Beach House Memories - by Mary Alice Monroe (Paperback)

About the Book

Monroe returns to her beloved South with a sequel to her hit "The Beach House." In 1974, America was changing, but Charleston remained eternally the same. Olivia had always done what was expected--marrying the son of a historic Charleston family, and turning over her fortune to his control. But one thing she steadfastly refuses to relinquish: her family's old seaside cottage.

Book Synopsis

Mary Alice Monroe, New York Times bestselling author of the Lowcountry Summer trilogy, returns to her beloved South with Beach House Memories, the sequel to The Beach House!

Autumn brings haunting beauty to the sun-soaked dunes on Isle of Palms, where Olivia "Lovie" Rutledge lives in her beloved Primrose Cottage. As the seasons change, Lovie remembers one special summer...

In 1974, America is changing, but Charleston remains eternally the same. When Lovie married aristocratic, well-connected businessman Stratton Rutledge, she turned over her fortune and fate to his control. But she refused to relinquish one thing: her family's old seaside cottage. Precious summers with her children on the barrier island are Lovie's refuge from social expectations and her overbearing husband's philandering. Here, she is the "Turtle Lady," tending the loggerhead turtles that lay their eggs in the warm night sand and then slip back into the sea.

Then, in the summer of '74, biologist Russell Bennett visits to research the loggerheads. Their shared interest brings them together, and soon it blooms into a passionate, profound love--forcing Lovie to face an agonizing decision. Stratton's influence is far-reaching, and if she dares to dream beyond a summer affair, she risks losing her reputation, her wealth, even her children.

This emotional tale of a strong woman torn between duty and desire, between tradition and change, is an empowering journey through the seasons of self-discovery. Until this autumn, this time of winds and tides, of holding on and letting go...

Review Quotes

"Magical! Mary Alice Monroe's writing is always sensitive and true, as inspiring as the natural wonder about which she writes."

--New York Times bestselling author Dorothea Benton Frank

"Mary Alice Monroe takes us back to the mid 1970's when sea turtle conservation was in its infancy. The efforts by "turtle lady" Lovie Rutledge to document the number of loggerhead nests each season on the Isle of Palms was largely unappreciated or even ridiculed by locals. Then a kindred spirit comes into her life and fills her with self-worth, resolve and bittersweet beach house memories. BEACH HOUSE MEMORIES is another in a remarkable trilogy that has increased sea turtle volunteerism and conservation efforts. I highly recommend it."

--Sally R. Murphy, DNR Sea Turtle Coordinator


"Monroe knows how to weave a tale and this is one of her very best. She creates vibrant characters [who] live and love in the paradise-like world of the South Carolina low country. It is a magical place in many ways, especially in the words with which Monroe describes it. Every summer deserves one book that is THE summer book, and for beach reading you couldn't make a better selection than this one. Mary Alice Monroe knows how to pull readers into this world instantly and keep them there till the very last word on the very last page."--The Huffington Post

"Monroe's usual resplendent storytelling shines even brighter in BEACH HOUSE MEMORIES, which offers startling insights into the intimate connection between nature and the human heart."

--New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan Henry

About the Author

Mary Alice Monroe is the New York Times bestselling author of twenty-seven books, including the bestselling The Beach House series. Monroe also writes children's picture books, and a middle grade fiction series called The Islanders. She is a member of the South Carolina Academy of Authors' Hall of Fame, and her books have received numerous awards, including the South Carolina Center for the Book Award for Writing; the South Carolina Award for Literary Excellence; the SW Florida Author of Distinction Award; the RT Lifetime Achievement Award; the International Book Award for Green Fiction; the Henry Bergh Children's Book Award; and her novel, A Lowcountry Christmas, won the prestigious Southern Prize for Fiction. The Beach House is a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, starring Andie MacDowell. Several of her novels have been optioned for film. She is the cocreator and cohost of the weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction. Monroe is also an active conservationist and serves on several boards. She lives on the South Carolina coast, which is a source of inspiration for many of her books.