Gift From the SeaGift From the Sea
Score Classic
What it's about
Anne Morrow Lindbergh, writer, aviator and wife of Charles Lindbergh, took a short vacation alone on a Florida island in the early 1950s. There she picked up shells on the beach and let each one lead to a meditation on a woman's life: on simplicity, solitude, marriage, children and the stages of a life.
Why it's worth reading
It spent 46 weeks at #1 on the New York Times list and has never gone out of print. It's short and quiet, and many readers keep it by the bed or reread it on every vacation.
You'll love it if you liked
A Grief Observed
The Snow Leopard
WaldenGood to know
It's very short. It was written in 1955 for women of that time, but its thoughts on making time for yourself still resonate.
By the numbers
- Readers68 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller68 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking
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1984
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Quick answers
Is Gift From the Sea worth reading?
Yes. It spent 46 weeks at #1 on the New York Times list and has never gone out of print. It ranks #727 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 75.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Gift From the Sea about?
Anne Morrow Lindbergh, writer, aviator and wife of Charles Lindbergh, took a short vacation alone on a Florida island in the early 1950s. There she picked up shells on the beach and let each one lead to a meditation on a woman's life: on simplicity, solitude, marriage, children and the stages of a life.
How long does it take to read Gift From the Sea?
About 3 hours (128 pages), or about 6 days at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Gift From the Sea?
If you liked it, try A Grief Observed by CS Lewis, The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen or Walden by Henry David Thoreau.