[.ca] Beach House (ISBN 1551668998)

Yes, you CAN see sunsets on the east coast!:
Just a quick response to the READER FROM ORANGE PARK FL's review: While South Carolina is indeed on the east coast, and the sun does set in the west ... remember that this takes place on an ISLAND. When you are on the west side of one of the islands and looking over the water, you can, indeed, enjoy incredible sunsets over the Atlantic ocean. I have seen many of them, and they are breathtaking! This book is fabulous!!!

THE BEACH HOUSE:
ABSOULTELY FABULOUS READ - I DIDN'T WANT IT TO END!! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK - MUST READ

Keep your hankies near by!:
This is an absolutely stunning book ~~ beautifully written and with insightful looks between a mother and her daughter and the forces of nature. At first glance, it looks like a typical feminine contemporary novel ~~ but Monroe writes with a haunting sense of self as she presents this story. Lovie knows she's dying and before she dies, she wants to reconcile with her daughter whom she hasn't seen much of in 20 years. Cara, named Caretta ~~ after a turtle ~~ has lived in Chicago after leaving the house in a rage with her father. Olivia begs Cara to come home and asked her to help her do some cleaning out. Cara comes home ~~ because she just lost her job. And that is when the story begins. There is Toy, Lovie's companion. She's dealing with problems of her own ~~ found at a shelter by a friend of Lovie's, she came to live with Lovie as she goes through her pregnancy. In love with a man who doesn't love her, Toy isn't sure what to expect of her future. Then there is Palmer, Lovie's son and Cara's brother ~~ he doesn't think along the same ways as the ladies do. He's money-hungry and always looking for a good deal. There is Brett, a long-time friend of the family. He meets Cara again and sparks begin to fly. Then there is the Turtle Ladies ~~ always on the lookout to help the loggerhead turtles nest and move their nests if possible. They may be volunteers and Lovie is in charge of them ~~ their friendships rekindled over the summer. And this is the story between Lovie and Cara ~~ as they comes to grips with Lovie's upcoming death and bridging the gap between the years. It is a beautiful story meant for mothers and daughters to share and relate to. It has enough scenery in there that makes you long to live in St. Palm Isles as well. It is just a poignant story that will grip your heart and won't let go till you have turned the last page. I highly recommend this one for every woman who longs for a lovely story. 9-24-03

Great book to begin family ties:
This book was highly advertised the last time I was in Charleston, SC. Being in need of something new to read, I bought it from the area Barnes and Noble dealer. I have to say that this is one of the best books I have ever read. The story line is such a strong one that it made me want to try to do a lot more with my own mother because you just never know when something could happen to any of us. In addition, the book draws wonderful parallels to the life of the loggerhead turtles, one of my favorite animals. These gracious animals need good people to help them become a revived species, and Ms. Monroe does a beautiful job of describing the activities of the Turtle Team and makes you, the reader, want to help out! The turtles, along with Lovie, are gracious beings that spread goodness throughout the entire book. Again, it makes the reader want to be a decent and kind human being. This book is a must read. I am keeping it and sharing it with my mother hoping she will enjoy it as much as I did.

A Perfect Summertime Read:
I wanted to bestow 3 and a half stars on this book because some of the dialogue was stilted and unreal, and then I thought, "Are you kidding? You loved this book!" Anyway, there are no half stars available. OK, so maybe some of the plot was a bit far-fetched. And maybe the three-page soliloquy by the dying mother, Lovie, was in words that no real person would use. And maybe the corporate circumstances of our heroine, Caretta (Cara) Rutledge, were a bit unreal. I realized at the end, which found me crying my eyes out, that I simply did not care. This was a perfect summertime read for me, and I suspect will be so for many others. The plot is nothing new: An independent Chicago woman, Cara, comes home to the Carolina Low Country (The Isle of Palms, beautifully and evocatively described) at the behest of her long-estranged mother, Olivia (Lovie). It is only after a week of licking her wounds (for she was fired from her high-powered job right before leaving on her visit) that Cara comes awake and realizes that her mother is very ill. And it takes all summer for the two to reconcile and reach an understanding granted to very few. As a backdrop to the story is a wonderful, absolutely wonderful, side plot about the real-life Isle of Palms/Sullivan Island Turtle Team, and its heroic efforts to save the loggerhead turtles. The author is a proud member of the team, which figures prominently in the story; and in fact, her "author picture" is a portrait of the real-life "Turtle Ladies" and herself. I was so fascinated by the turtle team, and so profoundly affected by the wonderful descriptions of the island, I would probably be on the next plane if I could. There are some other satisfying subplots as well: One is about a young unwed mother from a trailer park, who is taken in by Lovie not only as a companion, but to protect the young woman from her abusive boyfriend; the other is the growing love affair between hard-bitten Cara and quintessential Low Country man, the hunky Brett Beauchamps. I have to admit that I was enchanted by this book. And all I want to do is relocate to Palm Island and help save the turtles. I wish that real life were as easy to reconcile as that in this lovely book! Read it and enjoy.