Shem Creek: A Lowcountry Tale (Lowcountry Tales (Thorndike Press))
by Dorothea Benton Frank (Goodreads author!)
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 449)
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 i...more
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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
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Read in July, 2006
The first book I read on vacation was Dorothea Benton Frank's Shem Creek. All of her books are based in South Carolina, which is one reason I'm such a fan. What was really cool was that we actually drove over Shem Creek while I was reading this book in the car - COOL. Anyway, like her others, I really enjoyed this book. Most of her stories have a similar premise - a woman (usually divorced) returns home to the South with at least one teenaged daughter. However, the stories above and beyond that ...more
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Two years ago, my poor husband stood in line for hours to get DBF to sign copies of her then-recent release for my Southern Lit-loving girlfriends... and he walked away with his own copy of this book. Says a lot, considering the man hasn't touched a book that wasn't science fiction, intellectual crime/thriller drama, or self-improvement/corporate motivational as long as I've known him. Good stuff.
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Dorothea Benton Frank is a WONDERFUL Southern writer...She grew up in South Carolina's lowcountry and now lives in NY, so all of her books are set in SC & (usually) in NY. Her older books are the best, but all of her books are worth reading. In each book, I laugh, I cry, I get so involved that I don't want the story to end. All Southerners (and Yankee transplants) will love her books!
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Again, i often get disappointed in Benton Frank when i read her and expect Anne Rivers Siddons' writing. However, this is one of her better efforts - - a likable main character, a good story (it sags a bit in the middle), and of course, the wonderful low country setting. If you love South Carolina, Frank is your author - - -her love of it shines through evertyhing she writes.
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Read in March, 2008
Unabridged tapes from Essex Library. This is a fun novel. It's called a low country novel and is set in Mt Pleasant, South Carolina. It is predictable and cliched and fairly light and entertaining. Linda Breeland. Single mother of 2 teenage daughters (Lindsey and Gracie)leaves New Jersey to head back to where she grew up. Predictable and cliched but a pleasant listen.
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Read in July, 2007
While not a bad book, I'd say it might be a pass. It doesn't have the emotional range of the first several in the series. The Lowcountry Tales is a nice look at an area that doesn't get a lot of press. If nothing else, learn a little about the culture and ecological system. There's nothing like the marsh inlet and all its glory. Trust me.
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Read in June, 2008
My second journey with Dorothea Frank was not so enjoyable as the one to Isle of Palms. Shem Creek was a bit trite, facile, not quite boring but entirely predictable. Did Frank find a formula and just crank this one out? I may pick up another of her Lowcountry novels when I want a light romance (a need I seldom develop).
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Read in September, 2007
Dorothea Benton Frank continues to write about her true love, the low country of the Carolinas. She makes me love it too. In this novel her heroine returns to South Carolina after an un happy marriage in New Jersey. She finds employment, a new love and reconnects with her daughters.
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I read this while I was vacationing on Isle of Palms. It was cool to read about a place on the island and then go check it out. All of Benton Frank's books make you slow down a little and appreciate the little things - a nice breeze, a strong drink, friendships.
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One of those books about life, nothing huge happens but it's a relaxing read where you feel in touch with the characters and the town seems to breath on it's own. Made me very curious about the Carolinas.
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Very good story, about a mom and her two daughters. They move from the big city to the small town where she was raised, facing many challenges along the way. Finished this book during one weekend.
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Read in January, 2008
A typical Dotty Frank's read. Woman moves from NJ to SC and her life improves. Just like me! Easy to get lost in, beach reading fun.
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Another DBF book of lowcountry joy. I actually got out my atlas to find all these places and dream of someday taking a trip there.
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Read in July, 2008
I just love Dorothea Benton Frank's books. They are so easy o read and so interesting to me since I am from the South.
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Read in June, 2005
Book quote: "Sometimes the road ahead is as unappealing as trying to shave a bobcat's behind in a phone booth."
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Dorothea Benton Frank's books are great beach reads... you will enjoy her characters and laugh and cry with them.
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Dorthea Benton Frank writes a lot about Charleston and the areas surrounding. Great beach reads, lots of fun!
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This was a predictable but delightful book. I can't wait to try out some of those recipes!
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