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The  Summer's EndHave you ever come to the last few chapters of a great book and read more slowly? You know, a couple pages one day, a couple more the next day in an effort to stretch out the story?

That’s the way I finished “The Summer’s End” by Charleston author Mary Alice Monroe. This book is the last in her Lowcountry trilogy. I quickly read through the first two books, “The Summer Girls” and “The Summer Wind,” because I knew another book was coming. But now, in this final story, it was going to be tough to part ways with these three sisters and their grandma. We’d gone through a lot together!

I was entrenched in this storyline from the first book and invested in what happened to the characters. So how would it all end? I’m happy to say this final book didn’t disappoint.

As the summer does come to a close, the family’s beloved Sullivan’s Island home – Sea Breeze – is about to be sold. The three half-sisters who came together at the beginning of the summer have bonded, grown and discovered parts of themselves they never knew existed.

The first book focused largely on Carson’s story, the second on Dora and now, this third book, gives us a deeper look at the youngest sister, Harper. Over the course of the summer, Harper finds the strength to release herself from her mother’s controlling grip while embarking on an exciting new professional venture. Harper matures, grows and finds out what it means to be truly loved.

“The Summer’s End” is a heartwarming story and a must-read beach book. Monroe eloquently describes the captivating essence of the South Carolina Lowcountry. You can practically hear the roll of the ocean waves and smell the pluff mud.

Also an avid conservationist, Monroe closes out the story of Delphine, a dolphin who befriended Carson and her family early in the summer but was rushed to a medical facility in Florida after getting tangled in fishing line. Delphine’s story is a reminder that wildlife a just that: wild. They should be admired from the shoreline.

If you haven’t read the first two books in this trilogy, go ahead and pick up copies so you can be ready for the release of “The Summer’s End” on May 19 (Gallery Books; $16).

Learn more about Mary Alice Monroe and her other books, plus check out her book release events scheduled for areas all around the South this summer.

~ Holly Fisher, Traveler of Charleston editor

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