Reviewed by Doris
I was hooked on Low Country Summer by Dorothea Benton Frank in the first paragraph. It is the forty-seventh birthday of Caroline Wimbley Levine and she reflects on her life. She is the daughter of Miss Lavinia Wimbley , the Queen of Tall Pines Plantation, who was a force of nature, a doyen of manners, and the iron ruler of Caroline’s and her Tripp’s lives. She is the doting the mother of Eric, a college freshman and all around delightful young man. She is the ex-wife of a crazy New York, Jewish psychiatrist whom her mother told her not to marry. She has two lovers, one of whom is the sheriff. And, she has a drunken, hateful sister-in-law who spawned four nieces from Hell. As you can see, Frank is continuing her tradition of dysfunctional, larger-than-life characters settled in the low country of South Carolina, and she is doing so with her usual mix of humor, attitude, astute looks at life, and characters you just grow to love. Throw in all the descriptions of food and pitchers of sweet tea, and you have a perfect summer afternoon book.
Caroline’s musings during her birthday party are halted by the drunken sister-in-law she hates. Frances Mae (who is from so far on the wrong side of the tracks there are no tracks) is married to Caroline’s younger brother Tripp who has left Frances Mae and their four wretched daughters for Rusty, the love of his life and happiness. Frances Mae has reacted to his desertion by getting even more drunk and leaving the girls to rampage their way through life. When Frances Mae puts the life of youngest daughter Chloe at risk by driving drunk and wrecking, Caroline realizes she has to step up and take control of her family. Reluctant at best to take on the challenge, Caroline knows Miss Lavinia would expect nothing less of her so she sets the course for a family intervention.
From the point when Caroline and Rusty step in to tame Tripp’s daughters and send Frances Mae to her fifth adventure in rehab, the story covers such a huge range of emotions. At times almost slap-stick and at other times heart-wrenching, Caroline deals with bringing a new generation of Wimbley women into the family fold while juggling her men and watching her beloved Eric leave the nest. You know the old cliché, “I laughed. I cried.” Well, I did laugh and I did cry because it is finally a tragedy that turns things around for the Wimbleys. The ending will give you a little surprise, but it makes perfect sense. And, it shows that life does not always work out quite the way you think it will, but it does work.
I love the richness of Frank’s characters. In this book she gives you a look into family relationships whether the family, be it blood or chosen. I love Frank’s smart mouth comments and asides that nail a character or situation perfectly. I love the talk of sweet tea, peaches, strawberry short cakes, and biscuits that are so light they could float away. I love Caroline’s relationship with her son, and I identify so strongly with her concerns as he leaves the nest because my baby is headed to college in two weeks. I just hope I am as wise in my handling of my son’s first serious love affair as Caroline is. Frank gives her books a warmth and humor I love, and under the fluff is a life perspective that is worth viewing.
Look for copies of Low Country Summer at Main under F BEN. It's proven very popular so you may have to reserve a copy. It's worth the wait.
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