By invitation only : a novel / Dorothea Benton Frank.
In the Lowcountry of South Carolina, Diane English Stiftel, her brother Floyd, and her parents are throwing a barbecue to celebrate her son's engagement. On this gorgeous, magical night, the bride's father, Alejandro Cambria, a wealthy power broker and one of Chicago's celebrated elite, discovers the limits and possibilities of cell phone range. Meanwhile, mother of the bride, Susan Kennedy Cambria, who dabbles in public relations and believes herself deserving of every square inch of her multimillion-dollar penthouse and imaginary Carrara marble pedestal, learns about moonshine and dangerous liaisons. Soon, and nearly a thousand miles away from her comfortable, familiar world, Diane feels the antithesis of the bright lights and super-sophisticated guests attending her son Fred's second engagement party. Why a second party? Maybe it had been assumed that the first one wouldn't be up to snuff? Fred is marrying Shelby Cambria, also an only child. The Cambrias' dearest wish is for their daughter to be happy. If Shelby wants to marry Frederick, aka Fred, they will not stand in her way -- although Susan does hope her friends won't think her daughter is marrying more than a few degrees beneath her socially. At the same time, Diane worries that her son will be lost to her forever. These two very different worlds -- of limousines and pickup trucks, caviars and pigs, skyscrapers and ocean spray -- feature a cast of characters who all have something to hide and a lot to learn. A difference in legal opinions, a headlong dive from grace, and an abrupt twist will reveal the truth of who they are, and demonstrate what kind of grit they have. Are they living the life they want? What regrets do they hold? And how would they remake their lives if they were given the invitation to do so?
What happens when a young sophisticated Chicagoan falls for the owner of a farm on Johns Island, a lush Lowcountry paradise off the coast of South Carolina -- trading the bustle of a cosmopolitan city for the vagaries of a small southern town?
Record details
- ISBN: 9780062390820
- ISBN: 0062390821
- ISBN: 9780062873521
- ISBN: 0062873520
- ISBN: 9780062873514
- ISBN: 0062873512
- ISBN: 9780062873507
- ISBN: 0062873504
- ISBN: 9780062836861
- ISBN: 0062836862
- Physical Description: x, 390 pages ; 24 cm
- Edition: First edition
- Publisher: New York, NY : William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2018]
- Copyright: ©2018
Content descriptions
- General Note:
- Includes a letter from the author and recipes
Search for related items by subject
- Subject:
- Islands > Fiction.
Families > Fiction.
Social conflict > Fiction.
Rural families > Fiction.
Weddings > Fiction.
Chicago (Ill.) > Fiction.
South Carolina > Fiction. - Genre:
- Domestic fiction.
Romance fiction.
Available copies
- 130 of 140 copies available at NC Cardinal.
- 1 of 1 copy available at McDowell County Public Library. (Show)
Holds
- 0 current holds with 140 total copies.
Other Formats and Editions
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion Library | FIC FRA (Text) | 37810435737688 | Adult Fiction | Available | - |
| Albemarle Main Library | FIC Frank (Text) | 31010000629354 | Adult Fiction | Available | - |
| Albemarle Main Library | FIC Frank (Text) | 31010000701765 | Adult Fiction | Checked out | 08/24/2026 |
| Albert Carlton - Cashiers Community Library | F FRANK (Text) | 39493108299530 | Adult Fiction | Available | - |
| Alleghany Public Library | F FRANK (Text) | 30664100282612 | Adult New Fiction | Available | - |
| Allen Library | FIC FRANK (Text) | 38198000019032 | Adult Fiction | Available | - |
| Angier Public Library | F Fra (Text) | 33632002697010 | Adult Fiction | Available | - |
| Ashe County Public Library | F FRA (Text) | 50503011110857 | Adult Fiction | Available | - |
| BHM Headquarters Library | FIC (Text) | 38344101629671 | Adult Fiction | Available | - |
| Beaufort Main | F FRANK (Text) | 34208203707939 | Adult Fiction | Available | - |
Accessibility Features
Summary:
In the Lowcountry of South Carolina, Diane English Stiftel, her brother Floyd, and her parents are throwing a barbecue to celebrate her son's engagement. On this gorgeous, magical night, the bride's father, Alejandro Cambria, a wealthy power broker and one of Chicago's celebrated elite, discovers the limits and possibilities of cell phone range. Meanwhile, mother of the bride, Susan Kennedy Cambria, who dabbles in public relations and believes herself deserving of every square inch of her multimillion-dollar penthouse and imaginary Carrara marble pedestal, learns about moonshine and dangerous liaisons. Soon, and nearly a thousand miles away from her comfortable, familiar world, Diane feels the antithesis of the bright lights and super-sophisticated guests attending her son Fred's second engagement party. Why a second party? Maybe it had been assumed that the first one wouldn't be up to snuff? Fred is marrying Shelby Cambria, also an only child. The Cambrias' dearest wish is for their daughter to be happy. If Shelby wants to marry Frederick, aka Fred, they will not stand in her way -- although Susan does hope her friends won't think her daughter is marrying more than a few degrees beneath her socially. At the same time, Diane worries that her son will be lost to her forever. These two very different worlds -- of limousines and pickup trucks, caviars and pigs, skyscrapers and ocean spray -- feature a cast of characters who all have something to hide and a lot to learn. A difference in legal opinions, a headlong dive from grace, and an abrupt twist will reveal the truth of who they are, and demonstrate what kind of grit they have. Are they living the life they want? What regrets do they hold? And how would they remake their lives if they were given the invitation to do so?
What happens when a young sophisticated Chicagoan falls for the owner of a farm on Johns Island, a lush Lowcountry paradise off the coast of South Carolina -- trading the bustle of a cosmopolitan city for the vagaries of a small southern town?
What happens when a young sophisticated Chicagoan falls for the owner of a farm on Johns Island, a lush Lowcountry paradise off the coast of South Carolina -- trading the bustle of a cosmopolitan city for the vagaries of a small southern town?
