Contemporary
Fiction
About the book:
Edisto Island was where it all came apart. Can the
Bennett girls ever be whole again?
Once, they were the happiest family under the sun,
crabbing and fishing and painting on beautiful Edisto Island in South
Carolina’s lowcountry.
Then everything went wrong, and twenty years later the
Bennett family is still in pieces. Mary Ellen still struggles to understand why
her picture-perfect marriage came apart. Daughter Meg keeps a death grip on her
own family, controlling her relationships at a distance. And eldest daughter,
Julia, left it all behind years ago, forging a whole new life as an artist and
academic in Manhattan. She’s engaged to an art dealer and has no intentions of
returning to Edisto. Ever.
Then an emergency forces Julia back to Edisto to care for
her three young half-siblings. She grudgingly agrees to stay a week. But
there’s something about Edisto that changes people. Can Julia and her fractured
family somehow manage to come together again under that low-hanging Edisto
moon?
About the author:
Website: www.bethwebbhart.com
Twitter: @bethwebbhart
Beth Webb Hart, a South Carolina native, holds a B.A. in
English Literature from Hollins College and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from
Sarah Lawrence College. Her first novel, Grace at Low Tide, was one of three
finalists for the 2006 Christy Awards in the general/contemporary/fiction
category. Her second novel, Adelaide Piper, was selected for Books-a-Million's
book club and for their national book of the month for December, 2006. Both
titles were included in the "Top 10 Christian Novels of 2006" by
Booklist, the American Library Association's review journal. Hart's third
novel, The Wedding Machine, became an ECPA best-seller in July of 2008.
Beth Webb lectures on a variety of topics and has taught creative writing on the college and high school level where she received two national awards from Scholastic, Inc. She lives with her husband, composer Edward Hart, and their children in Charleston, South Carolina where she teaches English and Creative Writing at Ashley Hall.
My thoughts:
Life is messy and oftentimes the messiness inflicted on
you is the result of others’ actions. Several years before this story takes
place Julia’s father made a very messy decision. This decision shattered many
lives and the cracks kept appearing even after he was gone. His actions set
into motion repercussions for both of his families.
Julia has spent many years isolating herself from all of
the pain and mess of her family. But sometimes there are journeys that we need
to take. It may see as if we are doing something for someone else, but in the
end we are the ones that are blessed.
Beth Webb Hart has once again woven a southern gothic
dream (or is it nightmare) of a story. In this novel she allows her main
character Julia to face the worst type of betrayal. The situation will have you
yelling, NO NO NO…that’s not fair! But we all know that life isn't fair, it’s
about refinement.
I enjoyed the book so much. Coastal South Carolina is my
favorite place to be and Beth puts you right there with the pluff mud between
your toes and the salty breezes in your hair. After reading it someone asked me
if it was a happy ending. I had to respond that I don’t really know. It wasn't what Julia had planned, but it was definitely what God had intended all along. It’s
a story that leaves you speculating about what all of their lives were like ten
years down the road. My bet is that there are lingering consequences but most
days are happily ever after. This book is definitely worth purchasing and
savoring and then passing along to many others.
Giveaway:
One reader will win a copy of Moon Over Edisto by Beth Webb Hart. Open to US 18+ only. Giveaway will end on 03/19/2013 at 1 am EST. Fill out the GT Form below to be entered!
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This looks like a great book. I have not read anything by Beth before so this would be a good place to start. Ü
ReplyDeletecindialtman(at)gmail(dot)com
If you win this you are in for a real treat. Definately a top 10 for me!
DeleteFitzysmom
Myself. I love to read and discover new to me authors!
ReplyDeleteEllie...Beth Webb Hart is an author worth discovering! You're going to want to read all of her books.
DeleteFitzysmom