A Walk on the Beach: Tales of Wisdom From an Unconventional Woman

I love this book! Once I started it, I could not put it down. Joan Anderson introduces us to a truly phenomenal woman in Joan Erickson. Both Joans have questions about life and purpose that reflects the different stages of life they are in. Joan A. asks questions that many women at midlife have, and Joan E is reflective on a life well lived. Joan Erickson is an amazing woman, someone we all want to be when we grow up. She proves that life is about living fully, playfully and with vibrant intent. I recommend this book to all the women I work with.

In an era of quick-fix motivational workshops and buzz words like "Life Coaching", this wise and soothing book stands as a strong reminder that we need SO MUCH MORE than weekend workshops and spiritual retreats to regain our balance or redirect our life's course. We need real mentors and ongoing friendships with seasoned women who can show us the way. At some point in midlife, many women (and men) experience a career crisis or crisis of faith, and are desperately in need of guidance. Joan Anderson was lucky enough to find an incredible mentor to show the way, demonstrating how "elderly" friends are essential to our growth.I believe many of us remain stuck with only peer relationships, and don't take time to seek out the untapped wisdom of older people in our communities and congregations. Joan's book is a marvelous blueprint for anyone who craves companionship with the older and wiser -- or women of experience. As we read this sweet book, we are also called to treasure -- or initiate -- friendships with real women of experience in our midst. Thank you, Joan!

From the stranger on the shore to becoming the beloved mentor, JOAN ERIKSON, is the driving force that allows Joan Anderson to truly push the boundaries further from the traditional role she played, to unveiling the ?unconventional woman? that Joan is today. The book is perhaps a tribute and ?thank you? to her playful and witty friend who helped Joan weave her way and; in turn, provide the gift of ?unconventional wisdom? that she received ~ to women curious enough to seek. Joan's writings are always enticing, and she continues to expose her frailties, as well as her triumphs, in ?A Walk on the Beach."

While A Walk On The Beach represents the final part of a divine trinity of books, the internal divine trinity is the coming together of the two Joans in the presence of the Sea - which has always been a metaphor for Consciousness, the Womb of the Great Mother.Joan Anderson is a great observer of Life and the human experience, and her ablity to articulate the way people think and feel, especially in the context of relationships, of all kinds, is unsurpassed.That she should meet Erikson's wife in a beach/seashore setting, especially in Cape Cod, Mass, in magical New England, the virtual birthplace of what is now the United States, is most interesting - the seashore also being a symbolic point of transition for a mermaid/siren figure seeking transformation into mortal womanhood, as in The Girl In A Swing, by Richard Adams (also an excellent movie).With the two Joans, the transformation is mutual, as these wisewomen unfold their lives in quite different marital circumstances.For the record, Erikson the psychologist extended Freudian theory by factoring in the effects of culture and environment to the stages of human development rather than merely biological influences. To Erikson, development was a lifelong process. The main criticisms of this work focused on his gender and ethnocentric bias. The later, Third Wave psychology of Maslow and after, addressed the individual's relationship to the Universe itself, rather than the experiential layer generated by society.Joan Erikson herself continued to expand on the work she had done with her husband with her own hands-on experience of old age (she was 90 when the Joans met), and Joan A was able to benefit from this wisdom first hand. Similarly, she was able to help Joan Erikson with her own major life adjustments, including the impending death of a Life partner, by sharing her own growth lessons as she re-structured her thinking as she moved into the second stage of her life.I can see why some people regard this as 'a woman's book', (I disagree, it's a thinking PERSON'S book) but as a man with four daughters who has published a book about the suppression of the Feminine, I found it intriguing. The beautiful interactions between these two remarkable unfinished women reminds you that menopause and after is supposed to be a sacred transition, not a form of mental illness, as we have been programmed to believe.Invaluable.

Joan Anderson's latest memoir, A Walk on the Beach, is indeed a masterpiece! Through a chance encounter with a wise and inspiring older woman, Ms. Anderson becomes mentored on the valuable lessons of living a rich and purposeful life. As the story progress, it is evident that Ms. Anderson's experience is the experience of many and we, the readers, become the mentees. This book has wisdom for all ages, without a doubt. The reader is drawn into this relationship as it progresses into a powerful story of fully living our lives at each age and stage. I believe it is destined to become a classic from which generations will reflect on their lives with a new sense of possibility. It is an inspiration for anyone who allows themselves to become absorbed in this amazing place in time. Ms. Anderson has truly given the reader a wonderful gift, allowing us to spend precious time with Joan Erikson. I am grateful for this beautiful work, written with grace, humor and tremendous insight! After Anderson's best-selling A Year By the Sea (which I read several times!), I was thrilled to discover that she has brought us a work that will be read and savored for years to come.