On Folly Beach

Emma Hamilton has not only lost her husband but her way. Wrapped in her grief, she's stumbling through her life unsure as to what course to take. Her mother suggests she purchase a small bookstore On Folly Beach to ease some of the grief and help her find a purpose. After a little resistance Emma takes her mother's suggestion, only to become embroiled in drama, both decades old and modern when she meets her landlord Heath and his family.

Back of the Book:
To most people, Folly Beach is simply the last barrier island before reaching the great Atlantic. To some, it's a sanctuary for lost souls, which is why Emmy Hamilton's mother encourages her to buy the local book store, Folly's Finds, hoping it will distract Emmy from the loss of her husband. Emmy is at first resistant. So much has already changed. But after finding love letters and an image of a beautiful bottle tree in a box of used books from Folly's Finds, she decides to take the plunge. But the seller insists on one condition: Emmy must allow Lulu, the late owner's difficult sister, to continue selling her bottle trees from its back yard. For the most part Emmy ignores Lulu as she sifts through the love letters, wanting to learn more. But the more she discovers about the letters, the more she understands Lulu. As details of a possible murder and a mysterious disappearance during WWII are revealed, the two women discover that circumstances beyond their control, sixty years apart, have brought them together, here on Folly Beach. And it is here that their war-ravaged hearts can find hope for a second chance...

My Thoughts:
Seriously, THANK GOD I was trapped on an airplane or else I may never have gotten through. Personally I hate books that jump back and forth from one time to another. It's too many stories to get through. One story- I want to follow one main character all through the story. Is it because I know the characters from the past time are dead??? Hmmm, something to think about.

While Emma's recovery is at the heart of On Folly Beach, most of the book is centered on the lives of three women who lived on Folly Beach during WWII; Margaret, Cat and Lulu. Cat was the femme fatale of her time. Beautiful and spoiled, she understood her power over men and would use it to get what she wanted. And she wanted everything, especially if it wasn't hers. Maggie the long-suffering cousin seemed doomed to always come in last, until she decides to finally take what is hers. Lulu, at nine, watches all the drama unfold, helpless to stop the actions of those around her or the consequences.

Good amount of mystery throughout the novel, however I could see the gist of the ending a mile before we landed and I turned that last page. While I didn't enjoy the frog-jumping through time, I do have to say I enjoyed Karen White's basic writing style so much so I did pick up her next book. Worth reading especially if you like a little Desperate Housewives sprinkled in with your history.