Sandpiper: The Life and Letters of Celia Thaxter

by Rosamond Thaxter

Raised with her two brothers on White Island lighthouse at the Isles of Shoals, off Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Celia Thaxter developed a strong sense of the natural history of the islands. Her marriage at age 16 to intellectual Levi Thaxter, who had been her tutor, was her introduction to the literary world of Boston. Her poems first appeared in The Atlantic and she became one of America’s favorite authors in the late 19th century. Emerson, Hawthorne, Longfellow, Whittier, Aldrich, and Jewett were among her circle of friends, and they, along with actors, artists, and musicians, came to visit her and vacation at the Appledore Hotel which her family operated on the islands.

Based on family records and traditions as well as previously published works, Sandpiper is an unusual biography. Its author, a granddaughter of Celia Thaxter, wrote with skill and power. The book’s many photographs help bring the story of the poet and her world to life. Fully documented and indexed, the book also contains the twenty-one poems that Celia Thaxter regarded as her best.

First issued in 1962, this is the fifth printing of Sandpiper. A valuable introduction to the literary world of the 19th century, it is above all a full-length portrait of the woman who so actively participated in and enjoyed that world.

Genres: Biography

356 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure exactly how to do this *deep breath*...but...

I am currently reading this bio for a coupla reasons. 1) Thaxter was an intimate peer of Emerson, Longfellow, Dickens (whom she called "the chief"), Robert Browning, and John Greenleaf Whittier, to name a few. She lived an unusual life on a group of islands off the coast of Kittery, Maine. 2) Of all her writings, (and particularly "the seed") that written about gardening I find the most beautiful.

This is not a riveting book that will keep you up nights. It is, rather, a slow informative read which opens the window a little further to life during the middle 1800s.

[Phyllis · Rating 4 out of 5]

During one of my trips up East, took a boat ride to Celia Thaxter's home on Appledore Island (in the Isle of Shoals), off the coast of Portsmouth. Became intrigued by her life and picked up this book to learn more....very fascinating.

[Courtney Harp · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a slow read, but I found it interesting to learn of a life much different than my own. I've been to Portsmouth, NH and Kittery, ME so the locations were familiar. I enjoyed reading about Celia Thaxter's childhood living on an island where her father was the lighthouse keeper and later the island where her family owned and operated a hotel. There were many joys but also tragedy and heartache. Her later years as a grandmother and gardener were sweet and worth the finish. Her poetry and the photos included in the book were a nice bonus.

Oh the delicious dawns and crimson sunsets, the calm blue sea, the tender sky, the chorus of the birds! It all makes me so happy! Sometimes I wonder if it is wise or well to love any one spot on this old earth as intensely as I do this! I am wrapped up in measureless content as I sit on the steps in my little garden, where the freshly turned earth is odorous of the spring.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of interest to gardeners, poets and those who love the New England coast.

[Pauline C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found it interesting to read about NH women in historical context