Shells - A Cameo of Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Anne Morrow Lindbergh came from great wealth, married the world's most famous hero, was a pioneering aviator, and was a significant writer of the twentieth century. And yet, not many people know much about her life, other than she had a baby who was kidnapped and she wrote "Gift from the Sea." In "Shells," she has tea with a guest and tells the story of her life, from her early years reading and writing in her diary -- through the death of her husband Charles and her adjustment to widowhood.

In telling her story, Anne not only describes the best part of her marriage -- their pioneering flights around the world in a single-engine airplane -- but reveals the difficult years of her marriage, including Charles' frequent absences and his unrelenting criticism. The story of their lives includes impressive book successes as well as personal affairs for both of them. Anne honestly describes her affair with a trusted friend -- and painfully confides her devastating discovery of another family that Charles had in Germany.

Throughout her life, Anne got through the difficult periods and celebrated the happy times by writing: journals, letters, books and articles. In "Shells," she describes not only the special places where she wrote, but the special people who influenced her writing. Her life became literature, from the time she was a newlywed, facing the tragic death of her baby -- to the agonizing middle yeqars, when she wrote her most famous book -- to her years of widowhood, facing life alone. Anne continuously worked to find her true self and become a whole person through the growth of her heart, mind and spirit.

During this personal journey, Anne was on a constant quest to find what she called Real Life. As "Shells" unfolds, it's evident she needn't have gone looking for Real Life -- it found her.