26: Lowcountry Summer

Lowcountry Summer, by Dorothea Benton Frank, is the story of Caroline, who lives on Tall Pines Plantation. Like all of her books, this one is set in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. But, unlike most of her books, this one is AWFUL.

I have my doubts if Ms. Frank even wrote this book. It reads like a ghostwriter wrote it. It is so completely unlike her typical writing style and her typical narratives that I really finished it just because I had to see how ridiculous the plot got.

Caroline, the main character, is so mean in describing her niece (who she says could go to work on a carnival for how ugly she is) I had trouble taking her seriously. She also tries to make jokes about her nieces dating landscapers and calls her sister-in-law awful names. There was a ton of bad language and the thoughts of sex permeated this book. Nothing about this main character radiated “southern charm” and the only good and decent character gets killed off. 

Don’t waste your time or money. I was disappointed, for sure, because most of her books are very entertaining. Drop the ghostwriter, and return to Sullivan’s Island, Dorothea Benton Frank! I give this one a 3/10.

24: Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen

Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen, by Susan Gregg Gilmore, was an Amazon recommended book after I read Saving CeeCee Honeycutt. I reserved it at the library and when it came in, I could not wait to dive in based off the cover alone!

It was a very sweet book. Catherine Grace has always wanted to escape from her small town, where the only source of entertainment is the Dairy Queen. Her mother mysteriously disappeared long ago, and she has been raised by her Southern Baptist preaching daddy and lives in the family house with her sister. She learns the art of being a woman from her eccentric next door neighbor, Gloria Jean, who has taken over in the mothering department since Catherine Grace’s mother left. She saves up, and at the age of 18, she finally escapes to Atlanta. A terrible family tragedy, and some malicious gossip about her family (which may turn out to be true), bring her back home and to the family she left behind.

I liked this book. I think it could be read as chick-lit, as deep fiction and as such an analogy for what the Dairy Queen represents. I craved a chocolate dipped cone the whole time I was reading it, and the ending did not disappoint.

I give this book an 8/10. There were a few things that made it far-fetched, but I laughed and I cried and I enjoyed meeting Catherine Grace.

20: Saving CeeCee Honeycutt

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt is the debut novel by Beth Hoffman. A true Southern charmer, this book delighted me to no end. It was uplifting, funny, sweet and sad all in one book, and I found myself cheering for CeeCee, for her aunt and for her adopted family as the book went on and while the ending was a little far-fetched, I still loved the book so much.

CeeCee’s mother has a debilitating mental illness that she has stopped taking medication for. CeeCee immerses herself in books so she will learn as much as she can so the genetic disorder that has taken over her mother’s life will not take over hers. The story unfolds, and her absent father refuses to help and travels for his job so he is gone often and does not notice how deeply depressed his wife is. A tragedy occurs and CeeCee’s father sends her to Savannah, the land of bees and honey, to live with her great-aunt. CeeCee is plopped into a foreign world, complete with racial tensions, a naked neighbor, an aunt who loves her and a whole lot of fun.

The story solidifies women’s friendships, the strength of women and the delight of a young child. I loved this book. It is true Southern fiction and almost a perfect story. I give it a very, very, very solid 9/10 and recommend this to everyone.

16: Backseat Saints

Backseat Saints is written by Joshilyn Jackson, who wrote Gods in Alabama and Between, Georgia and The Girl Who Stopped Swimming. The past three were all books that I loved. But Backseat Saints? Eh?

The story is focused around domestic abuse. I just don’t understand this (thankfully) and have a really hard time relating to it, so I struggle with reading it. The opening chapter was so far-fetched and weird and she shoots her dog (she lives) and not her husband, but then continues to eat and sleep and live with her husband AFTER she tried to shoot him (he never knows it was her). She finally takes off, leaves her husband and does a weird cross-country trip to see her dying father (who abused her as a child) and her crazy mother who now rescues abused women.

The story was choppy and I really never connected to Rose. I didn’t like her as a character – too mean and the way the new Rose was written against the old Rose was weird. It brings in some characters from her previous book, but you never get to know them – it’s just a quick description and then she moves on.

I really didn’t like this book. I give it a 5/10. I like her voice and her writing style, but this one was not for me.

(Weird sidenote: Joshilyn Jackson lives in Atlanta. While I was reading this I had a VERY VIVID dream that my friend Holly and I went to lunch with her and CRITIQUED HER BOOK to her face! And I woke up embarrassed but happy because maybe her next book will be as good as Gods in Alabama after my dream-critique over lunch!)