First published in 1987, I had heard of this novel, but only just read it for the first time recently. To say that I enjoyed it would be an understatement.
This is an epic family saga. Set in England, the novel follows the life of Penelope Keeling, moving back and forth between time periods from her youth to later in her life with her own grown children with whom she struggles to have deep connections with two of the three.
In her youth, she was raised in a rather bohemian environment, surrounded by artists, painters and sculptors, her mother was French and her father was a painter who appreciated an unconventional but rich life.
As a young woman, she discovers romances and life-long friendships as World War II threatens all that she knows and loves and changes the world around her.
As a fiercely independent and strong woman with three grown children, she finds comfort in her friends, her garden and many memories.
"The Shell Seekers" is one of her father's paintings and is her most prized possession. However, once it is discovered that it is extremely valuable, it sets in motion a need for Penelope to explain to her children the importance of the painting, which morphs into her life story which focuses on the importance of family, friendships and living the life that makes you happiest.
Never having heard their mothers' life story, it serves to strengthen their family's tense and distant relationships.
A warm all encompassing novel that I highly recommend.
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