Since the first man picked up a weapon against another, and in times of war, the strength and courage of women always manages to shine through in the face of tragedy.
In her latest book, “On Folly Beach,” author Karen White brings a story of two grieving women who are struggling in times of war, albeit sixty years apart, and how they find the strength and courage to carry on their lives after the loss of their beloveds.
In 2009, Emmy Hamilton is mourning the loss of her young husband who had died in the Iraq/Afghanistan war. When her mother suggests that a change of location to her childhood hometown of Folly Beach, South Carolina where she might buy and run the town bookstore, Folly’s Finds, might be the ticket for moving on with her life, Emmy is reluctant to leave her familiar surroundings.
But when a mysterious box of books from Folly’s arrives, Emmy is intrigued by a series of messages she finds left and written in the old books, plus the picture of an old-time bottle tree much like the one her mother owned. So she decides to pack up and give Folly Beach a try if only to solve the mystery of the love letters.
In 1942 Maggie O’Shea has her hands full with running the family general store/bookstore Folly Finds, raising her little sister Lulu, and comforting and keeping out of trouble her recently widowed cousin Catherine. Catherine’s husband Jim had been killed at Pearl Harbor, and the 19-year old widow was anxious to move on with her life, and dragging Maggie with her. When Maggie meets a mysterious young man, Peter Nowak, at a town dance, she is mesmerized by the attention he showers upon her. As their attraction grows, Maggie never realizes that Peter’s attentions made with nothing but love – a mistake she would soon realize much too late.
Present-day Emmy meets Maggie’s sister, Lulu, now an elderly, cranky woman, when she moves to Folly Beach. Lulu, an artist known for her fascinating bottle trees, keeps her studio outside of Folly’s Finds, and as Emmy tries to unravel the mystery of the love letters, she finds Lulu just might be a great source of information about the past and the meaning of the cryptic messages.
Karen White is known for her Southern-based fiction, and with “On Folly Beach” she delivers a down-home story that weaves the lives of two women, separated by decades, but with similar tragic events that changed their lives forever. Heartwarmingly tender, with a bit of mystery and intrigue, and the feel of the Carolina ocean breezes, “On Folly Beach” makes the perfect summertime reading choice.
I received a review copy of "On Folly Beach" from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated for my opinion.
I received a review copy of "On Folly Beach" from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated for my opinion.
