Carolina in the Morning

"If you have never visited the Carolinas, this book will be second best to the visit plus it will encourage you to visit there in the now or the future. Also, the depiction of what life can be in the beaches of the Carolinas is so entreating and takes you away from the stressful, fast living pace of today's world. I highly reccomend this book; I found it difficult to say goodbye to the charactors."

Diane has done it again! "Carolina in the Morning" is a supremely readable volume, and it can be shared with the whole family! This warm, enthralling story of a small South Carolina town, characters with which any good Southerner can identify (I am a native Southerner), and several stories that are intertwined to show us how gracious, kind, and faithful God really is! Each of the scenes paint a picture of grace, even when we aren't expecting it! Rachel, Austin, Pastor Chuck, Jake and his wife Ellie, Randolph Young, Spence, Grandma Betsey, The Thurstons and the Adams--we all know folks just like these characters! These people have so intersected and intertwined our lives, that we are better, stronger people for them having done so. We see those fragrant, genteel traits and habits that so define what "character" really means in the life of a Christian. The hustle and bustle of the very real cities of Atlanta and Chicago didn't define the principal characters, Rachel and Austin--their personal values defined them. In a time when so many temporal things can "define" values, Diane's volume, Carolina in the Morning, will be a refreshing, and calming read for everyone in the family. This is a book for the entire family--a rarity indeed!

This book is well written with great details. I really felt like I was visiting my home state of SC with the descriptions of the tabby ruins, scenes in Charleston, the marshes, the low country boil, etc. She even includes a recipe for a low country boil. It is a popular seafood treat. The peaceful atmosphere and caring people in the small coastal SC town of Tabby Walk are a welcome change as Rachel leaves Chicago to vacation at her grandparent's beach house. To her surprise, she meets a man who is visiting from Atlanta to enjoy childhood memories of the small town. Although the vacation is short, they continue to see each other and fall in love. Rachel and Austin share Christian values. They reach out to others. One touching development is finding love letters written during the War between the States and their thoughtful efforts to locate the descendants. The author uses historically accurate details. I enjoyed the relaxed nature of the book. I prefer stories which don't scare me to death. If I want that, I can watch network news!