On the last trip to the library I was excited to see that Dorothea Benton Frank had a new book recently published. I had high expectations for "Lowcountry Summer" I have read and enjoyed many of Frank's books, including "Isle of Palms," and "Sullivan's Island." "Lowcountry Summer" follows the life of Caroline Wimbly Levine as she deals with being the matron of a plantation and as she interacts with her grieving brother, his four daughters from hell, her son and his older girlfriend, her various lovers--including the pig farmer with a bad heart and the policeman, her drunk sister-in-law, and her drunk ex-husband. The story follows her escapades with each character and their interactions with one another.
I started reading this book with high hopes and almost immediately was disappointed. I found the characters to be so self-centered and so focused on the absurd that it was very distracting. The one character that seemed to have any moral backing and with whom I connected was killed off in the story. The main characters are all preoccupied with sex, wealth, and who has what and with being snobs. I had a really hard time reading this book. It took me almost 2 weeks to read it and I only finished it because I do not like NOT finishing books I am reading. (That is a pet peeve of mine!). If you are interested in trying to read Dorothea Benton Frank's books, I would recommend skipping over this one entirely!
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