REVIEW by @_Shoe_Girl_: Folly Beach by Dorothea Benton Frank

Folly Beach, with its glistening beaches and laid-back Southern charm, is the land of Cate Cooper’s childhood, the place where all the ghosts of her past roam freely. Now, thanks to a newly deceased husband whose financial and emotional perfidy has left her homeless and broke, she’s returning to this lovely strip of coast. 
Once, another woman found comfort here: an artist, writer, and sometime colleague of the revered George Gershwin. With her beloved husband, DuBose, Dorothy Heyward enjoyed the greatest moments of her life at Folly. Though the Heywards are long gone, their passion and spirit linger in every ocean breeze. 

To her surprise, Cate is about to discover that you can go home again, for Folly holds the possibility of unexpected fulfillment—not just the memories of the girl she was, but the promise of the woman she’s always wanted to become. . .

Ok, I’ll start by saying THANK YOU to Goodreads!  I won this copy of Folly Beach via one of their Giveaways!  I hardly ever win anything!!!  My only other “wins” were a pair of shoes, then a handbag, both won at different times from JustFab!  Anyways!  I had previously read Folly Beach, since my Mom picked it up in hardcover from the library, and I borrowed it when she was done.  I’m thrilled to have a copy for my “library” (read: cluttered, too small, overflowing bookshelves)!!  

Back-story on Dorothea Benton Frank:  I picked up a copy of Isle of Palms on a lunch break one day, as the cover drew me in with the palm trees on it (in case I haven’t mentioned it 5,001 times, I LOVE the beach).  I must say, had I had another book to read, I probably wouldn’t have finished Isle of Palms.  It started VERY slow.  Since I didn’t have anything else to read on my break, I kept reading.  THANK GOODNESS I did!  The book got really good.  Excellent, in fact, putting Dorothea as one of my favorite authors.  Fast forward to Folly Beach (warning:  slight spoilers).

Dorothea tries something new in this book, which kudos to her for doing, however, I found it….well, lackluster, for lack of a better word.  The book switches between present day and the 1920’s/1930’s.  

Present Day:   Cate, whose husband Addison commits suicide after getting them into financial ruin, which of course, Cate has zero knowledge of.  Oh, and of course, he has an affair, which Cate also finds out about AFTER the suicide.  Cate is in such a financial mess, that “repo” men show up after the funeral to take everything from the house from the furniture and appliances to the chandeliers.  Oh, and she has 48 hours to vacate the premises.  She has no money, and no idea where to go, not wanting to stay with her busy sister.  She ends up moving back  to Folly Beach, where her Aunt Daisy owns a bunch of cottages, one of which was previously lived in by the Heywards.  
Past:  Dorothy and DuBose Heyward.  While they’re both writers,  Dorothy is pretty much the talented one, but lets DuBose take the credit, essentially making herself the “woman behind the man” (you know, man works, woman works behind the scenes helping man with his work, and helping to promote his work, yada, yada, yada). 
Folly Beach goes back and forth between past and present with alternating chapters.  While I liked the present day story line for the most part, I really could have done without the past.  Possibly Cate could have found boxes in storage, and discovered the details, which would have been sufficient for me, instead of having half the book dedicated to the Heywards.
While I’d give this book 3 heels, please don’t let that deter you from checking out Dorothea’s other books, as if you love books set in the South and/or at the beach as much as I do, you will LOVE her other books (especially Isle of Palms, Plantation, Shem Creek, and Sullivan’s Island)!!
Click here to get your copy of Folly Beach from Amazon.com!

 
 
 
Thanks again to Heather for the review! Check out her site atwww.shoe-girl.com or follow her on Twitter @_shoe_girl_! The original review for Folly Beach can be found on her site by clicking here!