The Shell Seekers

Introduction

Published in 1987, The Shell Seekers was written by Rosamunde Pilcher and is her first bestseller. Inspired by Pilcher’s conversation with Tom Dunne at St. Martin’s Press about her children’s desire to see their mother become famous, the novel is the author’s attempt to create a story for women based on the experiences of her generation. Set in 1984, it tells the story of Penelope Stern Keeling and her children (Nancy, Olivia, and Noel) and focuses on how war changed Penelope’s life and how the prospect of inheritance brought out the worst and the best in her children. The Shell Seekers was made into a movie starring Angela Lansbury in 1989 and a television miniseries starring Vanessa Redgrave in 2006.

This study guide utilizes the ebook version of the novel published by St. Martin’s Paperbacks in 1997.

Plot Summary

Penelope Keeling, a divorced mother of three grown children, returns home to Podmore’s Thatch after suffering a minor heart attack. She calls her daughter, Olivia, telling her that she decided to check herself out of the hospital against medical advice. Olivia’s older sister, Nancy, is unhappy with their mother’s decision and has lunch with Olivia to discuss the possibility of hiring someone to live with Penelope full-time to care for her.