Shem Creek

Rating:
Summary: ok book ~ recipes add a star
Review: I loved ISLE OF PALMS and was really looking forward to this book. It was disappointing for me because it really wasn't all that wonderful. Linda, the main character, was likable but Brad was not - oh, I couldn't stand him!

I'd say the main positive of this book would be the recipes.

Rating:
Summary: keeps getting worse
Review: I loved SULLIVAN'S ISLAND, liked PLANTATION, ISLE OF PALM was ok,but SHEM CREEK is simply a poor book. Linda Breland divorced
mother of 2 moves her family to her hometown Shem Creek. The
story goes down hill from there, she moves in with her sister, finds a job, falls in love. The plot was mainly boring and and the characters struck me a being false. Maybe there are people who talk that way but I don't know them. In anycase save your money and wait for the paperback.

Rating:
Summary: Heartwarming!
Review: I really enjoyed this book and will be reading more from this author :)

Rating:
Summary: Not a Favorite
Review: I really really love Dorethea Benton Frank, and look so forward to her new books. I rush out and buy them in hardcover and read them like a treat...But this one I have to say was the first to diappoint.I found the story not as compelling as the others, and the dialogue drove me batty. Way too many exclamation points etc. It just seemed to lack the charm of her other books.I did like Linda the Mom in the story,and her sister Mimi was someone I would love to be like.sweet hospitable and a good baker : ) But it didnt draw me in or make me feel like I knew them.I couldnt give it any fewer stars out of pure loyalty to her and her work, And am excited to see if she will come out with another book and Wow me again.

Rating:
Summary: Dottie Does It Again
Review: If I had my life to live over again, I would live it as a "geechee" (native of South Carolina's Low Country), but reading Dorothea Benton Frank is the next best thing.

In her newest novel, Shem Creek, Dottie once again introduces us to a hilarious and heartwarming mix of Low Country superstars, each of whom breaks the mold in unique and wonderful qualities. There's our heroine, Linda Breland, single mother of two teenaged daughters who moves back home from decades in New Jersey in hopes of taming her younger child and finding some peace of mind. There's her fabulous sister Mimi, the Martha Stewart of Shem Creek, perfect in every single way and enough to drive you crazy if you fold the napkins wrong. There is young Gracie, 16-year-old daughter of Linda, and enough to turn any mama's hair pure white overnight. There's big sister Lindsay, about to start college and leave her mother for the first time.

And then there is the drop-dead wonderful cast of "Jackson Hole," a local restaurant where Linda gets a job--and promptly finds herself interested (although she denies it) in her boss Brad.

What I love about this book, and about ALL of Frank's books, is that she is not afraid to describe the very deep love between women--sisters, mothers and daughters, best friends, aunts and nieces. And she has unabashedly happy endings, and what, exactly, is wrong with that? Her take is that the entire South Carolina Low Country is a place of magic where all things are possible. And you know what? I believe her!

Pick up the book and lose yourself in some fabulous geechee charm.

Rating:
Summary: Great lines, great characters, and a great story.
Review: some of this book was laugh-out-loud funny, other parts poignant and meaningful. dot frank has done it again with another marvelous lowcountry tale!

Rating:
Summary: Not up to par with others.....
Review: The low country of South Carolina is my second home, so I love to read books that take place there. I have enjoyed all four of Benton Frank's books, but found this one lacking. While enjoyable, Shem Creek was not as rich or complex as the other three books, and lacked the more intricate character development and low country feeling contained in her other works. The resurfacing in minor roles of major characters from prior books is interesting and fun, but I find it annoying that I cannot quite remember just who they were. Some sort of key to characters would be helpful in forthcoming books.

Rating:
Summary: I loved it!!!!
Review: This book was wonderful! I will agree with previous reviewers who said it was very different than her previous books. Different can be good. Though we had a lot more talking in this book, we learned to love Linda, Lindsay and Gracie. Add Alex and Louise to the mix, and it made for a great party. I wasn't too keen on Brad and Robert, but they were ok enough to make it through. I read this in less than 24 hours and will be diving into Dot's next book with relish!

Rating:
Summary: A fun and quick read
Review: This is a fun read ~~ while not on par with Frank's other books, it is still a fun read. This one has more dialogue than descriptions than the others ~~ which is why I gave it a three instead of a four. I love reading about the lush scenery in her other books and was disappointed that this one didn't have it as much. I love reading the descriptions of the food, the people and the history of the Lowcountry ~~ and this book barely skimmed on any of these. It has a more of a hurried feel to it ~~ like the author is racing to the last page. That is my opinion though and don't base your call on buying this book on that! It is just an observation!

Linda moves back to Mount Pleasant, S.C. where she had grown up. She has two daughters ~~ one entering college in the fall and one who is a junior in high school. She is divorced from her accountant husband ~~ also fighting him for the lack of attention that he pays the girls. She moves back to Mount Pleasant ~~ figuring there is no place like home. She finds a job as a restaurant manager in this restaurant that is a hole in the wall ~~ called Jackson Hole and owned by two men, Robert and Brad. Brad is a single dad estranged from his wife in Atlanta and after a tragedy, he is raising his son.

The book is based on Linda and her adventures in returning home. It is based on her relationships with her daughters and other members of the restaurant staff. It is an easy read and sometimes funny in spots ~~ you won't regret reading it. It's a light book and perfect to escape those doldrums that might be bothering you.

9-22-04

Rating:
Summary: A disappointment...
Review: While I loved Ms. Frank's other books (her description of the wronged wife scubbing the toilet with her husband's toothbrush remains one of my all-time favorite literary moments), I'm sorry to say this was a huge disappointment. While the other books were mature and beautifully written, I felt that this was a giant step backward. I even thought I'd been fooled into buying one of the author's early efforts until I checked the publication date. (It seems to be standard practice these days that once an author achieves some measure of success, that the publisher will capitalize on the author's faithful following by re-releasing their earlier work, often in hardback. Those of us who anxiously await new offerings from our favorite authors unwitting snatch them up, only to discover we're reading something written ten or twenty years ago, when the author was still honing his or her craft. Fans of Nora Roberts, Sandra Brown and John Grisham all know what I'm talking about).

But I digress...this book left me feeling antsy and unsettled, which I attribute to the manner in which the dialogue jumps around, with no warning or explanation. The book appears to have been written by someone with ADD. As well, Ms. Frank apparently never met a colloquialism she doesn't like, and she's trotted them all out in this book. I never felt a connection to Linda, or any of the other characters, for that matter, and often found myself muttering, "what....huh?", or for a change of pace, wishing I could smack Linda or Gracie.

I'm sure there are many Dot Frank fans who will disagree with my opinion, as is their right. I can't help but feel cheated, though...Ms. Frank has demonstrated what she's capable of, and I for one am not going to settle for less. I'll be on the lookout for her next offering, but I'll be sure to give it a thorough inspection BEFORE I buy it.