
By Invitation Only
A Novel
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Narrated by:
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Susan Bennett
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Courtney Patterson
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Sarah Naughton
About this listen
The Lowcountry of South Carolina is where By Invitation Only begins, at a barbecue engagement party thrown by Diane English Stiftel, her brother Floyd, and her parents to celebrate her son’s engagement. On this gorgeous, magical night, the bride’s father, Alejandro Cambria, a wealthy power broker whose unbelievably successful career in private equity made him one of Chicago’s celebrated elite, discovers the limits and possibilities of cell phone range. While the mother of the bride, Susan Kennedy Cambria, who dabbles in the world of 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 By Invitation Only zooms to Chicago, where the unraveling accelerates. Nearly a thousand miles away from her comfortable, familiar world, Diane is 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.
By Invitation Only is a tale of two families, one struggling to do well, one well to do, and one young couple - the privileged daughter of Chicago’s crème de la crème and the son of hardworking Southern peach farmers.
Dorothea Benton Frank offers a funny, sharp, and deeply empathetic novel of two very different worlds - of limousines and pickup trucks, caviar and pigs, skyscrapers and ocean spray - filled with a delightful 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, when it truly counts, what kind of grit they have. Are they living the lives they want, what regrets do they hold, and how would they remake their lives if they were given the invitation to do so?
By Invitation Only is classic Dorothea Benton Frank - a mesmerizing Lowcountry tale that roars with spirit, humor, and truth and forces us to reconsider our notions of what it means to be a Have or a Have Not.
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Porch Lights
- By: Dorothea Benton Frank
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
- Length: 10 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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When Jimmy McMullen, a fireman, is killed in the line of duty, his wife, Jackie, and ten-year-old son, Charlie, are devastated. Charlie idolized his dad, and now the outgoing boy has become quiet and reserved. Trusting in the healing power of family, Jackie decides to return to her childhood home on Sullivan's Island. Awaiting them is Annie Britt, the matriarch who has kept the porch lights on to welcome them. Thrilled to have her family back again, Annie promises to make their visit perfect - even though relations between mother and daughter have never been smooth.
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Liked this book - held my attention - nice story.
- By Barrel Racer on 09-01-12
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Bulls Island
- By: Dorothea Benton Frank
- Narrated by: Julia Gibson
- Length: 11 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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A satisfying tale of honor, chance, and star-crossed love infused with Southern wit, grace, and charm - the story of two old Southern families. The Langleys have more money than the Morgan Stanley Bank. And they think they have more class. The Barrett family made their 19th-century fortune in a less distinguished manner: corner grocery stores and liquor stores.
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Loved Betts McGhee!
- By Patricia on 05-21-12
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My Magnolia Summer
- A Novel
- By: Victoria Benton Frank
- Narrated by: Dorothy Dillingham Blue
- Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Escape to the South Carolina Lowcountry, where family bonds and hidden secrets run deep. In this gripping tale of self-discovery, Victoria Benton Frank introduces us to Maggie, struggling to find her place in the world when she receives a phone call bringing her back to her hometown of Sullivan's Island.
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Yes Yes Yes
- By CBrock on 07-10-23
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Plantation
- A Lowcountry Tale
- By: Dorothea Benton Frank
- Narrated by: Susie Breck
- Length: 6 hrs and 2 mins
- Abridged
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When Caroline Wimbley Levine learns that her mother, Miss Lavinia, has supposedly gone mad, she leaves the big city bustle of Manhattan and returns to Tall Pines Plantation. Caroline originally left Tall Pines to escape her feisty, eccentric mother and her drunken brother, Trip. When Miss Lavinia dies, Caroline is forced to come to terms with her family's troubled history as well as her failing relationship with her husband.
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Abridged!!
- By Teresa on 04-18-16
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The Land of Mango Sunsets
- By: Dorothea Benton Frank
- Narrated by: Nicole Poole
- Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Meet Miriam Elizabeth Swanson, in a full-blown snit, buoyed by a fabulous cast who run the gamut from insufferable to wonderful. First is the arrival of Liz Harper, Miriam's tenant from Birmingham, who sets a new cycle in motion. Then her other tenant, Kevin, a stalwart companion with more style than Cary Grant, shakes Miriam out of her fog to see which battles are worth the fight. Next, her estranged son announces he's marrying a Jamaican woman. And what about her ex-husband, Charles, and that sordid lingerie model of his?
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Great Escape
- By Amazon Customer on 02-15-17
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The Christmas Pearl
- By: Dorothea Benton Frank
- Narrated by: Celia Weston
- Length: 3 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Theodora is the matriarch of a family that has grown into a bunch of truculent knuckleheads. While she's finally gotten them all together in South Carolina to celebrate, this Christmas looks nothing like the extravagant, homey holidays of her childhood.
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Never too old to learn or to love
- By Debbie on 12-20-13
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Reunion Beach
- Stories Inspired by Dorothea Benton Frank
- By: Elin Hilderbrand, Adriana Trigiani, Patti Callahan Henry, and others
- Narrated by: Susan Bennett
- Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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In this warm and moving anthology, a group of best-selling authors and writers pay tribute to legendary, larger-than-life New York Times best-selling author Dorothea Benton Frank and her literary legacy, capturing her unforgettable spirit, joy, and humor in stories of reunions and love. Infused with Dorothea Benton Frank’s remarkable spirit, Reunion Beach is a literary homage and beautiful keepsake that keeps this dearly missed writer’s flame burning bright.
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All over the place, no plot
- By Victoria on 05-18-21
By: Elin Hilderbrand, and others
Some was predictable, but not in an annoying way.
I would recommend it!
Loved it!
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Mysteries and crime novels are my preferred genr, but this book was like pancakes for dinner: a pleasant respite from the norm.
I enjoyed the company of the protagonists and looked forward to listening.
The narration was great. The story was pleasant, with a golden rule winning out in the end. Not at all boring.
Not my type but LOVED it
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my beloved South Carolina
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What a great book! I laughed and teared up. The development of the characters throughout the book was enjoyable too!
Loved it!
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Outstanding
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Wonderful book
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Totally Enjoyable!!
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Feel good story
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Stick with it!
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Great Book & Cover!
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