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The Beach House
Mary Alice Monroe Book Review

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Plot Summary of The Beach House
"

Mira, May 2002, 6.50, 416 pp.
ISBN: 1551668998

Cara Rutledge may start believing bad things do come in threes. She lost her job; her boy friend knew she was unemployed before she did but failed to tell her making her wonder about their relationship; and her mother, needing to see her, asks Cara to return to South Carolina. Reluctantly, Cara decides to visit her mom Lovie, a card-carrying member of the Turtle Ladies.

In Isle of Palms, South Carolina Cara learns that her mom is dying. Still, the pending mortality fails to ease the acrimonious estrangement between mother and daughter that grew over the years faster than the cancer destroying Lovie's body. Time is running out and if this pair cannot reconcile their differences through their love for one another, both will go to their graves filled with regret.

THE BEACH HOUSE is a poignant contemporary tale that provides a deep message of the importance of forgiving in relationships before it is too late. The story line is loaded with angst and plenty of tears because the two women not only seem authentic, but also they feel like you and me as many readers have held grudges for years. Mary Alice Monroe turns up the passion and compassion with this plea of not to wait until its too late to reconciliate tale that requires a crate of tissues nearby.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of The Beach House
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book? - thoughtful
Time/era of story - present (2000-2010)
Family, caring for ill Yes
Who is sick? - Mother
because he/she is - physically ill
Internal struggle/realization? Yes
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Coping with loss of loved one(s) Yes
Loss of... - mother
Ethnic/regional/gender life Yes
Woman's story? Yes

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - unemployed
Age: - 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
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 - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - none

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 4 ()
United States Yes
The US: - Southeast

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
Unusual Style: - a lot of flashback and forwards - a lot of stream of consciousness
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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Mary Alice Monroe Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Susan Coffey  

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