The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher (1987)
The Shell Seekers is a 1987 novel by author Rosamunde Pilcher, documenting the life of Penelope Keeling, daughter of a famous Victorian painter who is persistently troubled by her children to sell the works she inherited from him so they can reap the benefits of her fortune. It begins in the 1980s, but frequently flashes back to the war era of the 1940s documenting the loss and restriction experienced at the time.
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Like most of my books, I picked this up in a charity shop captured by the beautiful cover, knowing it was from the late 20th century. I’d never heard it before or Rosamunde’s works but it appears it was one of the best-selling books she ever wrote. I thought it would be perfect to carry me through spring or summer.
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It’s taken me a long time to finish and I’d definitely say it’s the most challenging book I’ve ever read - not just because of it’s length but because of the amount of characters inside, each chapter dedicated to one. I’m a very imaginative reader, so I like to build a voice and image of each person in my head. The Shell Seekers didn’t make this an easy feat but I thought Rosamunde did a great job at defining personalities and linking everything so that it flowed.
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I fell in love with Penelope Keeling and can only hope I am as wise and graceful as her when I’m an elder. Her adult kids in the book, besides Olivia are absolutely awful and Rosamunde’s storytelling had me loathing them from the first second. It’s worth putting up with them though because the reckoning that comes towards the end of the book as Penelope decides to sell her belongings for her own prosperity, and leaves her fathers sketches to her gardener who has treated her better than Nancy or Noel ever had, is really satisfying.
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The blurb describes The Shell Seekers as a story with ‘traditional values’, which was a red flag for me initially because often these sentiments are coded language for bigotry - there were some references to lesbianism in the book that were in a derogatory light, and I’m not too surprised in a book from nearly 40 years ago. Besides this, I absolutely loved the descriptive writing style and broadness of this story that captures the minute details of every day life. I’m not one to reread but this is a book I’d love to pick up again.
