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Author: Dorothea Benton Frank | Website
Published Works & Book Reviews
Folly Beach
Folly Beach, South Carolina, with its glistening beaches, laidback Southern charm, and enticing Gullah tradition, is the land of Cate Cooper's childhood, the place where all the ghosts of her past roam freely. Now, thanks to a newly deceased husband whose financial and emotional perfidy has left her homeless and broke, she's returning to this lovely strip of coast. Once another woman found comfort here: an artist, writer, and sometime colleague of the revered George Gershwin, the genius behind "Porgy and Bess." With her beloved husband, DuBose, Dorothy Heyward enjoyed the greatest moments of her life at Folly. Though the Heywards are long gone, their passion and spirit linger in every ocean breeze. To her surprise, Cate is about to discover that you can go home again, for Folly holds the possibility of unexpected fulfillment—not just the memories of the girl she was, but the promise of the woman she's always wanted to become . . .
Lowcountry Summer
Follow New York Times bestselling author Dorothea Benton Frank back to Tall Pines Plantation in the long-awaited sequel to her beloved bestseller Plantation.
When Caroline Wimbley Levine returned to Tall Pines Plantation, she never expected to make peace with long-buried truths about herself and her family. Her late mother, the Queen of Tall Pines, was a force of nature, but now she is gone, leaving Caroline and the rest of the family uncertain of who will take her place.
In the lush South Carolina countryside, old hurts, betrayals, and dark secrets will surface, and a new generation will rise along the banks of the mighty Edisto River.
Return to Sullivans Island
Dorothea Benton Frank returns to the enchanted landscape of South Carolina's Lowcountry made famous in her beloved New York Times bestseller Sullivans Island to tell the story of the next generation of Hamiltons and Hayes.
Newly graduated from college, aspiring writer Beth Hayes is elected by her family to house-sit the Island Gamble. Buoyed by sentimental memories of growing up on this tiny sandbar seemingly untouched by time, Beth vows to give herself over to the Lowcountry force and discover the wisdom it holds. Just as she vows she will never give into the delusional world of white picket fences, minivans, and eternal love, she meets Max Mitchell. All her convictions and plans begin to unravel with lightning speed.
There is so much about life and her family's past that she does not know. Her ignorance and naivetÉ nearly cost her both her inheritance and her family's respect, but Beth finds unexpected friends to help her through the disaster she faces. If everything happens for a reason, then Beth's return to Sullivans Island teaches her that betrayal and tragedy are most easily handled when you surround yourself with loyal family and friends in a magical place that loves you so much it wants to claim you as its own.
Reviewer: Mary Lignor
Review: Aug 15, 2010
Genre(s): Mainstream / General
Beth Hayes has just graduated from college and she is on her way to save the world when she is asked by her family to house-sit the gorgeous Southern home called, Island Gamble, that belongs to her family for a year while her mother, Susan, goes to Paris.
The author's picture of an intricate lowcountry family is funny and the descriptions very accurate: Included are Susan, Beth's Mom who is very l
Bulls Island
A satisfying tale of honor, chance, and star-crossed love infused with Southern wit, grace, and charm from the New York Times bestselling author Dorothea Benton Frank
After twenty years, Elizabeth "Betts" McGee has finally managed to put her past behind her. She hasn't been home to beautiful South Carolina and untouched Bulls Island since the tragic night that ended her engagement to Charleston's golden boy, J. D. Langley.
And why is that? Really, this is the story of two old Southern families. The Langley family has more money than the Morgan Stanley Bank. And they think they have more class. The Barrett family made their nineteenth-century fortune in a less distinguished manner—corner grocery stores and liquor stores. It's no surprise that when J.D. and Betts fall in love and decide to marry their parents are none too pleased. And when the love affair comes to an end, everyone is ready to place blame.
Now twenty years have gone by and Betts, a top investment bank executive, must leave her comfortable life in New York City to return to the home she thought she'd left behind forever. But spearheading the most important project of her career puts her back in contact with everything she's tried so hard to forget: her estranged sister, her father, J.D., and her past.
Once she's home, can Betts keep the secret that threatens all she holds dear? Or will her fear of the past wreck her future happiness? And what about that crazy gator? All will be revealed on Bulls Island.
Reviewer: Priscilla
Review: Jul 2, 2009
An executive in a private equity firm in New York, Elizabeth (Betts) McGee, has come a long way from the Low Country of South Carolina. Anger over the loss of her beloved mother, frustrated with the family of the man she once loved and furious with her contrary sister, Joanie, Betts left home 20 years ago and never bothered to look back.
At the top of her game at ARC, but thinking something has gone te
The Land of Mango Sunsets
Dorothea Benton Frank writes highly addictive tales of life's conundrums with hilarity and heat. Meet Miriam Elizabeth Swanson, in a full-blown snit, buoyed by a fabulous cast that runs the gamut from insufferable to wonderful. First is the arrival of Liz Harper, Miriam's tenant from Birmingham, who sets a new cycle in motion. Her other tenant, Kevin, stalwart companion with more style than Cary Grant, shakes Miriam out of her fog to see which battles are worth the fight. Then there's Miriam's estranged son, who announces he's marrying a Jamaican woman. And what about her ex-husband, Charles, and that sordid lingerie model of his? Finally, you'll laugh and cry when Miriam meets a man named Harrison who changes her into a gal named Mellie. Miriam spins out from the revolving door of her postured life as a Manhattan quasi-socialite while she thirsts, no, starves for recognition. It takes a few spins, dips, and one spectacular fall until Miriam gets her head on straight. Then in a whoosh she's off to the enchanted and mysterious land of Sullivans Island, deep in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. Told straight from the heart in Frank's vivid, highly entertaining style, The Land of Mango Sunsets just might be her finest work to date. If you decide to read this book, don't make plans to do anything else for a while.
Reviewer: Priscilla
Review: May 23, 2008
Sad and frustrated over the recent loss of her husband to a much younger woman, Miriam Elizabeth Swanson just can't seem to get past the blow to her ego. In addition, she's not getting along that great with her grown sons, and she's feeling the financial crunch. Hoping to make herself feel better, she decides to visit her mom, Josephine in Sullivan's Island, SC. Her mother insists that she stop feeling sor
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