Summer Girls by Mary Alice Monroe

Marietta Muir knows she needs to get the "Summer Girls" back together.  The girls were in their early teens when they last spent their summers together on Sullivan Island, and now the sisters are located in different parts of the country.  Marietta has to get them back together because she is celebrating her 80th birthday, and her wish is to have the girls become as close as they once were.

Carson, the middle sister, lives in Los Angeles, but travels wherever her jobs take her.  She is a photographer, and is currently looking for a job.  Dora is in the midst of a horrible divorce, and Harper feels threatened by her mother.  All three girls share the same father, but all have different mothers.  Mamaw (Marietta) knows there are a lot of wounds that need healing.

This is the first book in the series, and it centers around Carson, the middle sister.  Carson is a water bug and avid surfer, and finds herself in the middle of a terrifying situation in which a dolphin comes to her rescue.  Carson also has several issues to deal with as she tries to come to terms with her past and present.

 Monroe takes the time in her book to explain about the plight of the bottlenose dolphin and what we must do to help protect this species.  The Carolina Lowcountry is also described in breathtaking detail.  I must admit that I am once again wanting to visit this area.

This book is a great summer beach read.  Even though each character has her own secrets, the reader is sympathetic and yearns to know more about the Muir family of South Carolina.