Dorothea Benton Frank (1951–2019)

Okay, who snuck in and planted listening devices in my house? I swear that somehow Ms. Frank has been listening in on comments made by my husband of 40 years and that's where she got the inspiration for this book. Not only is Wesley a bad imitation of my husband (all his faults but none of his virtues) but I actually believe that I have heard the same words attributed to Wesley come out of my husband's mouth.

This story was so much fun - I laughed so hard at times that I actually cried. I was show more proud of Leslie for standing up for herself and showing that it's never too late to stand up to a bully. show less

Dorothea Benton Frank is one of my favorite authors of the genre often called "Southern Fiction."  This one did not disappoint as a work of fiction.  I won't say I liked the main characters, and I certainly didn't like the early choices made by Leslie Anne Greene Carter, the protagonist, but once she escaped the bounds of a manipulative, selfish and thoroughly unlikeable husband, I found myself rooting for her to develop her backbone and stop being a doormat.

I'm of the same generation, show more background and education as Leslie Anne Carter, but I would never ever have put up with the demeaning life she endured married to Wes, skimping on spending, ignored in favor of the golf game, subjected to being introduced to her husband's friends' parade of Barbie Brides at the country club and treated like hired help in her own home. I was alternately cheering for her to tell him to pound sand and plant his golf clubs where the sun doesn't shine and hoping that perhaps the two of them would get counseling, that he would somehow be able to give up his obsession with golf, and they might be able to salvage their relationship.  The resolution the author allows at the end is one I found satisfying emotionally and should be one that most readers can accept.  I won't spoil your enjoyment by telling anymore.

It was an enjoyable read, very well done in the audio format by narrator Robin Miles. show less

Story centered spousal abuse.The Hurricane Sistersby Dorothea Benton Frank (Goodreads Author) 3.49   Rating Details   12,243 Ratings   1,475 ReviewsHurricane season begins early and rumbles all summer long, well into September. Often people's lives reflect the weather and The Hurricane Sisters is just such a story.Once again Dorothea Benton Frank takes us deep into the heart of her magical South Carolina Lowcountry on a tumultuous journey filled with longings, disappointments, and, show more finally, a road toward happiness that is hard earned. There we meet three generations of women buried in secrets. The determined matriarch, Maisie Pringle, at eighty, is a force to be reckoned with because she will have the final word on everything, especially when she's dead wrong. Her daughter, Liz, is caught up in the classic maelstrom of being middle-age and in an emotionally demanding career that will eventually open all their eyes to a terrible truth. And Liz's beautiful twenty-something daughter, Ashley, whose dreamy ambitions of her unlikely future keeps them all at odds.Luckily for Ashley, her wonderful older brother, Ivy, is her fierce champion but he can only do so much from San Francisco where he resides with his partner. And Mary Beth, her dearest friend, tries to have her back but even she can't talk headstrong Ashley out of a relationship with an ambitious politician who seems slightly too old for her.Actually, Ashley and Mary Beth have yet to launch themselves into solvency. Their prospects seem bleak. So while they wait for the world to discover them and deliver them from a ramen-based existence, they placate themselves with a hare-brained scheme to make money but one that threatens to land them in huge trouble with the authorities.So where is Clayton, Liz's husband? He seems more distracted than usual. Ashley desperately needs her father's love and attention but what kind of a parent can he be to Ashley with one foot in Manhattan and the other one planted in indiscretion? And Liz, who's an expert in the field of troubled domestic life, refuses to acknowledge Ashley's precarious situation. Who's in charge of this family? The wake-up call is about to arrive.The Lowcountry has endured its share of war and bloodshed like the rest of the South, but this storm season we watch Maisie, Liz, Ashley, and Mary Beth deal with challenges that demand they face the truth about themselves. After a terrible confrontation they are forced to rise to forgiveness, but can they establish a new order for the future of them all?Frank, with her hallmark scintillating wit and crisp insight, captures how a complex family of disparate characters and their close friends can overcome anything through the power of love and reconciliation. This is the often hilarious, sometimes sobering, but always entertaining story of how these unforgettable women became The Hurricane Sisters. show less

4.5 stars.

Queen Bee by Dorothea Benton Frank is an entertaining novel set in the South Carolina Low Country.

Holly McNee Jensen is a dutiful daughter to her demanding and insulting mother whom she and her sister, Leslie, refer to as the "Queen Bee". Holly is thirty years old, single and crushing on their widower neighbor, Archie MacLean. She is devoted to his young sons, Tyler and Hunter, a precocious pair who manage to steal every scene they appear in. Holly is patiently waiting for a show more teaching position to open up at the local elementary school but she keeps busy tending her bees and volunteering. Tired of always playing second fiddle to Leslie, she has decidedly mixed feelings about her sister's unexpected return when her marriage to Charlie hits a rough patch. Holly is further disappointed when Archie makes a shocking and unexpected decision. When Leslie and the Queen Bee head to Las Vegas to support Charlie's unanticipated career change, will Holly finally find her path to happiness?

Holly is a delightfully charming young woman with a big heart. She is a bit shy and lets life happen to her instead of forging her own path. She dearly loves Tyler and Hunter and she would like nothing better to be in a relationship with Archie. She is content to sit back and wait on him to ask her out when life hands her an unexpected blow. Despite her unhappiness with the situation, Holly is committed to protecting Tyler and Hunter but will Archie believe her concerns for his son?

Leslie is the complete opposite of Holly and she lives life out loud. She is a force to be reckoned with as she tries to come to terms with Charlie's shocking revelation. With the future of her marriage hanging in the balance, Leslie returns home and tries to figure out what comes next for her and her husband. Unexpectedly supportive of his unusual career, can Leslie and Charlie salvage their marriage?

Before Leslie's return, the Queen Bee aka QB whiles away her days languishing in bed and ordering Holly around. She treats Holly horribly while singing Leslie's praises. As soon as Leslie returns home, QB finds the wherewithal to rejoin life which is of course, quite hurtful to Holly. But since Holly is the forgiving kind, she welcomes the changes in QB and she is somewhat surprised when her mom becomes a little softer, kinder and more compassionate. Even more stunning is how quickly QB embraces helping Charlie as he embarks on a new career path. The QB is swept off her feet by a new man in her life but what will happen to their unanticipated relationship when she returns to Sullivan's Island?

Queen Bee is a truly captivating novel that is wickedly funny and stars an outrageously quirky but (mostly) likeable cast of colorful characters. The dialogue is pitch perfect with thought-provoking discussions and laugh out loud one-liners. Peppered with interesting honeybee facts, the storyline is absolutely compelling with heartfelt interactions. Sullivan's Island is the perfect setting for this marvelous novel and as always, Dorothea Benton Frank brings the Low Country vibrantly to life. This engaging story comes to a heartwarming conclusion that readers are sure to love. show less