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Lowcountry Summer: A Plantation Novel
Lowcountry Summer: A Plantation Novel
Lowcountry Summer: A Plantation Novel
Audiobook12 hours

Lowcountry Summer: A Plantation Novel

Written by Dorothea Benton Frank

Narrated by Robin Miles

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

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About this audiobook

“Frank…writes with genuine adoration for and authority on the South Carolina Lowcountry from which she sprang….[Her] stuff is never escapist fluff—it’s the real deal.”
Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Return to Tall Pines in the long-awaited sequel to Dorothea Benton Frank’s beloved bestseller Plantation. Lowcountry Summer is the story of the changing anatomy of a family after the loss of its matriarch, sparkling with the inimitable Dot Frank’s warmth and humor. The much-beloved New York Times bestselling author follows the recent success of Return to Sullivans Island, Bulls Island, and Land of Mango Sunsets with a tale rich in atmosphere and unforgettable scenes of Southern life, once again placing her at the dais, alongside Anne Rivers Siddons, Sue Monk Kidd, Rebecca Wells, Pat Conroy, and other masters of contemporary Southern fiction.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperAudio
Release dateJun 15, 2010
ISBN9780061988776
Author

Dorothea Benton Frank

New York Times bestseller Dorothea Benton Frank was born and raised on Sullivans Island, South Carolina. Until her passing in 2019, Dorothea and her husband split their time between New Jersey and South Carolina. A contemporary voice of the South, Dorothea Benton Frank was beloved by fans and friends alike since her debut novel Sullivans Island. Readers from coast to coast fell for the quick wit and the signature humor that permeated her many bestselling novels.

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Reviews for Lowcountry Summer

Rating: 3.6350574477011492 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

174 ratings31 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    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 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.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This was the weakest book in the series that I have read.
    This books series is like Dawson’s Creek for adults.
    And like that tv series it started to run out of steam.
    In this book Caroline is just a snobby bitch no one would want to be around. There isn’t much of a story and what is there is terribly predicable.
    I think I will be parting ways with this series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    When Caroline Wimbley Levine, a 40-something divorced mother of one son, moves in to help her brother Trip care for his four daughters (two are terrifying, one is on the road to obnoxious, and one is OK), she has her hands full. The dysfunctional family situation that requires her intervention (mostly unwelcome) is complex, but only too typical. In my estimation, Ms. Frank is more storyteller than great writer. Readers for whom the story is everything ... will find that Lowcountry Summer provides a great read. I particularly enjoyed the way she resolved all the plot threads in satisfying but most atypical ways. She also demonstrates that good heroines don't have to be paragons of virtue. Caroline is lovely, even though she is inconsistent, hypo- and hyper-critical AND mean spirited (especially in her internal dialog about her youngest niece whom she continually refers to as "ugly"). But Caroline is real!Ms. Frank visited my public library and filled the house -- so I know she has LOTS of fans out there. I'm now counting myself as one of them. Review based on Early Reviewer's copy provided by the publisher.05/14/2010
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Again with the trouble getting started! I disliked the characters for the first 75 pages - but as always, Dorothea Benton Frank brings it home! The ending was a bit tooooooo over the top for me, but families are families and you gotta let brothers and sisters do what they do! Another good one!
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I finally skimmed this book to the finish. The main character drove me crazy. I love to read Frank's book but this one did not appeal to me.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Entertaining and humorous. A pretty quick read that will suck you into the story and make you want to visit the Low country.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Full of southern gals with a mixture of sex, sass, and nutty personalities. Caroline is approaching 47 and concerned about her son Eric shacking up with an older single mom. In addition, she is dealing with the drama of her brother’s (Tripp) family (sister in law Frances Mae) who is a drunk and her four nieces who drive her nuts. Of course, Miss Lavinia her dead mother always appears in spirit to guide her as well as she is falling in love with the local sheriff. With the death of Rusty (Trip’s girlfriend) everyone comes together as best they can in this dysfunctional family full of humor and sarcasm. Robin Miles did a great job on the audio as she has the southern wit to play the part perfectly.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Dorothea Benton Frank gives her characters a Southern voice that rings with authenticity. Lowcountry Summer is marked with humor, as offered by the main character of Caroline who meets life's hardship with a dose of sarcasm and wisdom that can only be realized around the kitchen table of a lowcountry plantation. A fun read!
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Not sure what happened. I enjoyed the 1st book in this series (Plantation). This book feels like it was written by a different author. Maybe a new editor--"try to be a bit more snarky. all the cool kids are doing it". This one lacks the charm and presence of Benton's other lowcountry tales.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    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 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!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    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 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.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    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 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!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    If you love the South you'll love this book. The places and people are familiar. Well done.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    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 glad to "see" my favorite characters again.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    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.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    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 absolutely on point. Lowcountry Summer is not a deep read but relaxing journey through a light story.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Funny, quirky characters in Frank's novel - somehow I've missed the prequel to this, "Plantation."
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    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 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.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    While I usually love Frank's books, I thought this one was a bit "too much" with the Southern mannerisms and sweetness.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    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 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.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    This book is good for a light read. I found it to be predictable and not as good as some of her other books.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    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 Frank style. You will not be disappointed.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    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 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.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    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 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..
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    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 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.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    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 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.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    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 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.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    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 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!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    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 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. :(
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I was very excited to receive this book from the early reviewers program since I enjoyed Frank's novel "Plantation" and like southern fiction in general. However this story did not live up to expectations. I found myself quite frustrated with Caroline. Not only was she more self absorbed and mean spirited than in the first novel, she was also unbelievable. In my opinion , the amount of disfunction in the family became tiresome and sad. One additional note - In order to understand these characters one really must read the first novel . I would recommend "Lowcountry Summer" only for die hard fans.