Lagniappe Literature

Read from July 29 to August 08, 2014 — I own a copy

The Summer Wind is the second book in the Lowcountry Summer series. I enjoyed this book and would categorize it as one of those books one reads on a lazy, summer day. (In a hammock. There should be a hammock involved!) It is the perfect beach read because it is a story about a family of women, three sisters lured to the summer home of their grandmother, in the lowcountry of South Carolina. This book picks up exactly where the first, The Summer Girls, left off, without missing a beat. Mamaw, Marietta Muir, has called the girls home for the summer, hoping that three months on Sullivan's Island will reunite the sisters that were once so close but have now lost touch. The summer girls are Dora, Carson, and Harper. Rounding out this cast is Lucille, who has worked as Marietta's maid for fifty years, and is now considered a best friend, stand-in granny, and mentor. Things are cozy at Summer Breeze and the sisters are beginning to find comfort in the other. Dora and Harper, both standoff-ish with one another in the first book, are learning to communicate and are finding common interests. Carson, the free spirit of the bunch and my personal favorite, is still dealing with guilt associated from befriending a wild dolphin and ultimately causing the dolphin serious injuries. Carson takes her nephew, Nate, diagnosed with Asperger's, to Mote Marine in Florida, to overcome the guilt each shares for their part in the dolphin's accident. Carson must teach Nate the difference between interacting with wild dolphins and trained dolphins. Nate and Carson also visit a special friend at Dolphin Research Center. Nate comes alive when he is around the sea and the dolphins and he and his aunt share this special bond. While she and Nate are away in Florida, Dora is enjoying a bit of freedom from the responsibilities of motherhoood and is beginning to like the changes she is seeing in herself. Dora is also learning to let go of some of her controlling behaviors. Harper, the youngest, hasn't had a real story development but Monroe is starting to shed a bit more light on Harper's personality and upbringing. The girl that was so private and quiet in the first book is starting to come out of her shell and is also letting go of unnecessary things in her life. 

The Summer Wind can best be described as the story of sisters trying to find themselves and the ties that bind once again. It's about making the right choices and choosing one's path. Most importantly, It's about letting go and holding on to what matters most. 

I very much enjoyed all of these ladies. The Muir girls are friends I want to visit again and again. I'll be anxiously awaiting the final book in this trilogy. There's LOTS to be resolved. Nope! I can't tell you anymore because I don't want to give anything away. But one more thing: I did love that this book continued to tell the story of Delphine the dolphin, and I loved reading about Mote Marine and the Dolphin Research Center. Turns out, these are real places. Of course, Monroe used real places but the story is a fictional one. Loving dolphins the way I do, I was interested in learning more about each place. I think I'm going to become a member and make a contribution. If you could just see the dolphins sweet little faces...how can I not fall in love?! I've said it before, give me a book about the lowcountry and dolphins and I am hooked. 

*Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair review.