All The Single Ladies by Dorothea Benton Frank

All The Single Ladies

Dorothea Benton Frank just gets better and better. What better way to spend the summer than reading a down-to-earth novel that takes place near and in Charleston, South Carolina, mostly on Isle of Palm!

Ladies, it’s summertime on the Isle of Palm just off the coast of Charleston. The tea is sweet and iced just the way we like it. The beaches are warm and sunny, and ready for walking. And ALL THE SINGLE LADIES, by Dorothea Benton Frank, is bound to have you putting your feet up, your glasses on the edge of your nose, and your attention all in.

What do three middle-aged women and a 99-year-old woman have in common? At first, seemingly only the death of a friend. But look closer. Come on in. Enter their worlds. And, hey, did I mention the cute little dog? Her name is Pickle, and she may just steal the show.

Lisa St.Clair meets Carrie and Suzanne at Kathy’s funeral. Kathy was Lisa’s favorite patient. Lisa nursed Kathy through her devastating bout with terminal cancer.  What seemed to be such a horribly somber occasion turned out to be the meeting of the minds of friends. Not only that, a love interest is in the crowd. But more of that in the story. Carrie and Suzanne live with Suzanne’s ninety-nine-year-old grandmother, Miss Trudie, in Miss Trudie’s old cottage on Isle of Palm.

Lisa has more troubles than you can shake a stick at. She’s divorced and a single mother.  She’s estranged  from her only child, a daughter who’s made an unlikely career choice. She’s had her hours cut at her work. And she’s about to loose her rental. But she’s got a cute little Westie named Pickle that everyone loves. She’s about to hook up with three women who will change her life.

When the “girls” stop by their deceased friend’s apartment to pick up her few belongings they encounter “the landlord”, a woman who is evil personified. All of a sudden the novel becomes a mystery as we wonder if this landlord is the thief she seems to be… and the plot thickens.

I love the way Frank writes. I can relate to it. As a woman past fifty myself, and someone who has lived in the south much of my life, I can identify with so much in this book. Frank does not candy- coat anything. When she says Lisa is living dangerously by leaving the house with the dryer going, I get it! She speaks of Miss Trudie making herself a cream cheese and olive sandwich for supper: I get it.

And what is that in Miss Trudie’s cocktail hour libation? A tall water or a tall gin? And a side of olives. I want to grow up to be like Miss Trudie. She’s still reading, eating great food, and enjoys her afternoon happy hour, all while living on one of the prettiest islands in the world.

I often speak of sense of place while reviewing a book.  Frank’s sense of place is simply amazing. I have visited Isle of Palm, Charleston, and Sullivan’s Island. She has so captured this southern atmosphere that you are quickly transported into their paradise on earth.

This is an important book about women’s friendship. This is what real friendship is. Bone on bone honesty and stepping up to help each other. Miss Trudie steals the show along with what may be the cutest dog ever.  There are even a couple of charming southern men. Nice guys.

Dorothea Benton Frank is the New York Times best selling author of sixteen novels.  She’s the real deal. She writes with whimsy and wit. And she knows all about South Carolina.

Dorothea Benton Frank

I hope you will enjoy ALL THE SINGLE LADIES, by Dorothea Benton Frank, as much as I have. My finished copy came from Harper Collins in exchange for an honest review. Thanks guys.