Book Review – Dear Carolina

 

 

MothersketchingBefore the review, I do want to wish all mothers a wonderful Mother’s Day. I hope your celebration is filled with great fun, as mine will be. I’m remembering my mother today with one of my favorite pictures of her. We loved to sketch, and here she is at the lake intent on her drawing. Miss you, Mom.

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dear carolina coverDear Carolina

Kristy Woodson Harvey
File Size: 931 KB
Print Length: 309 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0425279987
Publisher: Berkley (May 5, 2015)
Sold by: Penguin Group (USA) LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B00O2BS3KW
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 BOOK BLURB:

One baby girl.
Two strong Southern women.
And the most difficult decision they’ll ever make.
Frances “Khaki” Mason has it all: a thriving interior design career, a loving husband and son, homes in North Carolina and Manhattan—everything except the second child she has always wanted. Jodi, her husband’s nineteen-year-old cousin, is fresh out of rehab, pregnant, and alone. Although the two women couldn’t seem more different, they forge a lifelong connection as Khaki reaches out to Jodi, encouraging her to have her baby. But as Jodi struggles to be the mother she knows her daughter deserves, she will ask Khaki the ultimate favor…Written to baby Carolina, by both her birth mother and her adoptive one, this is a story that proves that life circumstances shape us but don’t define us—and that families aren’t born, they’re made.

REVIEW:

Dear Carolina is a wonderful love story – that of a mother and child, which is perhaps the strongest bond we form. The circumstances of life that entwine all the characters are quite unusual, but the strength of Kristy’s writing makes it all believable. While reading the story, I was vested in these people as if they were my own family. I shared the ups and downs, anxious to see how problems resolved and relationships danced together.

The story is written in alternating points of view from the two central characters, Jodi and Khaki, and the voices are distinct and well done. On some levels I related more to Jodi, a serious gardener and someone who puts up the fruits of her labors – perhaps because I, too, love to garden and came up rather hard. Khaki came from a more affluent background that I’ve never experienced first hand. Still, she is a great character, as are her husband and Buddy, the farmhand who becomes a love interest for Jodi. Khaki is smart and funny, and I cheered for her support of Jodi.

I am a huge fan of women’s fiction, especially books that celebrate strong women, and Jodi and Khaki are definitely strong women. I applaud Kristy for writing such a touching story.

One of my other favorite authors, Eileen Goudge, had this to say about the book, “DEAR CAROLINA is Southern fiction at its best….Beautifully written.”

I agree. This is a book to be savored over time, perhaps while sitting on a veranda and sipping a chilled glass of sweet tea. A highly recommended read.

Dear Carolina is available at the following retailers:

BARNES AND NOBLE | INDIEBOUND | BOOKS A MILLION | AMAZON | POWELLS | TARGET | iTUNES | GOOGLE PLAY | KOBO

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kristy Woodson Harvey is a born-and-bred North Carolina girl who loves all four seasons—especially fall in Chapel Hill, where she attended college, and summer in Beaufort, where she and her family spend every free moment. The author of Dear Carolina and Lies and Other Acts of Love, Kristy is also the founder of the popular interior design blog Design Chic. You can follow Kristy on her website – Facebook Twitter and Pinterest She can also be found on Instragram as  @kristywharvey

 

 Dear Carolina giveaway 2TERRIFIC PRIZES!
To celebrate the book launch, there is a $1,000 Shop Design Chic Shopping Spree that one lucky person can win.  (www.shopdesignchic.com) To enter: Send proof of purchase of Dear Carolina (photos are fine!) to readdearcarolina@gmail. Every book is an extra entry!
Also receive a free e-copy of the Dear Carolina Companion cookbook, full of favorite Southern recipes from renowned bloggers and family members, and Dear Carolina printable quotes just for entering!

7 thoughts on “Book Review – Dear Carolina”

  1. One nice thing about being so far being schedule is I’m getting to see what people post on days other than Wednesday or Thursday. Although I kinda missed seeing Slim, I enjoyed your review. And I love the picture of your mom.

    1. Maryann Miller

      Glad you could stop by, Linda, and thanks for the nice compliment on my mother’s picture. I sure missed her today. Hope you had a good Mother’s Day.

  2. Thank you so much for this gorgeous review, Mary Ann! I appreciate it so much!! Love this picture of your sweet mom too. You must be very multi-talented to write and draw! Happy Mother’s Day, and much love to you. Hope it was a great day! xo Kristy

    1. You are welcome, Kristy. I think everyone has multiple talents and they all help us maintain a high level of creativity. Hope your blog tour has been fun, and I am so pleased to feature you and your book.

  3. Pingback: Meet Kristy Woodson Harvey | It's Not All Gravy

  4. Pingback: Strong Women in Fiction | It's Not All Gravy

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