Dorothea Benton Frank is one of my favorite authors. Her books are set in the Lowcountry of South Carolina, in places I vacationed for years. I love that her books incorporate the landmarks and traditions of the area.

Her latest book, Return to Sullivan's Island, follows the story of Beth Hayes, a new college graduate who has been assigned by her aunt and her mother to watch the family beach home on Sullivan's Island for a year while everyone is away.

Beth resents having to put her life on hold, but gradually adjusts to her temporary new life and faces the highs and lows of generations past, making some pretty serious mistakes along the way. There's romance, betrayal and tragedy as Frank vividly describes Island life with some great southern characters who learn that friendship and family prevails overall.

While Return to Sullivan's Island isn't her best book, (I thought it was a bit predictable overall), I read anything Dorothea Benton Frank writes and it was a great light read for the beach.

This post in conjunction with Mother Talk