Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade for the opportunity to read The Last Carolina Summer by Karen White.

Karen White is an author I have long admired. This on has a beautiful setting and interesting - if not always likeable - characters. It's also one of the most accurate, on-point, realistic portrayals of a parent slipping into dementia along with the emotions and reactions of the family I've ever read. There are scenes that are hard to read, but never gratuitous. I found it to be a powerful story.

When Phoebe was a child she was struck by lightning resulting in premonition dreams. Because of the same reoccuring premonition nightmare and the dysfunctional relationship with her mom and sister Phoebe lives on the other side of the country., the bonus being she doesn’t have the dreams there. But years later she’s forced home to deal with her mother who now has Alzheimer’s and Addie, her sister, who lives like an irresponsible 16 year old and keeps neglecting her 9 year old daughter. Phoebe becomes friends with Liam, her mom’s doctor and the one who saved her life as a child and his grandmother, Celeste, who’s grieving the disappearance of her granddaughter. They both quickly come to play important roles in Phoebe’s life.

The book is a character driven family drama. Addie the sister is obnoxious and annoying. Phoebe is alternatively, angry at how her sister shirks responsibilities causing serious consequences, and then forgiving her. White paints an accurate picture of someone with dementia and to me the mom is the most realistic character. The scene at the end of the book in the storm had me on the edge of my seat, the writing really portrayed the scariness, and drama. But there’s a lot of repetition in other parts of the writing, and we’re hit over the head with the same clue too many times, but it’s a good family story. The cover is wonderful.

Captivating story of generations of one family trying to weather the storms of aging and dementia, with a few explosive family secrets exposed along the way.
MJPHILLIPS