That Last Carolina Summer by Karen White

That Last Carolina Summer by Karen White
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to Park Row and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
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As a child, Phoebe Manigault developed the gift of premonition after she was struck by lightning in the creek near her Charleston home. Plagued throughout her life by mysterious dreams, and always living in the shadow of her beautiful sister, Addie, Phoebe eventually moves to the West Coast, as far from her family as possible. Now, years later, she is summoned back to South Carolina, to help Addie care for their ailing mother.

As Phoebe’s return lures her back into deep-rooted tensions and conflicts, she is drawn to Celeste, whose granddaughter went missing years ago. Their connection brings comfort to Phoebe, while Celeste’s adult grandson Liam resurrects complicated emotions tied to Phoebe’s past.

But the longer Phoebe spends in her childhood home, the more her recurring nightmares intensify—bringing her closer to the shocking truth that will irrevocably change everything. Unfolding against the lush backdrop of the South Carolina Lowcountry, That Last Carolina Summer is an unforgettable story about the unbreakable bonds of family and the gift of second chances.
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What is there to say about Karen White? I have been reading her books for at least as long as I have been tracking my reading on an online platform (and probably longer), and she does not disappoint. And this summer, we have been graced with a book that calls to mind some of my favorite stand-alone novels that she has written in the past. She has a way of weaving a story that transports the reader right to the heart of the Lowcountry and writes about family drama with a side of mystery like no one else. Her handling of the realities of caring for an aging parent, while struggling with what it is like to return home to a past that you had hope to leave behind contribute to what is perhaps my favorite of White's books yet. I also appreciated the references to birds that are woven throughout the story, as the seamlessly tied the whole thing together. I read this book all in one sitting this afternoon and evening, as I was loathe to set it aside...it was that good!

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