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20th out of 128 books
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Shem Creek (Lowcountry Tales #4)
by
Dorothea Benton Frank (Goodreads Author)
The new novel from the originator of the "Lowcountry Tale.
Mass Market Paperbound, 384 pages
Published
June 1st 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 ...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...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 an...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 t...more
bookczuk
rated it
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- t...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 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...more
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 s...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...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.
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 ...more
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.
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.
*Babs*
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
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 truly wonderful low-country novel. This is the first novel I've read by Dorothea Benton Frank and judging by how much I enjoyed it I can't wait to read more! The characters were great, and the story was filled with humor, love, passion for one another and even a little suspense.
Found this on a shelf at Caribbean Villas in Belize and tried to read it. There was what I considered to be unnecessary profanity. The writing style was heavy handed and I could tell I wasn't going to like it after just a few pages.
I thought this book was ok. It was predictable and I did not really feel invested in any of the events or characters. The two chapters near the end told from alternate perspectives (Gracie and Brad) did not fit and made it seem like the author did not know how to handle the story. Not only did they not fit, but they seemed pointless considering how transparent the story was.
This book is beautifully written! Mrs. Frank's characters come alive in the pages of her novel. She employs multiple narrators in this book and their voices are very distinct. I love the dimensionality of the various speakers!
a great feel good book! loved the authors description of the low country since it made me feel like I was there...one of my favorite spots. Fun characters with a fast plot and happy ending...not too complicated - a fun read.
A good read, espcially because I know the area. She writes in the first person, so when the chapter changes and the character changes it takes a moment to figure out who is "thinking or talking." Still all in all a good read.
I enjoyed this book because of the sweet story but also because it took place in Mt.Pleasant,SC. The Isle of Palms, Sullivans Island and Mt Pleasant are my favorite places to visit. I've been going there since I was an infant.
Enjoyable but not of my favorites.I found the story not as compelling as the others, and the dialogue drove me batty. Way too many exclamation points etc. Still a great author but this one lacked something the others had. Story about a mom rasing two daughters and the choice to change all of their lives with a big move to the country. Loved the gang at the restaraunt and her sister Mimi who enriched her life so much.I love Dorethea Benton Frank, and look so forward to her new books. I rush out a...more
Linda Breland moves her 2 young daughters from New Jersey to her native South Carolina. She gets a job running a restaurant and relearns how to connect with herself, her daughters, her sister and the world in general.
I've read several of this writer's books, they're all set in the Charleston, S.C. area and I love reading about the South. This was a fun, quick read. A happier version of Anne River Siddons books about the South.
As usual I love Dorothea Benton Frank. This tale is a great one full of fun and the lowcountry. It becomes a bit perdictable half way through which for me was a bit disapointing. Very good none the less.
I liked this one a lot. Likeable characters, interesting storyline. I always like stories about people starting over and reinventing themselves. I look forward to reading more of this author.
This is a light-hearted look at relationships, a woman returning to her roots and finding a new life in South Carolina. Ms. Frank creates fine characters and provides lots of lovely Southern scenery.
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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...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...more
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