Summer. Salads. Beach.
This time Brittany hosted our book club meeting. She chose On Folly Beach by Karen White. We were to bring summer salads.
On Folly Beach is about two women. One who lived in South Caroline in the 1940's and another who lived in Indiana in 2009.
After the death of her husband, Emmy moves to Folly Beach to start over. She purchased a bookstore, Folly's Finds and discovers books with hidden love notes. Curious as to who wrote these and the story behind them, Emmy seeks to uncover the secret of the past.
Maggie, who lost her first love to her cousin Cat, is the practical one of the family. Despite all the mistreatments Cat inflicts upon her, Maggie refuses to cast her away (due in part to a promise she made to her mother before her death). Now it's just the three of them, Maggie, Cat and Lulu (Maggie's young sister). Things looked very bleak in their lives as rumors of German U-boats sinking American ships not far from the home shore invades their small existence. However, the star of fate shone favorable upon Maggie at last. She meets an interesting, yet reserved man by the name of Peter. They fall in love and Maggie is so happy. But the happiness is short-lived when Cat announces that she's pregnant...with Peter's child.
Can the past bring closure and healing to Emmy who clings to the memory of her deceased husband? Or are some stories better left undiscovered?
Folly Beach was an easy read. An easy summer read. No contemplation required.
"On Folly Beach is a heartbreaking novel on many levels and yet hopeful and inspiring at the same time. Beautifully rich in local and historical detail, each character is meticulously developed, relinquishing the very essence of their souls. Captivated from the start, I found this tale breathtaking. This is truly Karen White at her best." - WendiB on barnesandnobel.com
On a scale of 5 stars I give it a 2.
The cast of characters are colorful. There is a plot, and an intriguing one; yet, I find that the telling of the story did not captivate me. The dialogue was very dry. The descriptions did not pull me into the place. There wasn't a character who I would champion.
I was looking more into how the story was told, the techniques the author employed. When she didn't inspire me, then neither did the story.
All in all, it is very enjoyable to gather with other members of the book club. This night we had a new member attend. Welcome, Misty! And we attempted to come up with a name for our club. Going on three years and we remain still a nameless group.
"The Page Turners." Sounds old and retired.
"The Apple Page Turnovers." Wanted to incorporate how we involve food/cooking with our club. Cute but not unanimously liked.
"Food for Thought." Ehh...
By the end of the evening, after our strawberry shortcakes we parted good-night...still nameless.
Our hostess
Our leader sporting a new hair-do
...with a newcomer!
Not usually one to shy away from pictures but...
Salads have arrived...
The spread...
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