Narrator Shannon McManus performs this Lowcountry story about three women, each on the brink of change. Holly raises bees while waiting for a teaching position to open up at the local elementary school, Leslie has moved back home because her marriage is in trouble, and their mother—referred to as the Queen Bee—is starting to have health issues. Although generally engaging, the performance would have benefited from more sharply distinguished voices to make the dialogue easier to follow. But McManus’s hint of a Southern accent helps ground the audiobook to the Sullivan Island setting, and her lively delivery amplifies the humor and drama that ensue after the women, reunited under one roof, attempt to sort out their love lives, their family dynamics, and their futures. C.B.L. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
Queen Bee: Lowcountry Tales
Narrated by Shannon McManus
Dorothea Benton FrankUnabridged — 10 hours, 8 minutes
Queen Bee: Lowcountry Tales
Narrated by Shannon McManus
Dorothea Benton FrankUnabridged — 10 hours, 8 minutes
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Overview
Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of New York Times best-selling author Dorthea Benton Frank's Carolina Lowcountry in this evocative tale that returns at long last to her beloved Sullivan's Island.
Beekeeper Holly McNee Kensen quietly lives in a world of her own on Sullivan's Island, tending her hives and working at the local island library. Holly calls her mother "The Queen Bee" because she's a demanding hulk of a woman. Her mother, a devoted hypochondriac, might be unaware she's quite ill, but that doesn't stop her from tormenting Holly. To escape the drama, Holly's sister, Leslie, married and moved away, wanting little to do with island life. Holly's escape is to submerge herself in the lives of the two young boys next door and their widowed father, Archie.
Her world is upended when the more flamboyant Leslie returns and both sisters, polar opposites, fixate on what's happening in their neighbor's home. Is Archie really in love with that awful ice queen of a woman? If Archie marries her, what will become of his little boys? Restless Leslie is desperate for validation after her imploded marriage, squandering her favors on any and all takers. Their mother ups her game in an uproarious and theatrical downward spiral. Scandalized Holly is talking to her honey bees a mile a minute, as though they'll give her a solution to all the chaos. Maybe they will.
Queen Bee is a classic Lowcountry Tale, warm, wise, and hilarious, roaring with humanity and a dropperful of whodunit added for good measure by an unseen hand. In her 20th novel, Dorothea Benton Frank brings us back to her beloved island with an unforgettable story where the Lowcountry magic of the natural world collides with the beat of the human heart.
Editorial Reviews
05/27/2019
Bestseller Frank (By Invitation Only) shows off her formidable storytelling chops and her gift for creating memorable characters in this quirky and delightful Southern tale. Holly McNee Jensen, a teacher and beekeeper also caring for her demanding hypochondriac mother (whom she refers to as the Queen Bee), is marking time on tiny Sullivan’s Island, S.C. She falls hard for her widower neighbor, Archie MacLean, and his two sweet young sons, Tyler and Hunter, and all’s seemingly going well until Holly’s much-cosseted sister, Leslie, comes home, having left her husband over his penchant for crossdressing. Chaos reigns. Leslie and the Queen Bee travel to Las Vegas, and Holly gets a rude awakening when Archie marries someone else. In the end, Holly learns that happily-ever-after can come in the most unexpected of circumstances. A colorful supporting cast rounds out the story. Full of Low Country flavor and brilliantly imagined characters, this laugh-out-loud-hilarious novel with a wistful edge will satisfy anyone who wants to see flawed people getting second chances. Agent: Suzanne Gluck, William Morris Endeavor. (June)
“Queen Bee is a warm, wise and hilarious tale with a pinch of whodunit.”
Anyone who is lucky enough to have a strong group of girlfriends will relate to this fun beach read.
What do you get when you combine family drama, eccentric characters and the unmistakable Lowcountry landscape? A Dorothea Benton Frank novel.
If I could only read one writer from now until the end of my life, it would be Dorothea Benton Frank.
There must be something in the sea air and coastal breezes that infuses the language of Lowcountry authors such as Frank with full, lush, evocative word paintings.
Frank’s wit permeates her social media...and infuses By Invitation Only...
Dorothea Benton Frank tells it like it is. She brings out the complexity in every character. Though they face disillusionment and heartache, they also display an optimistic and humorous side, making them more human.
If I could only read one writer from now until the end of my life, it would be Dorothea Benton Frank. Her whip-smart, deliciously wicked novels provide an emotional rollercoaster ride that’s as thrilling the twentieth time as the first.
Praise for Dorothea Benton Frank: “Dottie Frank’s books have the fizz of a gin and tonic, the hilarity of a night out at a comedy club and the warmth of a South Carolina sun. Dip in, dive in, but no matter how you go, you’ll love her.
Dottie Frank’s books are sexy and hilarious. She has staked out the lowcountry of South Carolina as her personal literary property.
[T]he queen of sassy Southern fiction.
...Frank, as usual, knows what she is doing...Frank reminds us of the beauty in two very different families becoming one.
...in this glitzy exploration of the bonds of love, marriage, friendship, and loyalty...Frank will please fans of Elin Hilderbrand and Nancy Thayer.
Something about her novels just seems to say summer.
Worlds collide in this funny, sharp, empathetic novel about what happens when two very different families are forced to become one.
This warmhearted tale will make you laugh and encourage you to hug your own loved ones a little closer.
[T]his Southern island story is a perfect accompaniment to a tall glass of icy sweet tea.
12/01/2018
Holly lives quietly on Sullivan's Island, tending bees, tolerating her demanding mother, and helping widowed Archie next door with his two small boys. Then her over-the-top sister arrives, on the cusp of divorce and suddenly interested in Archie. With a 250,000-copy first printing.
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940173668363 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | HarperCollins Publishers |
| Publication date: | 05/28/2019 |
| Series: | Lowcountry Tales , #13 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
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