprised with how much I enjoyed the book. The characters were colorful and developed so that I felt I knew each and every one of them. I did not want the book to end. These characters struggling through the depression to save their home, ultimately testing the strength of their short marriage. I can't wait to read other books by Shreve.

Not her best

This book is beyond predictable and while I love Fortune's Rock this lacks the intensity that is necessary to truly relate to the characters. The narration is good but it ends and feels a little trite. Perhaps its just that the story is not as relatable and seems a bit dated. It does not transcend time. Its a bit cliche.

Fun read

What made the experience of listening to Sea Glass the most enjoyable?

The book has an interesting plot which weaved together the history of the time period (beginning of the Great Depression) with a believable group of characters. The issues presented in the story provided a good selection of topics for our Book Club's discussion including union vs. management in the mills of the northeast, effects of the Great Depression, ethics in marriage, etc.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Honora Beecher - she was a nice combination of hard working, kind and strong.

What does Judith Ann Gantly bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Her presentation was pleasant and confident which enhanced the experience as it seemed similar to the main character Honora Beecher

If you could take any character from Sea Glass out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Honora - I would want to tell her that not giving in to her desires was not a mistake, but another example of her honorable character demonstrated throughout the story.

Not as captivating as her other's

There are some audio books I sit in the car just to finish (Poisonwood Bible was one) - this is not one of them. There are some I never finish (Salmon Rushdie). Sea Glass falls in the middle. The characters are rich and the historical context of the mill life and depression informative and heartbreaking. The plot is interesting enough but it lacked the dramatic tension and excitement of many of her earlier books (e.g. Pilot's Wife and Fortunes Rock). I never really cared about the main characters; I thought the secondary characters from the Mill were the most interesting.