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31st out of 317 books
—
511 voters
Shem Creek (Lowcountry Tales #4)
by
Dorothea Benton Frank (Goodreads Author)
Pat Conroy has called her books “hilarious and wise”, noting that they are “funny, sexy and usually damp with sea water.” Anne Rivers Siddons said of Sullivans Island that it “roared with life.” Now Dorothea Benton Frank takes us back to the Lowcountry to introduce a whole new cast of characters whose lives will surely move your heart.
Linda Breland has no experience managi...more
Linda Breland has no experience managi...more
Paperback, 384 pages
Published
May 3rd 2005
by Berkley
(first published 2002)
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I give this a book a meh, it was ok, hand wave. The parts I loved: the description of the area, the creek itself, the beach, the lifestyle the characters led, the cute boathouse on the water they lived in. I fell more in love with the idea of this book, I think, than the actual book itself. What I didn't like: The crazy sudden relationship at the end between Linda and Brad- throughout most of the book you maybe got the sense that Linda was starting to develop a crush on Brad, but you didn't get...more
Starts off well. Linda Breland, single mom of two teen daughters, is tired of her life in NJ. She heads down to SC to her sister's to see if she can start over. We see her problems with her ex, her job, the men she dates, and her kids. Then we get her to SC where she lives with her supportive sister who is glad to have her around. She finds a job with a good group of people. Then all of a sudden the problems pretty much stop. The teen daughter who was getting trouble at every turn, stops. It's j...more
I can’t remember whether Shem Creek was the first or second book by Ms Frank that I ever read. It was certainly one or the other. I was enchanted by her recreation of the world of the coastal South, with its creeks and islands and quirky characters. It is the story of Linda Breland who returns to her home state with her two teenage daughters reluctantly in tow, to remake her life close to her sister and the places where she grew up. Needing a job, she talks a local restaurateur, Brad Jackson, in...more
Ho hum tale of Linda Breland relocating from New Jersey to South Carolina with her two teenage daughters. As much as I love the Charleston area, all the beautiful descriptions of the landscape and people couldn't make this "love story" come to life for me. I have a hard time rooting for people to fall in love when they barely spend any time together and most of the story discusses mother/daughter dynamics instead of creating the foundation for a life-altering love. I wanted Linda and Brad to be...more
I read this and enjoyed it for the most part but there were many things that just weren't good. Linda is leaving New Jersey and moving back to South Carolina with her two teenage daughters. The oldest is almost invisible she is so bland and the youngest it just a brat. After having read the book I still don't know any more about them than that. There are other chacerters with the same problem the two charecters Duane and O'Malley who work at the resturant with Linda that just all of a sudden tur...more
This is one of my favorite Dorothea Benton Frank books. I climb right inside the characters and live the rebellion of Gracie, the fear of Linda, in fact, the emotions of all the variety of people who inhabit this book. Linda is the mother of two, a daughter who is leaving for college in the fall, and a second daughter, Gracie, who has the knack for doing, saying or looking just the way to send her mother over the edge. The three have left New Jersey and are living with Linda's sister until they...more
I like Dotty Frank...Her books are not grand literature, but they are a nice "escape". She writes about the Lowcountry with affection, understanding and humor. With each book, ehr writing gets a little better, her characters a little truer. This book, the story of new beginnings for a mother, her two daughters and the new family they create with the folks they meet on the shores of Shem Creek, is probably my favorite of hers, thus far. I wish I'd marked some passages to record here- things like...more
This is my second of Frank's novels, and also the second audio format of her books that I have experienced. I would rate this book 2.5 stars. What I especially liked were the author's descriptions of the low country of South Carolina. She really excels in this area. The characters are colorful as well, and the voice actors in the audio book did a good portrayal of the local accents. In this respect, I enjoyed this audio book more than Full of Grace. I plan to read the print edition of Frank's Pa...more
I was looking for some comfort reading after the Newtown, Ct tragedy and this was available at the library. The thing about Ms. Frank's stories is that they're much the same - she finds the goodness and hospitality of the south and puts it into a story. And in this case, she offers recipes at the end!
The plot is almost secondary; generally there's a wife/mother who's been dumped or left widowed as the center of the piece. Her family rallies to her side and she and her family find their happily...more
The plot is almost secondary; generally there's a wife/mother who's been dumped or left widowed as the center of the piece. Her family rallies to her side and she and her family find their happily...more
I ended up liking this book better than I initially thought I would. At first it kind of got on my nerves because the characters, especially the teenage daughters talked in a very unrealistic dialogue, using language that real teenagers would never use. The mom, Linda, after divorcing her husband, moved her and her two daughters back to her hometown in Charleston, SC. She immediately lands a job as a restaurant manager and by the end of the book she’s engaged to the owner, despite them never hav...more
A wonderful story that made me laugh and cry! But the sad tears were replaced many timrs over with happy tears. Another must read by Ms. Frank.
Gentle book of real life with all it's twists and turns. Little violence. Single Mother Linda Breland and two teenage daughters relocate from Jersey to Charleston, SC to live temporarily with sister Mimi. back home for Linda, new "country" for the girls. Oldest off to college in the fall, youngest a potty-mouthed, beer drinking rebel. Linda gets a job in a restaurant, bosses' estranged wife is killed, his son has to come to live with him, youngest dt. gets involved in a class at school which is...more
Not super crazy about this book. I dont like books that are written in first person, as a rule. I also dont like the type of humor that are in this type of book. That said, after I finally got into the story around 100 pages or so, it ended up being very cute. Sometimes the chapters were narrated by different people and it didnt tell you that was happeneing. You would read a page or two and then be like, what? And realize that it was from a different characters perspective. Very confusing. Would...more
I usually like Dorothea Benton Frank's books but this one was really hard to get through. It is definitely a beach read and that's when I started reading it but it just dragged and dragged. The characters were likeable at first but I grew tired of them. I just found them and the whole story line to be unbelievable. *Spoiler Alert* The main character, LInda, gets accosted by a crazy woman, the restaurant where she works gets burned down, her daughter almost dies in the fire, she gets engaged to t...more
I hate to give a fellow South Carolinian one star, but I really didn't like this book. I grew up in Mt. Pleasant, where the story take place and it was really neat to see real places from my hometown in print, but I thought the writing was mediocre, the story was sappy and there wasn't really a good ending. It was like she got close to the end and the publishers said,"Ok, we need your manuscript right now!" and she just ended it.
Linda, a recently divorced mom from New Jersey, decides to move back to South Carolina to get her younger daughter away from the influence of tough friends. She gains a 'family' through her job as manager at a local restaurant and also has the benefit of living near her only sister. Pretty predictable but entertaining. I enjoy reading about 'the low country' and recommend another author--Anne Rivers Siddons.
I read these books out of order, which is fine. Each book is independent of the other. This was the first book I read. I love her stories of women making it on their own, and the descriptions of the Lowcountry in South Carolina make you just want to go there - so I did. I ate at the Shem Creek Bar & Grill just outside of Charleston. Love her stories, characters, and settings. A great beach read.
Ms. Frank has a unique writing style that I have come to love. This was a nice story. It wasn’t exceptional. A bit boring I might add, but the language and the phrasing and the conversations were witty and humorous. The story is about Linda and her 2 girls who come down to Shem creek after Linda decides she needs a new start especially for her wild teenager Gracie. Linda applies for a job at this restaurant owned by Brad. She gets the job because Brad takes an instant liking to her, even if she...more
I don't know if it was due to the time of my life that I read this book, but it had a profound effect on me. I wanted to buy up copies for all my friends. And not too many books make me feel that way. Again, it takes place in the South and the characters all have some loveable quirk about them. It's about lost love, and then found love. It gave me faith in romance again!
I've read maybe 6 DBF books in a row and this was one of my least favorite. Had a hard time liking the main character and couldn't relate to her at all. Plus the characters get mired in the minutaie of their lives - what's for dinner, what kind of clothes someone wore, etc. It's like when a girlfriend tells you the excrutiating details of their boring life and you just want to scream - get to the point. Sadly there was not always a point in this book.
This was my 2nd Dorthea Benton Frank book. It was a tale of Linda and her sister Mimi and her two daughters. They come to Shem Creek after her divorce for a fresh start. It is really an easy read and takes place in Mt Pleasant. I like her books because they give me insight into the low country with real places. She is great with her words, descriptions etc. I would highly recommend.
Interesting characters. I enjoyed the different points of view from each of them. I appreciate the author's creation of strong women personas, and their tenacity in overcoming challenges. At the end of the book, I was left feeling as if I wanted to know more of the story...seemed to wrap up a little abruptly. However, it was an enjoyable read that I would recommend.
I like Southern Fiction and in some reviews Ms. Frank was compared to Anne Rivers Siddons.
Also nice words were provided by Pat Conroy. Both writers I enjoy immensely. However, this book was too predictable and more like a tv program where everything is resolved within an hour time slot. Might not be a bad beach read but not for January in Chicago.
Also nice words were provided by Pat Conroy. Both writers I enjoy immensely. However, this book was too predictable and more like a tv program where everything is resolved within an hour time slot. Might not be a bad beach read but not for January in Chicago.
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Linda is a divorced woman with two teenage girls. She uproots their lives from New Jersey and moves back to the low country of South Carolina. She is hired by a local restaurant and soon feels like she is truly where she belongs. I enjoyed the book "Plantation" more. characters not near developed or believable.
Hmmm...this was ok, but not up to the standard I am used to with Dorothea's books. There was a lot of rehashing done by Linda about her daughters, her marriage, men, and so on. We were given the hint that Linda felt something for Brad, but then all of a sudden they are engaged.
This book was just off for me, maybe I didn't like the characters?
This book was just off for me, maybe I didn't like the characters?
A great beach read!!! I literally flew through this one while soaking up the sun over Memorial Day weekend. It is a classic Dorothea Benton Frank - perhaps one of my favorites of her Southern fiction. Easy to relate to the characters and love the feel of the places described. Highly recommend!
I enjoyed this 4th installment of Dorothea Benton Frank's lowcountry tales. She writes about the Charleston, South Carolina area with great flare and southern flavor. You feel like you're there and can smell the salty air. Her characters are true to life and you feel as if they are your friends and next door neighbors.
Oct 15, 2009
*Babs*
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anyone who likes a little drama, humor, etc
Recommended to *Babs* by:
Rusty
Shelves:
drama
This by far is my favorite book by D. Frank. I loved Susan, her sister Mimi and her girls Gracie and Lindsay. They were all a hoot. Brad and his gang made the story so wonderful to read. I could read this book again and again. Susan shows what a real single parent is like and how easy it can be to start over. Just a lovely read all around.
This is the first book I've read by Dorothea Bentn Frank and it won't be the last. I was so captivated by her storytelling, the great cast of characters and the South Carolina Lowcountry life in this book.
When I started this book I needed a "Calgon, take me away" reading experience and Shem Creek was perfect!!
When I started this book I needed a "Calgon, take me away" reading experience and Shem Creek was perfect!!
A light, fun story set in South Carolina in what they call the "lowcountry". About a mom divorcing and moving back to SC, with one daughter going off to attend university in New York, and the other completing high school in SC. She finds love, of course!
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Dorothea Benton Frank is the New York Times best selling author of ten novels.
Dottie has appeared on NBC's Today Show, Parker Ladd's Book Talk and many local network affiliated television stations. She is a frequent speaker on creative writing and the creative process for students of all ages and in private venues as the National Arts Club, the Junior League of New York, Friends of the Library org...more
More about Dorothea Benton Frank...
Dottie has appeared on NBC's Today Show, Parker Ladd's Book Talk and many local network affiliated television stations. She is a frequent speaker on creative writing and the creative process for students of all ages and in private venues as the National Arts Club, the Junior League of New York, Friends of the Library org...more
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