The Shell Seekers
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4.6 • 551 Ratings
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
Rosamunde Pilcher's The Shell Seekers is "a huge warm saga...A deeply satisfying story written with love and confidence" (Maeve Binchy in The New York Times Book Review).
The Shell Seekers was adapted twice to film (1989 and 2006).
An instant bestseller when it was first published, The Shell Seekers is an enduring classic which has touched the hearts of millions of readers worldwide. A novel of connection, it is the story of one family—mothers and daughters, husbands and lovers—and of the passions and heartbreak that have held them together for three generations. This magical novel—the kind of reading experience that comes along only once in a long while—is the perfect read, whether you are returning to it again, or opening the cover for the first time.
At the end of a long and useful life, Penelope Keeling's prized possession is The Shell Seekers, painted by her father, and symbolizing her unconventional life, from bohemian childhood to wartime romance. When her grown children learn their grandfather's work is now worth a fortune, each has an idea as to what Penelope should do. But as she recalls the passions, tragedies, and secrets of her life, she knows there is only one answer...and it lies in her heart.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
On the heels of a hasty wartime marriage, Penelope Keeling is left to repent at leisure in the English seaside town of Porthkerris, where her artist father and her French mother are spending the duration of World War II. Safe in the embracing arms of that warm household, Penelope forgets her sour husband and takes a lover, and in that relationship, too, she weathers the war's privations and its hardest blows. In a beautifully detailed family saga that shifts effortlessly back and forth in time, Pilcher (Under Gemini) recounts Penelope's story and that of her three children. When their grandfather's work suddenly comes into vogue, Nancy, obsessed over status, and sleek Noel, adept at getting the most and giving the least, join in urging their mother to sell The Shell Seekers, a painting that gives her great joy. Only Olivia, a cool and collected magazine editor, refuses to be party to their barely concealed avarice. Pilcher's 13th book is a satisfying and savory family novel, in which rich layers of description and engagingly flawed characters more than make up for the occasional cliche. 100,000 first printing; $100,000 ad/promo; Troll Book Club main selection.
Customer Reviews
The Shell Seekers
An excellent book that will keep you reading and guessing until the end. Wisdom and love win out in the end. I admire Penelope for doing the right thing at exactly the right time. Brilliant!
The Shell Seekers
This book has been a favorite for many years. Families and their connections hold universal interest for all of us—as well as some secrets! The same is true of the Sterns and Keelings.
Excellent fulfilling heart warming read
This is one of my favorite novels. I read it originally when it was first published and never forgot it. Now decades later I decided to read it again, and was absolutely hooked and fascinated all over again. Thank you Rosamunde Pilcher: wish you were still here to delight us with more like this.