Dorothea Benton Frank’s QUEEN BEE Will Have You Laughing, Crying and Sighing

QUEEN BEE byDorothea Benton Frank

When Dorothea Benton Frank writes a story the characters jump off the pages, come over to your house, open the front door and stay awhile. And you are oh so glad they did. Frank certainly creates that occurrence with her latest novel QUEEN BEE. She spins a glorious story of love and drama in the lowcountry that will have you laughing, crying and sighing for days.

The story concerns Holly Jensen, a single woman of thirty years of age who keeps waiting for her life to happen. She has a degree in education but she is still waiting for a job to appear at the local elementary school on Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina. Of course she really doesn’t have time to teach as she is the basic caregiver for her mother, who isn’t really ill but loves nothing better than a good sickness. Her only sibling, Leslie, married a man named Charlie and moved up north somewhere.

Also occupying her time are her bee hives`. She dearly loves her bees and many of her friends and acquaintances love their honey. Holly talks to her bees and she is sure they listen. One thing she talks to them about is Archie, the widower across the street. His wife was killed in a car wreck ands her heart goes out to Archie and his two small sons Hunter and Tyler. Holly finds herself wishing Archie would see her as more than a friend and babysitter, and also a potential loving stepmother to his boys.

Meanwhile Leslie returns home due to some problems between her and Charlie. These problems branch off as a side story to Holly’s. It doesn’t take up as much space in the book but it does make an impact. Eventually the two stories are joined with some unexpected results.

Dorothea Benton Frank writes with her heart. She creates characters we have to love and puts them in situations which will pull on our heartstrings until are they tight enough to burst. It might be misconstrued as not a compliment to say she writes warm and fuzzy at times but it is meant as praise. In QUEEEN BEE when she describes the relationship between Holly and Archie’s two sons it is definitely warm and fuzzy time for me.

And I can not end this review without saluting the Dorothea Benton Frank brand of humor. The woman is a hoot. If she doesn’t have you laughing out loud by the end of the first chapter then you have no funny bone. Of course it isn’t long until she has you crying too.

It should also be stated QUEEN BEE has the most beautiful cover of any of the summer books thus far. So hats off to Dorothea Benton Frank, the Queen Bee of the lowcountry writers. Just read QUEEN BEE and you will know exactly what I mean.

QUEEN BEE is published by William Morrow. It contains 432pages and sells for $27.99.

Jackie K Cooper

www.jackiekcooper.com