Swimming Lessons: Life Lessons from the Pool, from Diving in to Treading Water

At age forty-four, Penelope Niven was at a turning point in her life. In need of a change for both body and spirit, she decided to learn how to swim. While discovering the restorative effect of the water, she also began to notice that the lessons she was learning in the pool drew remarkable parallels with the lessons of life. The way in which you first get into the water, for example, is similar to trying anything new-you can jump in feet first, or dive in headfirst, but first you have to have some idea of what you're actually getting into. From floating to treading water, forward strokes to the backstroke, Swimming Lessons combines the familiar lessons of swimming with personal anecdotes and apt observations to stirring effect. Sensible, touching, and personal, this appealing book will be invaluable to any reader facing a life change or simply looking for a little bit of inspiration.

A Harvest Original

Author: Penelope Niven
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Published: 04/05/2004
Pages: 195
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.49lbs
Size: 7.56h x 5.54w x 0.57d
ISBN: 9780156027076

Review Citation(s):
Booklist 03/15/2004 pg. 1245
Library Journal 03/15/2004

About the Author
PENELOPE NIVEN has written biographies of Carl Sandburg, James Earl Jones, and Edward Steichen. She lives in Winston- Salem, North Carolina, where she is the writer-in-residence at Salem College.