About All The Single Ladies
• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow (June 9, 2015)
In this fast-paced and evocative novel, beloved New York Times bestselling author Dorothea Benton Frank again takes us deep into the Lowcountry of South Carolina, where three unsuspecting women are brought together by tragedy and mystery
Lisa St. Clair knows a thing or two about weathering storms. A dedicated nurse with a healthy sense of humor, she single-handedly raised her truculent daughter, Marianne, after her ex walked out on them twenty-four years ago, sending them a lottery ticket once a year as support. One day he reappeared and lured their daughter into a dubious but lucrative venture in Colorado. Now mother and daughter aren't speaking.
So when Kathy Harper, Lisa's favorite patient, loses her battle with cancer, Lisa finds herself drawing closer to Carrie and Suzanne, the devoted friends who were always by Kathy's side. As these three women's lives inevitably connect, they share their concerns about men, getting older and the horrors of maintaining financial stability. Suzanne's ninety-nine-year-old grandmother, a former chanteuse, offers unexpected perspectives on the mores of the day. Carrie's greedy ex-stepchildren are a chorus of cackling crows. And Lisa's mother just can't help herself as she henpecks her to distraction.
Somehow their conversations always return to the enigma of Kathy. Who was she? What did her short life mean?
Lisa, Carrie, and Suzanne power walk the beaches of the Isle of Palms with Pickle, Lisa's adorable Westie. Gradually they uncover the truth of Kathy's life and unfurl plans to secure their own futures, as fate steps in to help them discover that being single doesn't have to mean being alone. Dorothea Benton Frank shows us that friendship is as powerful as the turning tide and that love is about more than just finding the right person. You'll fall under the magical spell of the Lowcountry and of all the single ladies who have a whole lot of living to do.
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Review: Dorothea Benton Frank is one of those authors that I would call a guilty pleasure if I believed in guilty pleasures.
Her books are either really good or really not so good.
All The Single Ladies (Yeah, now I have the Beyonce song stuck in my head) is one of those really good ones.
It deviates from her normal style. Lisa is not married to a rich guy who cheats on her and wants a divorce. No, she's a nurse at a personal care home, and one of her patients dies and she befriends that patients friends.
Something about the story reminded me of Annie Freeman's Fabulous Traveling Funeral. Maybe because a lot of the subject matter was a bit of a downer,but there was a lot of humor in this story as well.
I loved Kathy's friends Carrie and Suzanne and Suzanne's grandmother Miss Trudie. Lisa and her new friends work to solve a mystery involving, Kathy's belongings. I loved how their friendship evolved as they all found their own relationships.
I also was totally amused by the sticky situation Lisa had with her daughter Marianne, who has a rather dubious business in Colorado involving pot.
There are some spots that make me go hmmm. I couldn't quite understand how a nurse couldn't find full time work, and how she was so totally irresponsible regarding Miss Trudie's health. I found that totally unbelievable, especially when she starts taking a lot of falls.
This was the best book I've read in ages by Dorothea Benton Frank, even though there are some questionable things going on with Lisa. A must read for your summer reading pile!
Rating: 5 flowers
About Dorothea Benton Frank
New York Times bestselling author Dorothea Benton Frank was born and raised on Sullivans Island, South Carolina. She divides her time between the New York area and the Lowcountry.
Find her on the web at www.dotfrank.com, or like her on Facebook or Twitter.
1 comments:
I always hope that I'll have good friends like these throughout my life.
Thanks for being a part of the tour!
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