That Last Carolina Summer: A Gripping Southern Tale of Sisterhood, Secrets, and the Haunting Power of the Past

By Karen White

Book Overview

"This multi-generational story is layered with juicy family secrets. The perfect summer read." --Jamie Brenner, bestselling author of A Novel Summer

Beloved bestselling author Karen White returns with a captivating new Southern drama about sisterhood, secrets and one woman's reckoning with the past

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.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0778310698
• ISBN13: 9780778310693
• Release Date: July 2025
• Publisher: Park Row
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.2" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Couldn't put down this captivating family drama

Thanks to Edelweiss & Park Row/Harper Collins for a digital advance reader copy. All comments and opinions are my own unless otherwise noted. I loved this novel and couldn’t put it down. Even though I’ve finished the book I’m still thinking about the characters and their relationships, their secrets, and the story – how it started and how it ended, and the wonderful, skillful writing. There are so many layers to this story: the relationships between sisters, mothers and daughters, family obligations, childhood memories, grief and loss. What also gave depth and distinction to this novel was the underlying theme of nature portrayed in a variety of ways. Main character Phoebe has always been fascinated by birds, and explains to her sister how “bird behavior, when it’s not mimicking human behavior, makes a lot more sense to me.” Each chapter begins with an excerpt from Phoebe’s blog “The Thing with Feathers,” which are often observations of how birds treat their young, survival, habits, and other behaviors that predict the book’s characters’ behavior in that specific chapter. Weather, particularly storms, also plays a large role in the story. For instance, the prologue introduces us to nine-year-old Phoebe and her traumatic experience of being struck by lightning. I highly recommend this well-written, captivating story of multiple plot lines and memorable characters, combining family drama, mystery, and a bit of romance in one unforgettable South Carolina summer.