Lowcountry Summer Trilogy

10 primary works Complete

The Summer Girls

by Mary Alice Monroe

Published 25 June 2013

Three granddaughters. Three months. One summer house. In this trilogy set on Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, the author captures the complex relationships between three half sisters scattered across the country, and a grandmother determined to help them rediscover their family bonds. Set amid ancient live oaks and palmettos, overlooking the water, historic Sea Breeze is Marietta Muir's ancestral summer home. Her granddaughters once adored vacations there, but it has been years since they have visited. Mamaw fears once she is gone, the family bonds will fray. The Muir family is one of Charleston's oldest and the blood of their pirate captain ancestor runs strong, so Marietta drops a subtle promise of loot, pearl necklaces, priceless antique furniture, even the house, to lure her "summer girls" back to the lowcountry. For years, Carson Muir has drifted, never really settling, certain only that a life without the ocean is a life half lived. Adrift and penniless in California, Carson is the first to return to Sea Breeze, wondering where things went wrong, until the sea she loves brings her a minor miracle. Her astonishing bond with a dolphin helps Carson renew her relationships with her sisters and face the haunting memories of her ill-fated father. As the rhythms of the island open her heart, Carson begins to imagine the next steps toward her future. In this novel, three sisters discover the true treasures Sea Breeze offers as surprising truths are revealed, mistakes forgiven, and precious connections made that will endure long beyond one summer.

The Summer Girls

by Mary Alice Monroe

Published 27 May 2014

Three granddaughters. Three months. One summer house. In this trilogy set on Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, the author captures the complex relationships between three half sisters scattered across the country, and a grandmother determined to help them rediscover their family bonds. Set amid ancient live oaks and palmettos, overlooking the water, historic Sea Breeze is Marietta Muir's ancestral summer home. Her granddaughters once adored vacations there, but it has been years since they have visited. Mamaw fears once she is gone, the family bonds will fray. The Muir family is one of Charleston's oldest and the blood of their pirate captain ancestor runs strong, so Marietta drops a subtle promise of loot, pearl necklaces, priceless antique furniture, even the house, to lure her "summer girls" back to the lowcountry. For years, Carson Muir has drifted, never really settling, certain only that a life without the ocean is a life half lived. Adrift and penniless in California, Carson is the first to return to Sea Breeze, wondering where things went wrong, until the sea she loves brings her a minor miracle. Her astonishing bond with a dolphin helps Carson renew her relationships with her sisters and face the haunting memories of her ill-fated father. As the rhythms of the island open her heart, Carson begins to imagine the next steps toward her future. In this novel, three sisters discover the true treasures Sea Breeze offers as surprising truths are revealed, mistakes forgiven, and precious connections made that will endure long beyond one summer.

The Summer Wind

by Mary Alice Monroe

Published 17 June 2014

The Summer Wind is the second book in Monroe's Lowcountry Summer trilogy, following the New York Times bestselling The Summer Girls. This series is a poignant and heartwarming story of three half-sisters and their grandmother, who is determined to help them rediscover their southern roots and family bonds.

It's midsummer and Eudora, nicknamed Dora, is staying at Sea Breeze, the family's ancestral home on Sullivan's Island. For years, Dora has played the role of the perfect wife and mother in a loveless marriage. Now her husband filed for divorce, her child is diagnosed with autism, and her house is on the market. Dora's facade collapses under the weight of her grief and she suffers "broken heart syndrome." Mamaw and the girls rally around Dora--but it's up to Dora to heal herself as she spends the summer prowling the beach, discovering the secrets of the island and her heart. This is a summer of discovery for all the women of Sea Breeze. Carson returns from Florida to face life-changing decisions, Lucille confronts a health scare, and an unexpected visitor has Harper reconsidering her life's direction.

When tropical storm winds batter the island, the women must band together and weather the tempest--both the one outside their windows and the raging sea of emotions within each of them. They must learn again what it means to be a sister. It is up to Mamaw to keep the light burning at Sea Breeze to guide the girls through the lies, the threats, and the rocky waters of indecision to home.

The Summer's End

by Mary Alice Monroe

Published 19 May 2015

In the powerful third installment in her Lowcountry Summer series, New York Times bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe returns to the sultry beauty of the Carolina coast and the Muir sisters-an unforgettable tale of family bonds as strong and steady as the tides.

It is the last summer that Marietta "Mamaw" Muir and her three "summer girls" will ever spend at their beloved Sea Breeze before it is sold. As the end draws near, Mamaw and half-sisters Dora, Carson, and Harper struggle to find new places in the world.

Harper intended to stay only a weekend, but a rift with her wealthy, influential mother left her without a home. Free from her mother's tyranny and encouraged by her family on Sullivan's Island, Harper has at last discovered her talents and independent spirit. Now, the historic beach house's fate hinges on her courage to decide the course of her own life. To do so, she must recognize her newfound strengths and accept love fully into her life-of her family, of the lowcountry, and, most of all, of ex-Marine Taylor McClellan, the wounded warrior who has claimed her heart.

The Summer's End (Prop)

by Mary Alice Monroe

Published 19 May 2015

The Summer S End

by Mary Alice Monroe

Published 19 May 2015

The Summer's End

by Mary Alice Monroe

Published 19 May 2015

A Lowcountry Wedding

by Mary Alice Monroe

Published 3 May 2016

A Lowcountry Wedding

by Mary Alice Monroe

Published 3 May 2016

"Nothing could be more enchanting than a summer wedding--or two!--in Charleston's fabled lowcountry. Yet when a stranger arrives, a long held family secret could silence the bells ringing for the Muir sisters"--

A Lowcountry Christmas

by Mary Alice Monroe

Published 25 October 2016

"A wounded warrior and his younger brother discover the true meaning of Christmas in this timeless story of family bonds. A poignant continuation of the Lowcountry Summer series. As far as ten-year-old Miller McClellan is concerned, it's the worst Christmas ever. His father's shrimp boat is docked, his mother is working two jobs, and with finances strained, Miller is told they can't afford the dog he desperately wants. "Your brother's return from war is our family's gift," his parents tell him. But when Taylor returns with PTSD, family strains darken the holidays. Then Taylor's service dog arrives--a large black Labrador/Great Dane named Thor. His brother even got the dog! When Miller goes out on Christmas Eve with his father's axe, determined to get his family the tree they can't afford, he takes the dog for company--but accidentally winds up lost in the wild forest. The splintered family must come together to rediscover their strengths, family bond, and the true meaning of Christmas"--