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Last Light over Carolina
by
Mary Alice Monroe (Goodreads Author)
From the "New York Times "bestselling author of "Time Is a River "comes a new lyrical and emotionally satisfying novel that will sweep readers away to the seductive southern landscape--in the tradition of Sue Monk Kidd and Anne Rivers Siddons.
With a warm voice that brings the South to life, "New York Times "bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe writes richly textured novels...more
With a warm voice that brings the South to life, "New York Times "bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe writes richly textured novels...more
Hardcover, 384 pages
Published
July 14th 2009
by Gallery Books
(first published July 1st 2009)
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Monday, July 20, 2009
Last Light Over Carolina by Mary Alice Monroe
"Last Light Over Carolina" by Mary Alice Monroe is a wonderful family saga. This family saga takes place in South Carolina in a coastal town named McClellan. Carolina is Bud's wife. Bud is a shrimper. Carolina and Bud love one another very much. To show it Bud named his second boat Carolina. I had the chance to meet the whole family: There is Lizzy, their daughter. Their son-in-law, Josh, and grandchild, Will. To make their world...more
Last Light Over Carolina by Mary Alice Monroe
"Last Light Over Carolina" by Mary Alice Monroe is a wonderful family saga. This family saga takes place in South Carolina in a coastal town named McClellan. Carolina is Bud's wife. Bud is a shrimper. Carolina and Bud love one another very much. To show it Bud named his second boat Carolina. I had the chance to meet the whole family: There is Lizzy, their daughter. Their son-in-law, Josh, and grandchild, Will. To make their world...more
2.5 pehaps. I have read all of Mary ALice Monroe's books and thoroughly enjoyed them. I felt this somehow missed. It takes place in the Lowcountry, as do all of her works and which I enjoy. It tells the story of shrimpers in South Carolina and how their livelihood has been challenged by the dumping of foreign shrimp into the marketplace (and fuel prices, etc)If you ever visit this area and talk to the locals, this has been a devestating issue and has cost the loss of many businesses that have pa...more
I really liked this book about the Morrison family and their tiny town, McClellan, South Carolina. Progress is coming to the town, things are changing. Not many years ago, their were many shrimp boats tied up to the dock, but now only the diehard, traditional families still shrimp.
The Morrisons, Bud and Carolina, their daughter, Lizzie and her son live together and struggle to make a living. Bud has his shrimp boat, their daughter works at a local diner and Carolina runs the house. Bud works har...more
The Morrisons, Bud and Carolina, their daughter, Lizzie and her son live together and struggle to make a living. Bud has his shrimp boat, their daughter works at a local diner and Carolina runs the house. Bud works har...more
2 likes · like · see review
Jackie says:
This new novel by the author of Time Is A River takes us to the coast of South Carolina and into the world of the shrimping industry, hit hard by the current economy and imports of foreign shrimp to American markets. It's the story of Bud and Carolina, whose decades of marriage is on shaky ground. It's also the story of a down on its luck town who, when emergency strikes, pulls together and takes care of its own while forgetting all the rivalries and resentments and worries that gene...more
This new novel by the author of Time Is A River takes us to the coast of South Carolina and into the world of the shrimping industry, hit hard by the current economy and imports of foreign shrimp to American markets. It's the story of Bud and Carolina, whose decades of marriage is on shaky ground. It's also the story of a down on its luck town who, when emergency strikes, pulls together and takes care of its own while forgetting all the rivalries and resentments and worries that gene...more
After reading the description I thought this book would be a lot like The Perfect Storm. I was wrong. It was a great story and a truly touching and emotional book.
While the story's main plot revolves around Bud and the perilous situation he is in there is so much more to this one. As Bud and Carolina go through their day they recall memories from their past. Not all of them are good, but they all show how life can take it's toll on a marriage. How just loving someone may not always be enough an...more
While the story's main plot revolves around Bud and the perilous situation he is in there is so much more to this one. As Bud and Carolina go through their day they recall memories from their past. Not all of them are good, but they all show how life can take it's toll on a marriage. How just loving someone may not always be enough an...more
I really, really loved this book. Maybe it was because I read it shortly after finishing "The Angel's Game", which I found to be difficult and tedious, but this quick and easy read appealed to me. I felt a close kinship with the 50-something main characters, and truly appreciated the perspective on what it takes to keep a marriage of over 30 years going strong. More than anything, I appreciated the thought that marriages can take some pretty hard knocks and still survive. Add to all of this a fa...more
This new novel by the author of Time Is A River takes us to the coast of South Carolina and into the world of the shrimping industry, hit hard by the current economy and imports of foreign shrimp to American markets. It's the story of Bud and Carolina, whose decades of marriage is on shaky ground. It's also the story of a down on its luck town who, when emergency strikes, pulls together and takes care of its own while forgetting all the rivalries and resentments and worries that generally plague...more
Bud and Carolina Morrison have been married for well over 30 years. They reside in the small coastal town of McClellanville, South Carolina where Bud captains the Miss Carolina - his shrimping boat. Although being a shrimper is not the easiest of lives (long, hard-working days) - it is something that he would not give up for the world. Like any marriage - Bud and Carolina’s has not been an easy one they have definitely had their share of bumpy roads, but they have found a way to overcome these o...more
Easy to read novel by an author I've always enjoyed. Her writing is either not improving or I'm getting pickier. This story is about a couple who owns a shrimp boat. The joys and the troubles in their long marriage are recounted through flashbacks which they both have on a day when he is injured and alone at sea. Monroe does do justice to a lot of complex emotions and people will relate to many aspects of their relationship, but I guess these things don't interest me so much anymore. I read rapi...more
Carolina Morrison wakes from a disturbing dream to find that her husband, Bud, has gone alone in his shrimp boat “for one load.” When he doesn’t arrive back in the harbor when he should, she is even more worried. Bud has had an accident on the boat and is unable to reach the radio for help. Monroe tells the story of Bud and Carolina’s marriage in a series of flashbacks as the day progresses and the tension rises regarding Bud’s chances out in the vast ocean by himself. Monroe is a wonderful stor...more
In the lowcountry of South Carolina, in a small village by the sea, a shrimper's life is one of exhaustion, long hours, and danger. And for the wives on shore, the loneliness and separations tear away at the fabric of their marriages.
Carolina and Bud Morrison have loved each other for many years, and the ebb and flow of their life has worn them down. But on this one day in September 2008, with the economic strains seemingly threatening them at every turn, Bud makes a decision that, by day's end,...more
Carolina and Bud Morrison have loved each other for many years, and the ebb and flow of their life has worn them down. But on this one day in September 2008, with the economic strains seemingly threatening them at every turn, Bud makes a decision that, by day's end,...more
I wasn't incredibly taken by the plot or the characters. However, she has some descriptive scenes in there I won't soon forget. Most poignant were those documenting the gradual end of a small fishing town where 3rd and 4th generation shrimpers could no longer feed their families. She did it so well with such impact that I could easily translate it into the millions of people who never expected to be unemployed. She did way too good a job of making me feel the fear and hopeless they must feel.
I was disappointed with this book.
The dialog was choppy and made the reading sluggish in the first 100 pages.
The author chose an interesting way to present the story. Over the course of a day, the plot unfolds. Each character reflects on incidents in the past that have led up to the current moment.
The ending left me disappointed. A better story would have been telling how the issues were resolved after the denouement. A crisis can bring people together, however, remaining together through the af...more
The dialog was choppy and made the reading sluggish in the first 100 pages.
The author chose an interesting way to present the story. Over the course of a day, the plot unfolds. Each character reflects on incidents in the past that have led up to the current moment.
The ending left me disappointed. A better story would have been telling how the issues were resolved after the denouement. A crisis can bring people together, however, remaining together through the af...more
Fast, easy read. Interesting was the focus of lives of the two main people, perspectives were from each of them, reviewing current as well as past events in thier lives.
The book moved from current to past and was an interesting perspective of long married people and how lives come together, drift apart and sometimes, what it takes to "put it back together".
Low country, as usual is interesting and evokes sights, sounds and smells of the area. A good summer read!
The book moved from current to past and was an interesting perspective of long married people and how lives come together, drift apart and sometimes, what it takes to "put it back together".
Low country, as usual is interesting and evokes sights, sounds and smells of the area. A good summer read!
This was a good read, and it held my interest the entire time. Who would have thought the shrimping industry would be so fascinating? I loved Ms. Monroe's descriptions of the ocean, the boats, and the shrimping itself. Her characters were deep, with complex emotions. They were developed well, and the jumps into the past were intriguing. It was a fun puzzle to put together. The intensity of Bud's rescue in the end was a page turner and the happy ending was a big relief, and beautiful to read.
I started this book and really wanted to like it. I got about 3/4 of the way through and the book just lost steam to me. In the beginning there was a lot of history provided to really build character development. Then it felt like the author decided she just needed to finish the book and the ending felt very hurried. There were many story lines left hanging that could have been hashed out further, in my opinion. I also did not like how it ended at all.
This is not as good as her other books. I did learns some things about shrimping and it mentioned places I'll be visiting next month, so for that it was interesting. The story really lacked something. It takes place in modern day but the tone of the story is more like the 50's. It will be interesting to see if when I visit some of these places I'll feel like I'm stepping back in time.
Well done, solid storytelling. The reader can feel the weight of history in each of the character's actions. I doubt the shrimping industry is as glamorous as Bud makes it out to be, but it is an honorable profession of hard working people, dedicated to feeding us pleasurable meals. It is nice to see a glimpse into the life and better appreciate the sacrifice made for us consumers.
Story takes place in a little coastal town called McClellanville in the South Carolina low country. We stopped there several times on Lily Pad and I loved the simple beauty of the marshland and the sight of the shrimp boats returning from sea, surrounded by seagulls. It's about love, trust, forgiveness and marriage. It was a little too syrupy for me, but overall a good book.
Wow! That was a great book and so different from others I have read. I learned a lot about "Shrimpers" and the shrimping culture. What a rough life, but I appreciate, praise & applaud them for all their hard work that produces such a delicious delicacy for the rest of us.
In addition to the shrimping lesson I learned...I loved the relationship story Mary Alice told in this novel about Bud and Carolina...amazing!
In addition to the shrimping lesson I learned...I loved the relationship story Mary Alice told in this novel about Bud and Carolina...amazing!
While this was a good story, I didnt think it was quite as engaging as some of her earlier books. Almost every other chapter is a look back from the present to the main characters' younger days, and I find that format tiring when it persists through an entire novel. Besides that, a good read, and as usual I learned something - in this case about the shrimping industry.
Good summer read. Ienjoyed this story particularly because i grew up on te coast and I came in contact with a lot of fisherman. I enjoyed reading about the life of a fisherman and his family. The risk they take everyday not only so thay we caan enjoybgood seafood but its the risk they take every day just to make a living. It's also a beautiful love story
I have loved all of this author's book. Her characters are so well developed and her skill in bringing the South to life lets you smell the saltwater. The book takes in one day of the life of Bud and Carolina a couple whose 30 year marriage is floundering. Flashbacks tell how they got to this sad state. A story of love and forgiveness.
A shrimper's family dealing with the extinction of their way of life (don't buy imported shrimp--or cars, or light bulbs, eh?) Well-developed, gently written, and well-plotted, this is not a rant or a melodrama constructed to incite the reader; it merely tells an involving story--it's a "good read."
I have read and loved all of Mary Alice Monroe's books. I didn't love this one. It was just an okay read for me. A bit bland and boring, it was not as engaging as her previous works. The characters, nor the story, never came alive for me. This one is forgetable, but I look forward to her next work.
The message of this book is that small-town boys are ALWAYS better than "outsiders"! even if they cheat on you. and leave you to raise a child yourself. for months at a time. so you have to move back home with your parents. because they love their unstable, dangerous, low-paying job.
This was my introduction to MAM and I say WOW! I love the Low Country of SC and want to move there. This story took me there with sound and smell and everything! I felt like I knew the characters as well as the place. Ms. Monroe is a master storyteller. I can't wait for more.
I liked this book, and enjoyed the description of McClennanville, SC and the shrimping indusrty as well as the lives of the people. I think Monroe did a good job taking us from the story of today and the past as well as the story of the mother and daughter.
This book was really good - I always enjoy this author's books. They are never crazy or unpredictable but their stories are soothing and poetic. This was the story of Bud & Carolina's 30 yr marriage as they both face something in the present.
The part where all the boats went to the rescue--even tho it's fiction--gave me goosebumps! The story itself was predictable but also illustrated how people come together in time of crisis and get each other through. A pleasant read.
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New York Times bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe found her true calling in environmental fiction when she moved to coastal South Carolina. Already a successful author, she was captivated by the beauty and fragility of her new home. Her experiences living in the midst of a habitat that was quickly changing gave her a strong and important focus for her books.
Mary Alice Monroe writes richly textur...more
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Aug 01, 2012 12:03pm