Lowcountry Summer (Plantation)

Funny, quirky characters in Frank's novel - somehow I've missed the prequel to this, "Plantation."

I was so excited to receive a copy of Lowcountry Summer through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program! I love Dorothea Benton Franks books because they can transport you to South Carolina in an instant. I was disappointed with this book though - I found Caroline very hard to take from beginning

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to end. She was shallow and down right mean to her neices for the most part. Usually I get lost in DBF's books.. but not this one. :(

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I continue to be a fan of Ms. Frank's books, but feel as though perhaps the stories are a bit more "forced" than they were early on.

This is totally a light summer read. I mildly cared about what happened to the characters, but they were entertaining for sure. I enjoy the ridiculous drama of the Southern fiction, and this does not disappoint. Even though Caroline is meddlesome, I did give her a little slack because she has her

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own issues. The daughters are annoying, but would it have been a story if they weren’t? Their drama is predictable. I would like to meet Matthew, he seems kind of delicious!

If you are looking for something light and entertaining, then this will fill the bill. Perfect beach read with a julep!

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I really enjoy reading books about the low country of South Carolina and Dorthea Benton Frank is one of the most engaging authors of that type of fiction. The characters in her novel are somewhat stereotypical quirky southerners but Caroline Wimbley Levine stands out as one of the more interesting

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individuals. She is a woman who is not ashamed to enjoy men and boy does she. She is constantly on the prowl and it takes a strong man to capture the interest of this fascinatingly complex woman. She is proud of her family heritage and all of it's glorious confederate grandiosity (both real and imagined, or at least embellished). At times she can be a prig and a bitch but always remained like-ably human for me. She frequently invokes the spirit of her deceased mother, Miss Lavina, who she aspires to emulate as well as differentiate herself from. The other characters were somewhat less interesting but I would very much like to read more about them. There is definitely more to explore here in this family.

The prose is lovely and lyrical and drew me right into the lush, humid southern world of the Tall Pine Plantation. Loved it.

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Low Country Summer is the follow up to Dorothea Benton Frank’s earlier work Plantation. The work centers once again upon the Wimbley family at the Southern family plantation, Tall Pines. This time the story is tied up with the goings on of the adult children Caroline and Trip, their children, the

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escapades of the ex-spouses and a few assorted zany, outrageous characters thrown in for good measure.

Dorothea Benton Frank is one of my favorite authors and never fails in her wise cracking, gum smacking, world wise and sometimes sophisticated Southern gal humor and wisdom. Her character development never fails to amaze and magnify the beauty of the islands off of South Carolina. Low Country Summer is another fun romp into the Wimbley family and their assorted friends, enemies and lovers and is sure to please other Frank’s fans.

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I've been a fan of D.B. Frank since her first Lowcountry novel. This is a return to Tall Pines Plantation with Caroline Wimbly being the protagonist. The character driven plot is peppered with some returning folks and some new, and couple zany characters. Caroline's family is in an uproar over her

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brother Trip's estranged wife's drinking problems; meanwhile Caroline is looking to find new meaning in her life after returning to Tall Pines from New York following a failed marriage. An enjoyable light summer read.

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I have just started this book that I received through the Early Reviewers. I have to say this is the first Novel of DB Frank I have read, and unless things pick up, it will be the last. The plot in the first few pages is so choppy I have to keep checking to see if I am reading the same book. I

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decided to read the reviews to see if others felt as I do. I will give it my best shot and see if I can get into it..

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Here's a pleasant enough summer read about family life on a South Carolina plantation. It's a rather dysfunctional family run by a powerful sister whose brother lives with his mistress while his alcoholic wife has custody of their four daughters. After crashing her vehicle while in an alcoholic

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haze with the youngest child, Chloe, inside, the wife, Frances Mae, is sent off to rehab in California. Caroline, the sister, is left with four nieces from hell to deal with as well as her own lovely son Eric, who plans to move in with his new girlfriend, who is about ten years older than him and has a child. The mistress, Rusty, is killed in an automobile accident, and numerous other mishaps befall the characters. It's all a mess that turns out predictably well in the end. Good for a beach blanket read.

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IF you love Dorothea Benton Frank Books, this will not disappoint you. it is almost a sequel to her book Plantation. It is a book about a strong southern woman, who tries to hold a family together that is caught in a turmoil. The description of the scenery and the building of characters is in true

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Frank style. You will not be disappointed.

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This book is good for a light read. I found it to be predictable and not as good as some of her other books.

Admittedly, I arrived at the Lowcountry Tales party a little late; this seems to be the 7th in a series, but the first I have read. No matter - it was a great party!! While I started the novel not knowing the other party goers, I immediately had several things in common, and therefore got to know

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them well. Dorothea Benton Frank is a masterful story teller with a lot of truth in her stories. I felt I knew these people; in fact, several of them I swear are my own family members living here in the south with me. I laughed at the same things, was saddened when they felt anguish, even found myself getting angry at the annoyances that provoked the characters. Although I was new, I was no stranger. It was quite easy to immerse myself into this story.

If you have ever spent any amount of time in the south, you will recognize the southern drawl of Caroline Wembley as she tells the tale of her brother, Trip, his four daughters, their mother - Frances Mae, and the love of his life, Rusty. You will know people just like each character - the small town sheriff's deputy fighting for love, the challenging teenager finding her place in the world, the ghost of the matriarch who still stands watch over the family, although from the beyond.

There were no down moments in this story - like life, Ms. Frank keeps the story moving, making even the act of breakfast something to savor (of course, in the south it should be anyway). This book comes highly recommended, even if you are late to the party. It's a soiree that won't tire, but gets better as you go. You may even find yourself here.

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While I usually love Frank's books, I thought this one was a bit "too much" with the Southern mannerisms and sweetness.

A very disappointing story from one of my favorite authors. I felt the characters were cardboard, no substance to them. There was a situation with 3 teenage girls that could have been so entertaining, and offered so much to work with, but was just not utilized. Also, a death of a character that

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should have left me feeling very emotionally involved with the family fell flat.

This author has been one of my favorites for a long time, but this and her previous 2 books have left me very dissatisfied. I will probably not rush to the bookstore any longer when I see that there is a new volume waiting for me.

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"Lowcountry Summer" by Dorothea Benton Frank is the long awaited sequel to "Plantation". It opens about ten years after the events of "Plantation". And I would recommend that you take the time to read "Plantation" to better understand the lives of Caroline Wimbley Levine, her mother Miss Lavinia

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her nemesis Frances Mae, her brother Trip and assorted other important secondary characters.

This is a lushly written novel depicting a family of what I came to see were southern snobs and know-it alls. Caroline just always seems to know what's best for everyone and has no compunction about doing something about it; whether anyone actually WANTS the help or not. She may have been written as a 'real' person, but she was a very unsympathetic person, with absolutely no empathy nor heart. I found her to be truly cold- hearted and subtly conniving and manipulative and by the end of the book I was rooting for Frances-Mae. Oddly enough the other characters except for her son and the characters that you are supposed to hate, have all been written as if they have no back-bone or brains of their own. Character development is very minimal and painful to watch, unfortunately, and whatever action that does take place is contrived and predictable.

I understand that not all women protagonists have to be written as "good" girls but some of this just went beyond the pale for me.

Had I heard mention another word about Yankee accents and how unpleasant they are I may have thrown the book out of the window. Of course I understand that this is a truly Southern book but I'd hate to think that this is what the entire south feels about the other 3/4 of the country.

Unfortunately, while I adored "Plantation" I really disliked "Lowcountry Summer". A great disappointment for me since we've waited so long for this book and I had such high hopes.

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A nice easy read about the life of a Southern Family. I never read the previous book, Plantation, but that really didn't seem to matter. I was able to easily figure out who all the characters where and how they were all interrelated.

Dorothea Benton Frank hit the mark again with another fun summer beach read. I enjoy the southern charm and grand descriptions of my favorite state, South Carolina. Full of humor and sass, Frank creates characters to cheer for and she certainly knows her southern mannerisms because they are

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absolutely on point. Lowcountry Summer is not a deep read but relaxing journey through a light story.

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As always, Ms Frank delivers. Growing up in the low country, I love her descriptions of the places I knew. Her main characters are believeable and as a 40-something divorced woman, I can relate to them. She is the voice of the low country. I really didn't think she could top Plantation and I was

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glad to "see" my favorite characters again.

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Caroline Wimbley Levine is a true Southern gentlewoman - quirky, independent, aristocratic. Add to that being snobby, randy and a true busy body, and you have a fairly accurate picture of Miss Caroline. She is truly one unique individual. She is judgmental and somewhat hypocritical, especially when

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it comes to her nieces' behavior, yet her heart remains in the right place.

Lowcountry Summer is a fun book that definitely shares the appeal of living in the South. Its discussion of history, of food, and of familial pride all describe a completely different approach to life. Family is essential and in spite of everything, the reader gets a sense that Lowcountry Southerners truly know how to live life.

With its cast of memorable characters, Lowcountry Summer is just what one needs to warm you up on a cold winter day. Miss Caroline provides some much-needed comic relief, and her refreshing approach to life is a great reminder not to take oneself too seriously. Much like Charleston and the surrounding areas, Lowcountry Summer is simply charming.

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If you love the South you'll love this book. The places and people are familiar. Well done.

Southern fiction at it's best! Wait. Hold on a second. I didn't think that at FIRST. It was a little slow for me in the beginning with Caroline dragging on about her life. But, after a bit, I started relaxing INTO the book. I became one with the book (zen, huh?), I became a part of the southern

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town and it's warm characters. Dorothea Benton Frank knows how to write women's fiction and how to make it GOOD.

Caroline's life is full of craziness. Drama, craziness, what ever you want to call. It's full of it. But, not in a bad way. She's single, and her son is off at the wonderful world of college. Her brother Trip, married to Frances Mae-the drunken redneck gone wild, and dating Rusty, the woman of his dreams, is worried about the safety of his daughters when his soon-to-be ex wife (he hopes!) crashes her car when she's drunk....injuring their daughter. Her son is dating a new girl, and he won't tell her about her. Hmmm.....all of this is happening on her birthday too. Wow. What a birthday. But, with enough of the dramatic, and at times a wee bit suspenseful, twists and turns, it was enough to keep me laughing, hanging on and down right hungry for more of Frank's work!

Lowcountry Summer is a follow up to Frank's Plantation. I didn't get to read it, sadly, but, now that I've read this one, I MUST go back and read it! I want more of this lowcountry, southern goodness that comes in the form of awesome characters, moving plot line and down right fantastic writing!

If you are new to Frank's work, Lowcountry Summer is a great place to start. Though it's a amongst many in a series, I wasn't confused at all, and this would make a good stand alone. If you are a Frank fan, then don't wait any longer to add this to your list of summer reads! It's 5 star worthy and dysfunctional fun! Well done, Dorothea Benton Frank, on a fantastic southern fiction novel!

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This woman is a great writer. I felt like I was watching a movie, not reading a book, she made it all so vivid and real. I plan to read all of her books.

This is a revisit with the character of Caroline Wimbley from the book Plantation. It's set about 10 years after her mother Lavinia died. Her brother Trip's soon-to-be-ex-wife Frances Mae has a problem with alcoholism. They must decide what to do with the girls while her mother is in rehab. They

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aren't sure if the girls will warm to Trip's girlfriend. Caroline's love life is explored. The ghost of Miss Lavinia is around. The Gullah servants show good common sense. It's definitely Southern fiction. This book was very slow to start. I considered abandoning the read when I was about 50 pages into the story and had not warmed to it. I reminded myself that I'd enjoyed the author's other books so I kept on reading and was rewarded. About half way into the story, there was an event that took place that changed the pace of the book as well as the lives of several characters. This is not necessarily a story where I enjoyed what happened, but it is one that probably depicts Southern genteel culture better than most. This book would probably make a great movie.

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I love the main character of this book. She is a low country-queen, but she has flaws and admits them. At first I was thinking there was too much description of every little detail and not enough plot. It occurred to me that this is actually what became appealing to me; minute description of an

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average day-in-the-life, maybe. Just like each of us has on a daily basis. I listened to the book on CD, and the narrator is captivating!

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