Pawleys Island

A Lowcountry Tale

By: Dorothea Benton Frank

Narrated by: Dorothea Benton Frank

Of the many barrier islands that pepper the coast of South Carolina's Lowcountry, Pawleys Island, the "arrogantly shabby" family playground for generations, might be the most mysterious and charming of them all. It is here and in the surrounding area that Dorothea Benton Frank has placed her latest Lowcountry tale, Pawleys Island.

Meet Huey Valentine, the owner of Gallery Valentine, catering to interior decorators and, heaven save us, tourists. Huey resides on his family plantation on the shores of the Waccamaw River, where he cares for his mother, Miss Olivia, a wise and irresistible octogenarian. And meet Huey's great friend Abigail Thurmond, retired attorney from Columbia, who has laid claim to her family's home on Pawleys Island. Huey and Abigail are complacent in their fat and sassy lives until the stormy advent of the artist Rebecca Simms.

Rebecca has been catapulted from her home, her marriage, and her children. She has escaped to Pawleys Island to hide herself from herself. But after Miss Olivia pries Rebecca's secrets from her, Huey and especially Abigail are challenged to reenter life outside the dream state their idyllic geography evokes. They will see that Rebecca has her day in court, but they never expect to provoke a national forum for discussion.

With characteristic humor and a full cast of eccentric and wonderfully lovable characters, Dorothea Benton Frank brings us her most honest and entertaining story to date. People have secrets they never want anyone to know. People have pasts they would prefer be left out of conversation. In Frank's nimble hands, it all comes spilling out to be examined and reconciled.

©2006 Dorothea Benton Frank (P)2005 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Awesome Southern Book

Great storyline and love the area the book was wrote about. Beautifully wrote and beautiful area.

Great Story - Terrible Storytelling

This is the second time I listened to this book. I forgot what a great story it was. One word of adviae...PLEASE go get Robin Miles to re-record the narration.
It would be so great
...if you could do this for your audience.
There is a huge difference
...between narrating a story
...and reciting a book.
It was almost too difficult to hear.

Excellent Story from My Own Neighborhood

I bought this audiobook primarily because it was set in Pawley's Island, SC, near my hometown of Myrtle Beach. I came to love the story and characters. I cheered their successes and cried with them during their hard times. I recommend this book to anyone who loves stories set in the South and anyone who had seen or "experienced" the Gray Man or Alice Flagg (count me among the latter).

Loved it

Great story, great characters, Dorothea’s reading made it even better. I always recommend her books.

Good story, narration like fingernails on a chalk board

Almost quit listening the narration was so bad. Have to assume it was ego of author, but please stick to writing and leave narration to the professionals.