Book reviews

Shem Creek
Dorothea Benton Frank Book Review

Read a book review online (click here to search reviews)
Books Movies  
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Mystery/Thriller Literature Romance Biography Video
Dorothea Benton Frank Books
New book search
Dorothea Benton Frank Message Board
Get more information about this book
Plot Summary of Shem Creek
"

Berkley, Aug 2004
ISBN: 0425196089

Linda Breland flees New Jersey to come home to the Carolina Low Country because she worries about her two teen daughters and a cash shortage that would improve with a lower cost of living. It does not hurt her to also leave behind her former spouse Fred who she divorced five years ago and who is remarrying a younger woman.

Linda told her two children that they are going to her hometown area on a vacation failing to say that it is a permanent move. She figures she can deal with that problem after they settle in the area. Her older child Lindsey has fewer issues probably because she is going off to college in the fall. Her younger daughter Gracie struggles with the environmental change from the Exurbia wrong crowd that she hung with to rustification that is until she meets Alex, the son of Linda's boss.

SHEM CREEK, the latest Low Country drama is an enjoyable character study that predominantly looks deep into a mother and daughter relationship as each struggles to adjust to a radical change in lifestyle. Linda is an interesting lead protagonist as she is a steel magnolia with some northern brass; Gracie makes the tale with her Jersey Girl attitude crashing against the gentle Carolina sod. Though the action is limited, series fans and anyone who enjoys a slice of life family drama style will appreciate Dorothea Benton Frank's current Carolina comfy caper.

Harriet Klausner

"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Shem Creek
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book? - thoughtful
Time/era of story - present (2000-2010)
Family, struggle with Yes
Struggle with: - Daughter
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - wealthy
Age: - 40's-50's
Ethnicity/Nationality - White (American)
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - none

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - Southeast

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - no torture/death
Unusual Style: - a lot of stream of consciousness - No single main character?
Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript
Most similar books to Shem Creek
Breaking Her Fall by Stephen Goodwin
Summer Island by Kristin Hannah
Heather by Wells Earl Draughon
All Families Are Psychotic by Douglas Coupland
Kentucky Sunrise by Fern Michaels


Click here for more information about this book




Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
Three ways to search for Literature books!

1) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot or subplot below!

Animal story

Crime & Police story

Ethnic/regional/gender life

Exploring into the wild

Family, caring for ill

Family, loving relations

Family, struggle with

Internal struggle/realization?

Job/Profession/Status story

Kids growing up/acting up?

Political/social activism

Poverty, surviving

Pregnancy/Child rearing

Religion theme?

Romance/Romance Problems

Sports Story?

War/Revolt/Disaster on civilians



or 2) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
3) Even more search options available with a Detailed Booksearch (click here)

Use our site!
17 FREE Sci-Fi Ebooks!
FREE "How to be happy" Ebook!
Feedback


Most recent discussions:

General Book Talk
Book writing discussion
Off-topic message board
George W. Bush 2:32:02 AM
Anonymous 2:03:39 AM
Erin Hunters 9:00:01 PM
Betty Mahmoody 6:00:22 PM
Judith McNaught 11:55:44 AM
Iris Johansen 9:03:43 PM
Norah Lofts 1:11:37 PM
Jane Rubino 9:32:45 AM
Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twersky 11:28:51 PM
Faye Kellerman 12:37:41 AM
LaVyrle Spencer 7:25:23 PM
Robert James Waller 8:30:15 PM
Suzanne Weyn 12:50:03 AM
Deric Longden 2:54:11 PM
Wilma Counts 1:23:32 PM
Kin Platt 12:58:29 AM
Lilian Jackson Braun 10:05:52 PM
G.A. McKevett 10:03:31 PM
David Williams 10:03:01 PM
Steven Pressfield 10:02:30 PM

More message boards