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Summary: This is MY life!!!
Review: I cannot say enough good things about Dottie Frank... She is such an exceptional author. She has a way with words that just brings her reader in.
I am originally from the lowcountry. I moved what seems to be a world away and am now on the slow but steady journey back home. Her books have aided in my realization of how precious the past and the people in it are. I have gained a newfound respect for the wisdom of my mother, aunt and grandmother. I want my daughter to be just as blessed!
READ HER BOOKS!!!! ALL OF THEM!
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Summary: Not just for Southerners
Review: I am a born and raised Northern girl and I loved Plantation. Dorothea Frank writes of quirky characters and lush Southern environs in a way that anyone can enjoy the trip. The human foibles are not limited to the low country of South Carolina but her story gives a warm peek at that lifestyle. The story explores the relationships of Moms and daughters, complexities of sibling love, and coming to terms with the roots of one's own personality. I'm sure the Southern readers will love it - but don't hesitate if you are from elsewhere.
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Summary: Too Much Filler
Review: I tried, really I did! I picked this book because the of the title and for its length. I wish I could say there was more to it than that. I was severely disappointed with this book. I think after reading the back cover it seemed interesting enough. But when the story goes on and on about nothing really that striking, I kept wondering when it would ever end. The writing was hoping to be humourous, but slightly missing the mark. The foreshading was too obvious, and the characters stereotypical. I think perhaps it would have been an ok read if there wasn't so much filler in between the story. I couldn't make it to the end. And I didn't care enough for wonder what happened with the characters. There are better books out there about family relationships.
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Summary: Plantation..........
Review: I was intrigued by the book and could not put it down. I love this author and cannot wait to read more of her Lowcountry tales. DBF truly captures the beauty of the region and the lacal character. Her descriptions are wonderful and her dialogue rings true (mostly).That being said, I had few "issues". The main character, Caroline is not that likable. I was disapointed that while she was devasted that hew husband cheated on her, she condoned the affair that her brother carried on....The treatment of her sister-in-law Frances Mae was really appaling. Clearly this family had great wealth, class and style. However, ther were so snobbish to look down on Frances Mae because of her background. When Frances Mae gave birth on the side of the road the first htought was of the disgrace she bought to the family, not sympathy for the poor woman. I just felt that since Caroline was supposedly so lovely, she should have exercised greater compassion. I also found the last hundred pages rather melodramatic and all of the voodoo stuff (in great detail!) got a little old. As I said, this was worth the time to read and I lov ethe author. Sullivan's Island was definately better!
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Summary: A Real Winner!
Review: This book is the first I've read by this author. I usually like a good mystery but since this was given to me, I thought I'd give it a try. It is a really heart-warming book with lots of humor. I loved every minute of it. The characters were warm and colorful and said things that you'd like to if put in their situation.
I liked it so much I went to the library and found another book by this author which was every bit as good as this one. I hope Ms. Frank continues her superb writing.
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Summary: This is a MUST read for anyone with a southern soul!
Review: I LOVED this book!!! I haven't read a book that I enjoyed so in such a long time. I found myself alternating between not being able to put this book down and wishing it wouldn't end. The story and it's characters were quirky but believable. I have recommended (strongly!!) that the members of my book club make this their next reading selection. The characters are so memorable and I found myself thinking about them even when I wasn't reading the book. I know they will make for great discussion. I may have been born in the north but I must have a southern soul. Having been to the Charleston area several times it was great fun to be able to relate to many of the places identified in the book. I can't wait to read Ms. Frank's other book, Sullivan's Island!
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Summary: Plantation will keep you smiling for days on end
Review: I was in awe of Dorothea Frank Benton's Sullivan's Island and reccomended it to several friends who gave it the same five star review that I did. She has now outdone herself with Plantation.
The story is heartwarming, hilarious in parts and brought a few tears in the end. It is a brilliant story of a family's struggle to be themselves,to carry on the family traditions that are so important and shows a strong family bond of love and trust
I can't wait for the next book from MS Benton.
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Summary: Another winner from Dot Frank...
Review: Dorathea Benton Frank has given readers another treat in Southern fiction. Her follow-up to *Sullivan's Island* is no less pleasing or scandalous. *Plantation* tells the tale of another well-established South Carolina family with just as many black sheep and shocking situations. I can't think of a more exciting afternoon of reading. The story, narrated primarily by Caroline Wembley Levine and her eccentric mother, Lavinia, takes readers on a wonderful, romantic, and mysterious journey. Caroline escaped the alleged confines of her plantation home by attending college in New York City, while her younger brother, Trip, stayed close to home to become an attorney. Both siblings marry questionably, have children, and are eventually drawn back to Lavinia. As the family reacquaints themselves with each other, Lavinia discovers a fatal illness that all must cope with. As the novel jumps back and forth along the Wembley time line, the reader meets Caroline and Trip's father and learns why Caroline felt she had to run far away from home. Before you know it, you'll be a part of the Wembley family, too. If you're in the mood for a great read, and a good time, *Plantation* is the one for you. Enjoy!
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Summary: Heartwarming
Review: Plantation is a heartwarming story of a woman who returns to her home to find herself and to find forgiveness. When Caroline gets a call from her brother, Trip, telling her that their mother, Miss Lavinia, is in need of assistance, she leaves her home in Manhattan and returns to Tall Pines. This is her ancestral home, which she left as a young woman. The book is interspersed with snippets from Miss Lavinia's journal, which describe her point of view in addition to the first person narration by Caroline. We learn about Caroline's marriage to an Englishman, who just happens to be Jewish. Throughout the course of this book, you get an idea of how strong a person Caroline is. She doesn't realize it until toward the end of the book. You also get an idea of the strained relationship between her and Miss Lavinia, and Trip, her brother.
Trip plays a part in the story, although the predominant characters are Miss Lavinia, Caroline and her son, Eric.
The relationships are well developed and well thought out. Miss Frank has done a wonderful job of mingling some trivia regarding the ACE Basin in the South Carolina Lowcountry with a touching story and blends it with a bit of humor.
I rate this book 5 stars. It is certainly one that I will recommend to my friends. Marguerite Nico 2/10/02
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Summary: A Journey of Self-Discovery, Southern Style
Review: For every daughter who has lost her mother to a terminal illness, this is a MUST read. For every reader who revels in the upper-middle-class Southern life, this is a MUST read. For everyone who enjoys a novel with humor, distinctive local color, and amazing insights into self-discovery, this is a MUST read. The story begins at the funeral of Miss Lavinia and her daughter Caroline takes us on a tour of pivotal moments that led to this day. The family relationships that bind us, the heritage we can run from but never escape, the unending parade of people who leave their prints on the canvas of our lives, are all examined with wit and passion. Dorothea Benton Frank is remarkable in the way she draws you into the story and makes you a part of life with Caroline. In New York or back at Tall Pines Plantation, I felt like Caroline's shadow, suffering every indignity with her, rejoicing in every happy event with her. Caroline's journey of self-discovery leads her to some revealing truths about the nature of mother-daughter relationships, the misunderstandings that bruise hearts, the reunions that make us realize no matter how our lives differ from our mothers, we are forever and thankfully so our mother's daughter, her true and lasting spitting image. So curl up with Caroline and her nearest and dearest: Trip, her hard-drinking brother and quintessential Southern good ole boy; her trashy sister-in-law Frances Mae; her surrogate mother and housekeeper Millie; her precocious son Eric; her repulsive husband Richard, and most of all Miss Lavinia, the larger-than-life mother Caroline must come to terms with before she can become the person she was destined to be.
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