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Folly Beach (Lowcountry Tales #8)

by Dorothea Benton Frank (Goodreads Author)

3.8 of 5 stars 3.80 · rating details · 3,118 ratings · 459 reviews

Folly Beach

Home is the place that knows us best. . . .

A woman returns to the past to find her future in this enchanting new tale of loss, acceptance, family, and love.

With its sandy beaches and bohemian charms, surfers and suits alike consider Folly Beach to be one of South Carolina's most historic and romantic spots. It is also the land of Cate Cooper's childhood, the pla...more

Hardcover, 368 pages

Published June 14th 2011 by William Morrow (first published 2010)

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Jan 12, 2013 Kerry Hennigan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I don't thing Dottie Frank has written a book yet that I haven't thoroughly enjoyed, and Folly Beach is no exception.

This one is a little different from most of hers, being the story set in the present that runs side by side with a one-woman play about a woman from the past, specifically Dorothy Heyward, who, along with husband and author DuBose and George Gerswin, was responsible for "Porgy and Bess".

In the present day, Cate Cooper's aunt owns the Porgy House where the three had worked on the g...more

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Jul 14, 2012 Sara Strand rated it 4 of 5 stars

Let me tell you right off that I loved this book. Dorothea Benton Frank has such a great wit and sense of humor and it completely comes across through her writing. I love how this book reads as if you were having a phone conversation with your best friend. The also interesting thing is that it's two stories in one, specifically, it's a play within a story. Which I didn't think I would care for but actually enjoyed it a lot.

The *best* part of this book is seriously, the aftermath of Cate's husba...more

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Jul 04, 2012 The Readers Cafe rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-by-veronica

Folly Beach by Dorothea Benton Frank is the story of Cate, who once had it all and through a hailstorm of tragedies, finds herself single, homeless and broke. She makes the trip from New Jersey to South Carolina and is taken in by her aunts who raised her. It is here that she starts over, builds and new life, and is deeply inspired by the playwrights Dorothy and DuBose Heyward (of Porgy and Bess fame).

Let me break this all down for you. First of all, the story starts off with Cate living in the...more

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Jun 18, 2012 Vicki added it

Folly Beach is a delightful blend of two love stories which are separated in time by 80 or 90 years, though love blooms for both couples in the same charming little beach house in South Carolina. The story is told by a modern woman with the lightning-quick, most improbable Job-like fall from wealth and security that I have heard about in a long time! Cate Cooper's story starts at the funeral of her incredibly wealthy but otherwise unsatisfactory husband up in New Jersey. As soon as the grave sid...more Folly Beach is a delightful blend of two love stories which are separated in time by 80 or 90 years, though love blooms for both couples in the same charming little beach house in South Carolina. The story is told by a modern woman with the lightning-quick, most improbable Job-like fall from wealth and security that I have heard about in a long time! Cate Cooper's story starts at the funeral of her incredibly wealthy but otherwise unsatisfactory husband up in New Jersey. As soon as the grave side service ends, she is approached by two women separately. One tells the new widow about her husband's tawdry affairs with the office staff and the other shows her a photo of the love child she claims to have had with the late husband. The widow and her grown children no sooner get home than the authorities show up to take possession of her incredible home and all the possessions therein. She is beginning to get a glimmer of why hubby committed suicide, and all the unfolding personal scandals cut short the mourning period drastically!

Cate pulls together enough money to buy a used car and sets off for the Carolina Lowcountry where she and her sister were raised by a maiden aunt and her live-in companion after their parents had passed away. Aunt Daisy owns several beach rental properties, including the Porgy House which had belonged to Dorothy and DuBose Heyward back in the Charleston Renaissance Era. Aunt Daisy is all too eager for Cate to come for an extended visit so that she can help Daisy manage the properties, especially now that Daisy has fallen and is hobbling around with a cumbersome cast on her leg.

Cate is especially taken with the Porgy House, and even more so with the story of the Heywards, who had written the book about Porgy and Bess and worked with George Gershwin to produce the Broadway play of the same name. Cate meets the local college creative writing teacher by quite literally running in to him in the Piggly Wiggly parking lot. He is the local expert on Dorothy and DuBose and encourages Cate to learn more of their story. He is also very interested in spending more time with her...an interest that she certainly shares, in spite of her feelings of awkwardness, having been out of the dating realm for decades!

The more Cate learns about the Heywards, the more she feels compelled to tell Dorothy's story. She eventually writes a play which is told in alternating chapters with Cate's own story of healing, helping her family, and falling in love, at last, with the right man, just as Dorothy had!

Dorothea Benton Frank's style is charming, witty, and easy to read. Her characters are believable and the stories of both Dorothy and Cate are interesting and hold one's interest right through the ending and the epilogue! I can understand why she is such a popular author.

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Feb 18, 2012 Danielle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: chicklit, books-i-own, for-review

Like a scene from the tabloids and popular movies Cate Cooper’s life has come crashing down around her. Having recently discovered her husband’s death and subsequent betrayal, Cate is now destitute living out of boxes and making her way home to her Aunt in Folly Beach. What she didn’t expect was John Risley, the power of family connections and a little house on the beach called “The Porgy”. After a lifetime of living in the shadows Cate finally discovers there’s more to life than relying on some...more Like a scene from the tabloids and popular movies Cate Cooper’s life has come crashing down around her. Having recently discovered her husband’s death and subsequent betrayal, Cate is now destitute living out of boxes and making her way home to her Aunt in Folly Beach. What she didn’t expect was John Risley, the power of family connections and a little house on the beach called “The Porgy”. After a lifetime of living in the shadows Cate finally discovers there’s more to life than relying on someone else for happiness and makes her own way.

Folly Beach is exactly the type of charming Southern novel readers will enjoy on a lazy afternoon of reading. From the first few pages of Cate Cooper’s story I was hooked. It was much like watching a collision from the sidelines, for some reason you simply can’t turn away no matter how horrible the situation. All while reading her situation you keep thinking there is no way it could get much worse for this seemingly lovely main character, but one thing after another keeps popping up. Cate’s journey to Folly Beach and her Aunt Daisy & Ella was precisely what she needed and what I enjoyed most about the story, perhaps because I’m a huge fan of Southern fiction. It’s relaxing ways, charming characters, enjoyable dialogue and breezy setting make for some of my favorite indulgent reads and Folly Beach by Dorothea Benton Frank was no exception.

Throughout the story an alternate story line is portrayed which at first seemed incredibly confusing to me. Having some background in musical theater I was familiar with the Gershwin play Porgy & Bess, but wasn’t clear on the details and certainly had no idea how they connected to a scorned widow. As the story progresses the story of Dorothy, DuBose and Gershwin became much easier to understand, but initially I had no idea what to make of the two very different story lines. What I did appreciate over the course of the portrayal of Dorothy’s life was her love for DuBose and how it countered the negative aspects that came from Cate Cooper’s relationship with her now deceased & evil husband Addison. In the end, the account of Dorothy and her interactions with her husband DuBose and composer Gershwin become an integral & enjoyable part of the plot even if initially it was somewhat confusing.

One of the aspects of the story I valued the most was Cate’s relationships with her family, especially the one she shared with her sister Patti. Myself coming from a family of three girls I know the power that comes from a sister you love and rely on. It was wonderful to be able to see how Cate and Patti relied on each other for so many things and yet lived their own separate lives. Of course I also loved the banter back and forth between the two sisters as well as that between Aunt Daisy and Ella. Each and every member of this remarkable extended family, including John Risley, made up people that I’d love to be surrounded by in my own life and propelled the story forward.

For readers who love Southern fiction Folly Beach by Dorothea Benton Frank is a perfect choice. Beginning with the salacious story of a betrayal of the worst kind and then moving to the slow relaxed life in Folly Beach including a look back in time to the lives revolving around the classic musical Porgy & Bess, readers will find something for everyone. For me it wasn’t only the plot that grabbed me, but the characters and the theme of family that warmed my heart. As you settle into Folly Beach you quickly fall in step with this fabulous leading lady who lands on her feet after each and every blow that would knock even the strongest down. Cate Cooper’s story from betrayed widow to successful play-write with a healthy love life is one readers will absolutely enjoy and will soon be looking for more by author Dorothea Benton Frank.

Originally reviewed and copyrighted at my site Chick Lit Reviews and News.(less)

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Jan 03, 2012 Sheila DeChantal rated it 3 of 5 stars

Cate Cooper has had quite the year. She had built up quite a life with her husband of twenty-six years, Addison Cooper. And what a whirlwind it had been, an insane love for each other in the beginning... and then it all began to unravel.

As Cate stood over Addison's casket, she had to wonder where it all went wrong...

Life can be funny that way, as Cate soon finds out that Addison's death is only the beginning of surprises for her. Quickly (really minutes) after the funeral Cate discovers that Add...more Cate Cooper has had quite the year. She had built up quite a life with her husband of twenty-six years, Addison Cooper. And what a whirlwind it had been, an insane love for each other in the beginning... and then it all began to unravel.

As Cate stood over Addison's casket, she had to wonder where it all went wrong...

Life can be funny that way, as Cate soon finds out that Addison's death is only the beginning of surprises for her. Quickly (really minutes) after the funeral Cate discovers that Addison was not at all who she thought he was. Within 48 hours... she is out of the home she had grown to love, and finds herself heading back to Folly Beach, the place of her childhood, looking for scraps she can accumulate into a new life.

But Folly Beach is not only the place where Cate grew up... it is also the memories of another woman from another life time... memories of a marriage that was like a symphony, the Heywards spirit lives on within the breezes of Folly Beach.

Can Cate go home again and start anew?

Folly Beach took me a bit by surprise. I was expecting it to be a good story, I wasn't expecting some of the great humor!
"Everything was a sheet of ice, the temperature around 20. It was only by God's holy grace that we had all managed to make it to the cemetery without flying off the highway and into a ditch. I was pretty sure the ditches were filled with mangled bodies."

And that's just in the early pages, as Cate's story unfolds it is not only one of a backdrop of historical (?) fiction, a little romance in the mix and a lot of family drama too... it is also one of finding your own fit in this world. I enjoyed going along with Cate as she did just that.

The reason I question the historical fiction above is that while the scenes in the book referring to the Heywards may be fiction, the Heyward's were not. Dorothy Kuhns Heyward and her husband Dubose Heyward were real people and real playrights. Dorothy was also a novelist and assisted her husband in turning his novel Porgy, based on Negro life on the waterfront of Charleston, South Carolina, into a play.

Truly fascinating to see them woven into this book.(less)

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Sep 17, 2011 Wendy Hall rated it 2 of 5 stars

Slight spoilers ahead (most of which you can get from the jacket cover): I actually thought this book was stupid. It was totally unrealistic, predictable,and painful to read at times. Big disappointment for me from this author. Her books are always light reads, but this was just ridiculous. Unrealistic: the woman's husband commits suicide, she finds out a bunch of horrible stuff about him, she never grieves him at all, ten days later she finds her dream man and they live happily ever after. No i...more

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Sep 14, 2011 Regina Spiker rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: beaches, folly-beach, tragedy, suicide, humorous

I admit that I'm a big fan of Dorothea Benton Frank and her lowcountry novels. I love the way her characters talk off the cuff and are a bit zany and this book, even though it begins with a tragic suicide, didn't take long to get me giggling because of the main character's thoughts and antics. This novel is a bit different than her others - interwoven throughout the book is a one woman play featuring DuBose and Dorothy Heyward of Porgy & Bess fame.

Cate Cooper, in the days following her husba...more

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Aug 29, 2011 Phoebe rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult-fluff

Cate Cooper is newly widowed, after finding her husband dangling over her piano. She discovers that he has left her penniless, all their acquisitions and wealth repossessed by the bank, and even her diamonds turn out to be fake. Fortunately Cate has family in South Carolina, so she packs up what is left of her life and heads to Folly Beach, where she reconnects with her childhood and meets a gorgeous professor. Her relationship with her grown children provides a little friction, but otherwise th...more

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Aug 24, 2011 Grace rated it 3 of 5 stars

I really liked the idea of the play within the story and the fact that Dorothy and DuBose Heywood were real people. It was fun & interesting to google them and see how close the book followed their lives. I really enjoyed that part of the book. I did think the setting for the move to Charleston was a little over the top; i know she needed a reason to move the main character, but..........really. (that's why only 3 stars)

"Cate never thought she'd wind up in this tiny cottage named the Porgy H...more

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Jul 10, 2011 Pauline Tilbe rated it 5 of 5 stars

Her newest book, Folly Beach: A Lowcountry Tale is added to my favorites. I tend to pull back from authors who write with a "cookie cutter" mentality, in an effort to pump out novels for a publishing schedule. This book is NOT one of those. Dot takes a different route with this story. It starts in New Jersey and then moves to Folly's Beach where Cate Cooper discovers the history behind a quaint little cottage. It's not time travel but the story is told with some retrospective, in the form of pla...more

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Jul 03, 2011 Lydia Presley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, fiction, southern

One of the things I enjoy most about being on book tours is discovering authors I might not have been exposed to otherwise. I've seen Dorothea Benton Frank's name before, but never considered that these books might be something I'm interested in. A series of steps led up to me asking to be on this tour - most of those steps involving an introduction of some sort to southern literature, and the final culmination being that I am, hands down, a fan of it. Beth Hoffman, Rebecca Rasmussen, Sarah Addi...more

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Jun 26, 2011 Kathleen (Kat) Smith rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-fiction

Cate Cooper had the life most would envy. She had a beautiful mansion, great staff to wait upon her every need, family and friends who adored her and a husband who worked hard to get everything in life he believe he deserved. Yet Addison would stop at nothing to get what he wanted, no matter who he had to climb over to get it.

So besides the grief Cate feels when she finds Addison has committed suicide leaving behind the remnants of a sorry note, she is not ready for just how upside down her worl...more Cate Cooper had the life most would envy. She had a beautiful mansion, great staff to wait upon her every need, family and friends who adored her and a husband who worked hard to get everything in life he believe he deserved. Yet Addison would stop at nothing to get what he wanted, no matter who he had to climb over to get it.

So besides the grief Cate feels when she finds Addison has committed suicide leaving behind the remnants of a sorry note, she is not ready for just how upside down her world is about to become. When women at the funeral announce they have not only been sleeping with her husband, some wonder who will provide for the children they had with Addison. She also learns that everything in her life will be taken from her leaving her with only her children and friends she can rely on.

Losing her home and everything in it, she agrees to move to Folly Beach to help her Aunt Daisy take care of some rental properties. She begins to restore her life as she stays in a home called Porgy which her aunt has named after the Heywards, who apparently stayed in the home during their lifetime while writing Porgy and Bess. It's through her time here that Cate begins to learn more about herself and the life she has left behind.

In the book, Folly Beach by Dorothy Benton Frank, the reader is delighted to a play woven into a fiction story. Part of the book involved a play involving Dorothy and DuBose living in their home in Folly Beach from their time as playwrites and actors from the 1920's and 30's. This play will eventually be something that Cate will write after spending time in the home and researching the characters of the Heywards while trying to get her own life right again. So what the reader is getting is a foreshadowing of Cate's future life as she uncovers more about the life of the Heywards.

I received this book compliments of TLC Book Tours for my honest review and LOVED it once I got the hang of how the story was woven together. I truly felt for the character of Cate who was dealt an unfortunate hand in losing her husband and in learning what a dual life he lived. This book is a great summer read and rates a 5 out of 5 stars. I love the duality that you get in a sense of having two books in one. (less)

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Jun 19, 2011 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, goodreads-giveaways

As far as Southern/low country fiction goes Dorothea Benton Frank is one of my favorites so I was excited to win this from Good Reads. As with her other novels, this is fun and quick and there are some quirky and interesting moments. Some of the people do come across as a little too “quippy” at times (it’s okay to have a real conversation!) and every single character uses some version of the word “humph” at least once per page. But the characters are likeable (Daisy and Ella were my favorites) a...more

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May 12, 2012 Brown rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

A women returns to the past to find her future in this enchanting new tale of loss, aacceptance, family, and love.

With its sandy beaches and bohemian charms, surfers and suits alike consider Folly Beach to be one of South Carolina's most historic and romantic spots. It is also the land of Cate Cooper's childhood, the place where all the ghosts of her past roam freely. Cate never thought she'd wind up in this tiny cottage named the Porgy House on the breathtakingly lovely strip of coast. But cir...more

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Sep 23, 2011 Carolyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: literary-fiction, historical-fiction, library-books

I adored this book! I just discovered the author, and at the same time that this is #8 of a series. Whee! Lots of good reading ahead, and my guess is that it's not important to read them in order, since this one stands alone very nicely.

I'm a bit more familiar with the Low Country around Charleston SC and the barrier islands than a typical tourist, since my brother Bob has lived there for many years and I've visited quite a bit. The story here is steeped in a deep sense of the place, something I...more

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Aug 22, 2011 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have been hit and miss with Dorothea Benton Frank lately- this one however hit all the right notes! Ever since reading Vixen, it seems so many books I have picked up or want to read are set in the 1920s, or have backstory from the 20s. Which is fine by me - I have always loved the excitement and drama of the roaring 20s. Folly Beach has a storyline in the present day, but every other chapter is part of a play about the Heywards, who worked with Gershwin to turn Heyward's Porgy and Bess into a...more

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Jun 17, 2013 Anne (Booklady) Molinarolo rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: good-fiction, permanent-library, annebooklady-2013-books, womens-fiction, summer-2013

I loved this novel! After finishing it late last night, I dreamt of glistening beaches, sand dollar ornaments, mango sunsets, collards and grits. Yes, Dorthea Benton Frank’s descriptions are that good. Not only did she weave a marvelous tale, she brings Folly Beach to life with all its sights, smells, tastes, storms, and traditions so alive. I was there with Cate, Daisy, Ella, Dorothy and DuBose. Perhaps too, is the fact that I really miss THE South? There is some kind of magic in the TRUE South...more

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Mar 31, 2013 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 20, 2011 Cathy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Kudos to Dorothea Benton Frank for breaking from her usual formula. Girl (read: middle-aged woman) returns to Lowcountry after divorce/widowhood. Wise (and wisecracking) family member gives her sage advice. Enter age-appropriate man with preexisting friendship with wise family member. He becomes new love interest for main character. Much alcohol and chaos ensue. Ok, so all this did happen, but each chapter alternates with one taken from a one-woman show about the life of Dorothy Heyward (wife of...more

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Feb 04, 2012 Ellen rated it 2 of 5 stars

My first -- and last -- book by this author. I saw this in the library and took it home after seeing a positive review from Pat Conroy. Although set in SC, this book is nothing like one he would have written. I had no idea this was primarily a romance novel, not a genre I read. This book was highly unrealistic; the protagonist goes from being the wife of a mega-rich and very arrogant man to his widow after he commits suicide. At the cemetery, she learns he had another family and a string of flin...more

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Jun 29, 2011 Teresa rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 23, 2011 Kathleen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As a loyal fan of Dorothea Benton Frank's Lowcountry novels, I was excited when Folly Beach: A Lowcountry Tale was released in June and couldn't wait to read the book, and once again she didn't disappoint me. In Folly Beach, the author provides the reader with not one, but two storylines that intertwine, which is a departure from her usual writing style.

The storyline begins in NJ, where Cate Cooper's comfortable world has been turned completely upside down with the suicide of her husband due to...more As a loyal fan of Dorothea Benton Frank's Lowcountry novels, I was excited when Folly Beach: A Lowcountry Tale was released in June and couldn't wait to read the book, and once again she didn't disappoint me. In Folly Beach, the author provides the reader with not one, but two storylines that intertwine, which is a departure from her usual writing style.

The storyline begins in NJ, where Cate Cooper's comfortable world has been turned completely upside down with the suicide of her husband due to his financial problems. Kept in the dark, the tragedy just gets worse when Cate discovers all of her husband's ugly dark secrets, and she finds herself financially destitute and homeless. With nothing but a used car and a few boxes of what is left of her worldly belongings, Cate heads back to her childhood home in Folly Beach, SC to regroup.

This is where the second storyline comes into play, Cate's aunt owns Porgy House, once the home of the famous Porgy and Bess playwrights Dorothy and DuBose Heyward. It is at Porgy House in the summer of 1934, where the Heywards and the famous composer George Gershwin create the songs for Porgy and Bess. When Cate moves into Porgy House, she meets college professor John Risley, who encourages her to research the history of the Heywards, and write a play based on their lives. During her research, Cate finds fascinating similarities between Dorothy and herself, which adds to the mystique of residing at Porgy House.

What I loved most about Cate's story is that her coming home to Folly Beach was a blessing in disguise. She discovered what it meant to be surrounded by a loving family; she learned to stand up on her own two feet and rebuild her life; she took the chance to find love again; and most of all she finds out that dreams can still come true, no matter how old a person may be.

The author weaves and intertwines the two storylines in a unique way: she alternates chapters with Cate's story and the other is acts of a one-woman play based on Dorothy Heyward's life. While I did find the intertwining storylines to be intriguing, I must admit that I would have preferred to have just read Cate's story, and have the story of Dorothy Heyward added as part of Cate's research. I found the alternating chapters (storylines) to be a bit annoying, because just when I was really getting into Cate's story, I had to turn around and shift gears and get back into the acts of the play. That being said, I loved Cate's story and the wonderful interactions between her family members. I also did enjoy reading about the Heywards' lives and the creation of Porgy and Bess, but just not in the context in which it was written about in the book. Finally, as a fan of southern fiction, especially of Lowcountry tales, the little annoyances I had with this book were greatly overshadowed by the author's wonderful description of the beautiful Lowcountry areas of SC, reading about them always makes me yearn to visit or live there.

Dorothea Benton Frank fans, this book is worth the reading!

Rating: 4 Stars ****(less)

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Feb 29, 2012 Marlo rated it 2 of 5 stars

I've read a couple of Benton Frank's other books and found them enjoyable, even though they are definitely light reading; however this one was not up to par. I picked this book up because I'm going to Folly Beach this summer and thought it would be fun to read. I like fiction that ties the past with the present as this does, but, geesh, there was so much unrealistic garbage in it, it was ridiculous. Cate's husband was a cad, and she just happens to have one good fortunate event after another aft...more

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Aug 11, 2011 Tami rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was a disappointment. The story of Cate - left homeless and "broke" (well, not totally broke by my standards, but destitute compared to what she had before) after her husband's suicide - starts with a bang, followed by 250 pages of fizzle. In the first few chapters the problems stack like cord-wood , but they are all solved easily and without much effort. It gave me visions of the birds and mice helping Cinderella make her ball-gown while they all whistle a cheerful tune.

Mixed within this...more

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Jun 25, 2011 Tequila rated it 4 of 5 stars

So I don't mind when Dorothea Benton Frank's characters jump into bed too fast, as they do every summer. They deserve it. Most of Benton Frank's lead characters are women in their 40s and 50s going through transition - usually from the north to the south, but more broadly from away to home, from lack of connection to connection, from unself to self, from selfish morons to sexy southern Gentlemen who know how to pick restaurants and open the car door. Her books are like beautiful watercolor paint...more

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Oct 21, 2011 Virginia rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have read several Dorothea Benton Franks' books. Most strike me as light and fluffy - easy and enjoyable reads. This one was slightly more literary, but still thoroughly enjoyable. The novel evolved from several coincidences between the author and that of Dorothy Heywood whose husband wrote the book and then the play on which Porgy and Bess was based. The novel switches back and forth between the present and a play about Dorothy Heywood. In the present, the main character's husband dies and le...more

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Apr 15, 2012 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Yay!! It's about time Ms. Frank returns to her literary roots and write a decent novel!! I had given up on her awhile ago but this novel redeems her talents in my book. (I had bought this book for a dollar fifty at the local goodwill store because there is no way I was wasting my hard-earned money on another failure.)

This one is two stories tied in one and it is fascinating to read. There's Cate, a widow whose world turned upside down thanks to her cruel, manipulative husband who committed suic...more

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Jan 17, 2012 Susy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Yet another Lowcountry Tale in which a woman whose life has been turned upside down by an errant husband finds peace and new beginnings in South Carolina's lowcountry islands. But the twist to this story is the play within the novel that tells the story of Dorothy & DuBose Heyward who are credited with writing the play Porgy & Bess. I heard Ms. Frank speak last summer about this novel but not having read it wasn't properly impressed by all the research she did to compose the play which i...more

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Feb 28, 2013 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: better-than-chick

An intertwined story-within-a-story..... Folly Beach was a total surprise for me. On one hand, there was the play that took place in the early Twenties about Dorothy and DuBose Heyward as they gradually worked with George Gershwin to create Porgy and Bess; on the other hand, there is the story of Cate Cooper, who discovers after her husband's suicide that he was not only NOT wealthy but had left her totally destitute. She returns to Folly Beach outside Charleston, South Carolina, to the Porgy Ho...more

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About Dorothea Benton Frank

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

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9729507-folly-beach?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347507751l/9729507.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9729507-folly-beach?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Folly Beach by Dorothea Benton Frank[/url]

Folly Beach (Lowcountry Tales #8)

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