All Summer Long by Dorothea Benton Frank

My first read of this author and I am so glad I got to her books finally.

The story is reminiscent of a lot of older people - who want to get back to their roots and then find themselves perplexed that things are not quite what they expected. We have Olivia and Nick moving back to Charleston - he is delighted that after fourteen years he is coming back. This was a promise he extracted from his wife that they will return. She is not so taken up with the move though she does keep her reservations to herself. It is not her place of birth, she is an urban being and delightful though Charleston is, she has her doubts as to living permanently there.

Side by side with this story is one hidden from Nick. Olivia has overextended herself in business and is now on the verge of bankruptcy. Unless she gets new clients and new projects they are done. Living the lifestyle they do they need it fast.

Another aspect of the story is the very hi fi lifestyle of Maritza and Bob. A taste of this is tempting and then you begin to think that private jets, unlimited champagne and private yachts with the attendant trimmings are very attractive to have as a lifestyle.

The different strands of the story eventually mesh but they are individual stories all separate and interesting on their own. The core is the subject of relationships - how people manage them, how we need them and what we do to keep them going.

The descriptiveness was amazing - not just the country around you but the places and people who occupied the story. Characterization was marvellous and you could from the descriptions imagine how each person stood in the story and their contribution to it.

This book was sent to me by Edelweiss.