Last Light Over Carolina

by Mary Alice Monroe

Book Overview

Last Light Over Carolina Every woman in the sultry South Carolina low country knows the unspoken fear that clutches the heart every time her man sets out to sea. Now, that fear has become a terrible... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1416549706
• ISBN13: 9781416549703
• Release Date: July 2009
• Publisher: Gallery Books
• Length: 369 Pages
• Weight: 1.23 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.4" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Loved It!!!!!

I love the characters. What a heartfelt story. My daughter just finished it and went around to each family member and kissed and hugged us!!! It certainly makes us appreciate our loved ones. kg

VERY ENJOYABLE READ!

This is a learning experience with the interesting backdrop of a shrimper way of life from all angles. I could smell the shrimp! This would not be my choice of a way to make a living but I enjoyed the storyline around it. This is a satisfying insight into relationships and all facets of love. A lot of problems are dealt with with great wisdom. Mary Alice Monroe certainly did her homework for this one! This was my first Monroe book but it won't be my last! I recommend highly!!! Another terrific book I enjoyed lately and one that I think would make a beautiful movie is EXPLOSION IN PARIS, by Pirrung The wonderful reviews hooked ME!! Also, THE LOST HOURS and WHISTLING IN THE DARK are two more that inspired me.

Great book. Didn't want it to end.

I know this is going to sound silly, but I so enjoyed reading this book, that I would only read 2 or 3 chapters at a time, not because that's all I could tolerate, but the book was so good that I wanted it to last a while. The story was full of inspiration, truth and desperation such as we know in today's world. The characters were true to themselves, well-fleshed out and very human. The story had two time-lines, one day in 2008 and what is going on with the main characters, Bud and Carolina on that day and flashbacks in the lives of Bud, Carolina and their families and friends. Really a great book. Highly suggest it for a reader who enjoys a well-written story. I loved it.

A beautiful homage to lowcountry shirmpers

I first found out about this author when I ordered the wrong book. I meant to order The Beach House by James Patterson and instead ordered The Beach House by Mary Alice Monroe. She pulled me into that beautiful book and I've been a fan ever since. I also grew up near Charleston, so I'm familiar with the area and the traditions. She never ceases to make me remember something. This book was no different. From the talk of Hurricane Hugo (I was 14, it's been nearly 20 years, but I remember almost every detail of those 2 weeks of insanity after it hit) to her uncanny ability to make a specific place a character, she always brings me back. I now live in Austin and when I start to feel homesick, I know I can pick up her books and be there again. Her description of McClellanville, of the boats, of the smells, of the shrimp, of the people... they all draw you right back to the docks of the coast. The town and the boats - they all became vivid characters for me. I remember driving down to the docks and buying shrimp off the piers as a kid, I remember seeing the men unloading the haul. I remember seeing the boats trawling off of the coast while we were at the beach. My point? This woman has talent! The book itself is amazing. I found myself laughing, crying, wishing, being angry and then crying all over again. The storyline is a beautiful homage to the lives of the family of shrimpers. It's not an easy life and many don't end well. Bud and Carolina, Josh and Lizzy are proof of that. They are characters, but I bet there are people just like them that could attest to how difficult of a life it can be. The flashbacks were so well done, following Bud and Caroline's journey - it was the perfect way to do it. The ending left me scared until I realized there was another chapter (oh, thank goodness, there's that bow that I like my stories all tied up with!). Thank you, Ms. Monroe... for bringing me back to the lowcountry. My momma always taught me to be polite, so really - a heartfelt thank you for your writing. It never ceases to make me feel at home again.

Another winner from Monroe

I have followed Monroe's work for some years and have seen it deepen and mature from book to book. Her sense of place and relationships has always been sure and her depiction of the emotional states of her characters both sensitive and deft. With Last Light Over Carolina, Monroe once again draws attention to issues of vanishing resources and ways of life, describing the life of Shrimpers through both the female and male voice to great effect. She explores the differences between new love and a mature love with penetrating insight and brings each of her characters to a truer understanding of how they are complicit in their own downfall. There is greater suspense in this book about whether Bud and Carolina or Lizzy and Josh with their new-found understanding of themselves and their relationships will have an opportunity to change their lives. I think readers will find the conclusion to Last Light Over Carolina as emotionally satisfying and richly rewarding as the entire read. Pick it up, give it to a friend, tell others--you'll all be happy you did.