Queen Bee by Dorothea Benton Frank @DorotheaFrank ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

I have been a fan of Dorothea Benton Frank since I read her first book twenty years. When you start her books you know that you'll be back in the Lowcountry of South Carolina with a bunch of quirky characters and a great plot that will make you want to pack your bags and head to the beach.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

May 2019; William Morrow; 978-0062861214
audio, ebook, print (432 pages); southern fiction

Queen Bee has a dual meaning -- it's what sisters Holly and Leslie call their mother - a grouchy woman who has pretty much given up on life since her husband left her years ago. Even though Holly and Leslie are in their 30s, they are both struggling with their lives. Leslie lives with her husband in Ohio but when he tells her that he wants to perform as a drag queen, she is so upset that she returns home. Holly has stayed at home to take care of her mother. She has a crush on the man across the street and loves his children. She is also a beekeeper who talks to her bees (the other reference of the title) and her bees seem to listen to her. Her life is on hold - she is waiting for a job to teach at the elementary school, she spends a lot of time with her neighbor's two sons and she takes care of her mother even though her mother doesn't appreciate what all she does. When Leslie comes home, the dynamics in the household change considerably and begin to move the three women out of the ruts that have become their lives.

There are two other important parts of the book that I need to mention - one is the setting. The Lowcountry area of SC is described so beautifully and life on Sullivan's Island sounds wonderful. The other is the mention of the food that is cooked - fried chicken and green beans and lots of cakes and most important of all gallons of sweet tea are consumed throughout the book.

I really enjoyed the characters who felt like people that I know in my life. I especially liked Holly and all of the changes that she made throughout the book. I also enjoyed learning more about bees and beekeeping in this book which is always interesting to me since we have beehives on our property (but I don't talk to the bees like Holly did)

This was a wonderful new Dottie Frank book to get the summer of 2019 started.

Buy Queen Bee at Amazon

About the Author

Dorothea Benton Frank is the New York Times bestselling author of ten novels.  Dottie, who was born and raised on Sullivan's Island in South Carolina, currently divides her time between South Carolina and New Jersey.

Connect with the author: website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram

My favorite books by Dorothea Benton Frank:
1. Sullivan's Island (1999)
2. Plantation (2001)
3. Isle of Palms (2003)
4. Shem Creek (2002)
5. Pawley's Island (2005)
6. Return to Sullivan's Island (2009)
7. Lowcountry Summer (2010)
8. Folly Beach (2011)
9. Bulls Island (2008)

Susan Roberts lives in North Carolina when she isn't traveling. She and her husband enjoy traveling, gardening and spending time with their family and friends. She reads almost anything (and the piles of books in her house prove that) but her favorite genres are Southern fiction, women's fiction, and thrillers. Susan is a top 1% Goodreads Reviewer. You can connect with Susan on Facebook, Goodreads, or Twitter. 

Get even more book news in your inbox, sign up today! Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.