The Beach House [Paperback]

Mary Alice Monroe (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2006

Known for her moving characters and emotional honesty, Mary Alice Monroe brings readers a beautifully rendered story that explores the fragile yet enduring bond between mothers and daughters.

Carette Rutledge thought she'd left her Southern roots and troubled family far behind. But an unusual request from her mother -- coming just as her own life is spinning out of control -- has Cara heading back to the scenic Lowcountry of her childhood summers. Before long, the rhythms of the island open her heart in wonderful ways as she repairs the family beach house, becomes a bona fide "turtle lady" and renews old acquaintances with her mother that she will earn life's most precious lessons -- true love involves sacrifice, family is forever and the mistakes of the past can be forgiven.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

After losing her high-powered advertising job in Chicago, Caretta Rutledge grudgingly returns to her low-country roots at her mother's behest. Cara has long resented her mother, who focused her maternal efforts more on looking after the annual loggerhead turtle spawn than on protecting herself and her children from their abusive father. But when Cara learns that her mother is ill, she must lay her bitterness aside and try to make amends. Cara starts by restoring her mother's small beach house and joining the same turtle brigade she resented while growing up. In the process, she reconnects with an old friend and finds love in the arms of a local boat owner and naturalist. This poignant read won't disappoint fans of so-called "Southern Fiction"; the South, which represents both poison and tonic, is eloquently portrayed here, and its healing properties inevitably come to the fore. Just enough information about the loggerhead turtles and their spawning cycle opens each chapter, swiftly engaging the reader from the outset, and all of the integral characters are richly developed. With its evocative, often beautiful prose and keen insights into family relationships, Monroe's latest (following The Four Seasons) is an exceptional and heartwarming work of fiction that is bound to please fans of women's fiction and romances alike.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

". . . beautiful prose and keen insights into family relationships . . . exceptional and heartwarming work of fiction." -- Publishers Weekly

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Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Mira (May 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0778322947
• ISBN-13: 978-0778322948
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (80 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #133,175 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mary Alice Monroe is known for her intimate portrayals of women's lives and for drawing parallels with nature and human nature. An active environmentalist, she draws on her own experiences to bring to life the seductive southern coastline and her home--the sea, marshes, and maritime forests of the South Carolina low country.

Mary Alice wrote non-fiction and was teaching English when she was sent to bed for months during a pregnancy. Recognizing it was a gift of time, she wrote and wrote. "I gave birth to a baby and a book." She is currently writing her thirteenth novel.

Mary Alice has served on the faculty of numerous writer's conferences and retreats and is a frequent speaker. Her books have achieved several best seller lists, including SIBA, USA Today, and the NY Times. Her first children's book received several awards, including the ASPCA Henry Bergh award. In 2008 Monroe was awarded the SC Center for the Book Award for Fiction.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

57 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth 10 Stars-GREAT SUMMER READING, June 22, 2002

By 

Kim K. (Bayonne, New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Beach House (Mass Market Paperback)

This is the first Mary Alice Monroe book I've ever read-and let me tell you I definitely plan to read her other works, too. From the very first page it's like the story and characters catch your attention right away. The info that heads each chapter regarding the sea turtles is actually quite interesting, and I was saddened to read at the end of the book how they are quickly becoming an endangered species. This story of how Cara Rutledge, after losing her job at a Chicago advertising firm, returns home to her mother's beach house in Isle of Palms, SC, is a very warm, touching one that explains how she finally bonds with her seriously ill mother-Olivia(Lovie)Rutledge, having left home at 18 due to constantly fighting with her father. Cara reconnects with her childhood best pal Emmi, plus finds true love when least expected. Lovie's houseguest(and caretaker)Toy Sooner is another memorable character-her initial meeting up with Cara is not a good one but soon the two of them learn to accept one another as well as become fast friends. This story is one you'll definitely remember long after the last page has been turned. Very highly recommended.

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it, loved it, loved it!!, June 24, 2002

By 

Love to read "sj" (Georgia, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Beach House (Mass Market Paperback)

It's not often that a book brings me to Amazon.com and makes me want to write a review. I read other reviews constantly, but I don't often write them. Well, I loved this book so much, I just had to share. I loved the whole beach theme, I loved learning about the loggerhead turtles and their significance to the story, I loved that Cara was not a whimp (especially when she confronts Richard towards to end), who could not love Brett???, I loved the way Mary Alice Monroe makes you feel you are right there on the beach and the way she makes you truly FEEL for these characters. I loved the way the author had several stories going on a once and concluded them all in a fine manner. This was a truly wonderful read and I highly recommend it - get lost in South Carolina on the Isle of Palms with the loggerhead turtles and some fine characters. ENJOY!!

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You Can Go Home Again, February 3, 2003

By 

Antoinette Klein (Hoover, Alabama USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Beach House (Mass Market Paperback)

If you left home at 18 because your father emotionally abused you and you hated your mother for not protecting you, should you go home again? If you find yourself at the height of your career in fast-paced Chicago, should you return to the laid-back life of the South Carolina low country? If your name is Cara Rutledge, the answer to both questions is yes. When Cara finds herself ousted from her ad agency position, her ongoing love affair not fulfilling, and nowhere else to turn, she reluctantly answers her mother's call to come for a visit.

The reader will be drawn immediately into this story mainly because of well-defined characters who tug at your heartstrings. From the headstrong yet vulnerable Cara to her terminally ill mother Lovie and the pregnant teenager Toy, readers will bond with these multi-faceted characters as they try to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives and each moves on with the support of the others.

This book is a great tribute to the eternal bond between mothers and daughters as it examines the actions that part us from our loved ones and the painful road back to rediscovering love. It is also a great love story as Cara finds her soulmate in the most unexpected place, her mother reveals a long-held secret love affair,and Toy faces some serious truths about the father of her unborn child. It is also a story about turtles. Yes, turtles. Specifically, the loggerhead turtles who travel hundreds of miles to hatch their young along the South Carolina coast each year. Even if you've never given the first thought to turtles, you will be captivated by the turtle trivia that fills this book.

I highly recommend you curl up in your favorite reading spot for a most enjoyable read about an unforgettable family. And don't forget the tissues.