Return to the Sea: Reflections on Anne Morrow Lindbergh'S, "Gift from the Sea

by Anne M. Johnson, Sara Steele (Illustrator)

In 1955, Anne Morrow Lindbergh gave a gift to millions of women in her much beloved Gift from the Sea. Two generations later, Anne Johnson invites women to discover the beauty and meaning of Lindbergh's timeless "shells" all over again in Return to the Sea. Lindbergh's book revealed how the sea has gifts to give to all who find their lives too busy and out of focus. Using the metaphor of shells to explore the inner spiritual path, Lindbergh gently led her readers to practice simplifying, quieting, shedding, and centering. Today, women are struggling to balance career, family, creative, and spiritual needs. Many of us have long since let go of the idealistic contemplative corner that Lindbergh envisioned, but not of our longing for it. In Return to the Sea, we are led back to Lindbergh's beach where the shells can be our teachers once again. Using experiences from her own spiritual journey-as a mother, career woman, and therapist-Johnson offers her readers a renewed vision of ways to create intentional space in our lives for personal and spiritual growth. Shell illustrations, along with meditations, centering and journal writing exercises, enhance each chapter's reflections on Lindbergh's original shell passages.

Genres: Nonfiction, Spirituality

140 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Bonny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book is like having a wonderful, personal conversation with the author. It is also a wonderful companion to Anne Morrow Lindbergh's Gift From The Sea. I'm always amazed when I read and re-read Gift From the Sea that Mrs. Lindbergh and I (a mid-50s housewife) could have so many feelings and thoughts in common. Anne Johnson shows us that we are all connected in our thoughts and feelings. Through wonderful, common, everyday experiences Anne Johnson shows us that we can Return to the Sea and feel present in the moment. I know millions of women have read, loved and taken Gift From the Sea to heart, and I'm sure many will do the same with Return to the Sea.

[Carrie Amundson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gift From The Sea is my all time favorite book. I read it every single year and every year I get something new from it. So, when I came across Return To The Sea, I bought it immediately. It was beautiful and well written, but I enjoyed it as much as I did because it was like having a conversation with a fellow lover of Anne Morrow’s book. I have yet to meet someone who knew of that book and it felt like I got to share that enthusiasm and hear about how it impacted someone else’s life as deeply as it has my own.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bought this from curiosity, did someone really write a 140 page book about how much they liked a 140 page book? Thankfully that was not the case, this referenced Gift From The Sea but did not quote it at length. Nothing was wrong with this but still you can add my voice to all the reviews that say you would do better to simply read Gift From The Sea twice the to read both that book and this one.

[Linda B · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quaint book about a woman's reflections on life as reflected in the seashells found on the beach. There is quite a bit of good advice in this book about family life, keeping your own boundaries and listening to your inner self.

[Angela Counter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think you'd get more out of this if you already love "Gift from the Sea", but it was still a nice little reflective book.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read in its own right but more powerful for the way in which it points you back to the beauty and hope of the original.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book on a spiritual retreat at the Ocean. Without having first read Gifts from the sea I was still inspired and enjoyed the book greatly. A beautiful book for women looking to rediscover their own gifts and serenity.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I pulled out my copy of "Gift from the Sea" and started reading it again.

[Kim Beckman]

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