Hurricane season begins early and rumbles all summer long, well into September. Often people’s lives reflect the weather and The Hurricane Sisters is just such a story.
Once again New York Times bestselling author Dorothea Benton Frank takes us deep into the heart of her magical South Carolina Lowcountry on a tumultuous journey filled with longings, disappointments, and, finally, a road toward … disappointments, and, finally, a road toward happiness that is hard earned. There we meet three generations of women buried in secrets. The determined matriarch, Maisie Pringle, at eighty, is a force to be reckoned with because she will have the final word on everything, especially when she’s dead wrong. Her daughter, Liz, is caught up in the classic maelstrom of being middle-age and in an emotionally demanding career that will eventually open all their eyes to a terrible truth. And Liz’s beautiful twenty-something daughter, Ashley, whose dreamy ambitions of her unlikely future keeps them all at odds.
Luckily for Ashley, her wonderful older brother, Ivy, is her fierce champion but he can only do so much from San Francisco where he resides with his partner. And Mary Beth, her dearest friend, tries to have her back but even she can’t talk headstrong Ashley out of a relationship with an ambitious politician who seems slightly too old for her.
Actually, Ashley and Mary Beth have yet to launch themselves into solvency. Their prospects seem bleak. So while they wait for the world to discover them and deliver them from a ramen-based existence, they placate themselves with a hare-brained scheme to make money but one that threatens to land them in huge trouble with the authorities.
So where is Clayton, Liz’s husband? He seems more distracted than usual. Ashley desperately needs her father’s love and attention but what kind of a parent can he be to Ashley with one foot in Manhattan and the other one planted in indiscretion? And Liz, who’s an expert in the field of troubled domestic life, refuses to acknowledge Ashley’s precarious situation. Who’s in charge of this family? The wake-up call is about to arrive.
The Lowcountry has endured its share of war and bloodshed like the rest of the South, but this storm season we watch Maisie, Liz, Ashley, and Mary Beth deal with challenges that demand they face the truth about themselves. After a terrible confrontation they are forced to rise to forgiveness, but can they establish a new order for the future of them all?
Frank, with her hallmark scintillating wit and crisp insight, captures how a complex family of disparate characters and their close friends can overcome anything through the power of love and reconciliation. This is the often hilarious, sometimes sobering, but always entertaining story of how these unforgettable women became The Hurricane Sisters.
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A bit formulaic but an easy beach read.
Ms. Frank has been one of my favorite authors over the years. However, this book is not one of her better works. The story was difficult to follow during the first few chapters because each one was written in the first person by one of 3 characters. I was ready to stop but by the 6th chapter, I just wanted to see how it ended.
Fun beach read.
undecided
It was fun to read, like a visit to Charleston. However, the ending was just to tie it in a bow perfectly predictable.
Totally enjoy Dorthea Benton Frank! This is not her best, but certainly not her worst. An enjoyable read which delves into life in the south and our crazy families. Abuse plays a part, but it is more the dynamics of three generations in a family.
I enjoy every book I read by Ms. Frank and this was no exception. Fun to read and fun to know this family!
Loved this story of three generations of women and how they learned unexpected things about each other. Great read.
Typical book of the author – loved it.
I always enjoy D. F Benton’s books, and this was no exception! It’s a little different from many of her others, but I still got to enjoy “being at the beach”. In taking a bit about abuse, this book has depth to it. I learned and enjoyed!
Fun beach read.
great story; love Charleston based books
Dorothea Benton Franks never disappoints. She writes wonderful stories about the low country and while there is always a crisis there is also humor.
Didn’t care for the format.
I love Dorthea Benton Frank’s books. I always feel welcomed in as part of the family or the story.
It was an easy reader with delightful characters and was hard to put down.
Such a good book. REALLY enjoyed reading it. I did not want to put it down.
I love every word this author writes! You instantly are transported to the gorgeous setting and the characters stay with you long after the book ends. I hope Dorothea Benton Frank lives forever!
Great beach read, entertaining!
I really enjoy this author. Friendship. The ocean. Beautiful storytelling.