Review by Booklist Review
In Frank's fourteenth South Carolina novel (Porch Lights, 2012), prominent, conservative Charlestonians Liz and Clayton Waters are none too happy with their family. Never mind the constant antics of Liz's octogenarian mother, Maisie, and her boy-toy, live-in companion, Skipper. Their exuberant daughter, Ashley, refuses to pursue either a meaningful career or a potential husband, harboring instead dreams of being a celebrated artist. Meanwhile, their son, Ivy (for Clayton Waters IV), is a hip, San Francisco men's clothier, along with James, his Asian business- and life-partner. 'Nuff said. Each hypercritical parent manages to cope in his or her own way: Liz, by running a battered-women's shelter; Clayton, by running off to Manhattan and having an illicit affair. But when Skipper suffers a stroke and Ashley is brutally attacked by a seemingly merely smarmy state senator, Liz and Clayton rally to their sides and rediscover the strength and solace only a strong family can provide. Hidden beneath Frank's trademark buoyant and breezy Low Country patois is a passionate expose of South Carolina's alarming problem with domestic abuse.--Haggas, Carol Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Take a trip down to the Carolina Low Country in Frank's (Sullivan's Island) latest novel, featuring three generations of women and their experiences with love, trust, and the unbreakable bond of family. Ashley is in her mid-20s, struggling to explore her passion as an artist while remaining afloat financially through an illegal business venture. Her mother, Liz, is so busy helping abused women and children that she cannot face the reality that her marriage is crumbling and her son is gay. Grandma Maisie, a spit-and-vinegar octogenarian, moves in with a younger man and sets the family's world on fire with her hard-earned wisdom and wit. But when Ashley gets involved with an aggressive politician, the family must ditch the drama and rally to keep her safe. -VERDICT With a host of subplots and constant foreshadowing, this multigenerational title falls somewhat short. While it would serve as a quick summer read and does include valuable information about domestic violence, the rotating point-of-view narrative style results in a lack of depth and leaves the reader wanting more. [See Prepub Alert, 1/6/14.]-Chelsie Harris, San -Diego Cty. Lib. (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
