Lowcountry Summer ~ Dorothea Benton Frank

Genre: Adult Fiction/Southern
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
384 oages
ISBN: 9780062020734
Source: Publisher via TLC Book Tours

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Caroline Wimbley Levine is turning forty-six which hardly seems old. For the heiress to the Tall Pines Plantation throne, she has some pretty big shoes to fill, however. Following her late, great predecessor and mother, Miss Lavinia, Caroline is determined to rule her land and family with and calm and grace of those before her.

Ah, but well on her way, she finds obstacles. A strangely silent college-aged son, a limp noodle brother and a raging drunk sister-in-law threaten to break down her goals and her resolve. Though her world seems to be getting away from her, one big chunk at a time, she finds that in dealing with drama, she is quickly fulfilling the role of those from her past, for better or worse.

Every family has its share of skeletons and theatrics but life in Tall Pines is the stuff of literal novels. Though sometimes hard to sit through as it was difficult to watch hard situations, the books was mostly sweet and understandable. The players were each flawed in their own ways and though I felt as though I needed to smack them around at points for not doing the thing that would have gotten them out of yet another jam, that was one of the endearing bits about the tale.

I haven’t done a lot of “southern” reading since I moved to Atlanta, six years ago, but when I do, I find it pretty enjoyable. A book to compare this to, along those lines, would, most likely come up as Susan Gregg Gilmore’s The Improper Life of Bezellia Grove. Light and easy in terms of actual verbiage, the story winds its way through the darker parts of sunny southern living.

Don’t take my word for it, though!

Visit Dorothea’s Tour Stops:

Tuesday, March 29th: Bloggin’ ‘Bout Books

Wednesday, March 30th: Life In Review

Thursday, March 31st: Acting Balanced

Monday, April 4th: Sara’s Organized Chaos

Wednesday, April 6th: My Reading Room

Tuesday, April 12th: Debbie’s Book Bag

Thursday, April 14th: Good Girl Gone Redneck

Monday, April 18th: Iwriteinbooks’s blog

Tuesday, April 19th: Regular Rumination

Thursday, April 21st: Rundpinne

Monday, April 25th: Book Reviews by Molly

Thursday, April 28th: Hospitable Pursuits

About Dorothea Benton Frank

Dorothea Benton Frank is the New York Times bestselling author of Bulls Island (William Morrow, 2008), The Christmas Pearl (William Morrow 2007), The Land of Mango Sunsets(William Morrow 2007), Full of Grace (William Morrow 2006),Pawleys Island (Berkley 2005), Shem Creek (Berkley 2004),Isle of Palms (Berkley 2003), Plantation (Jove 2001),Sullivan’s Island (Jove 2000), and Return to Sullivan’s Island(William Morrow 2009).

Ms. Frank has appeared on NBC’s Today show, Parker Ladd’sBook Talk, and many local network-affiliated television stations. She is a frequent speaker on creative writing and the creative process for students of all ages and in private venues, such as the National Arts Club, the Junior League of New York, Friends of the Library, and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. She has also been a guest speaker at the South Carolina Book Festival; Novello, North Carolina’s Festival of Books; and the Book and Author annual event in Charleston, South Carolina, sponsored by the Post & Courier.

Before she began her writing career, Ms. Frank was involved extensively in the arts and education, and in raising awareness and funding for various nonprofits in New Jersey and New York. At the present time she serves on the boards of The South Carolina Historical Society and The South Carolina Coastal Conservation League.

The author, who was born and raised on Sullivan’s Island in South Carolina, currently divides her time between New Jersey and South Carolina.

Find out more about Ms. Frank at her website, and follow her on Facebook.