Sunrise on the Battery

Sunrise on the Battery

by Beth Webb Hart

About the book:

She wanted her husband to attend the town's society-driven church. God answered her prayer in a radical way. 

An emptiness dogs Mary Lynn Scoville. But it shouldn't. After all, she's achieved what few believed possible. Born in the rural south, she has reached the pinnacle of worldly success in Charleston, South Carolina. Married to a handsome real estate developer and mother to three accomplished daughters, Mary Lynn is one Debutante Society invitation away from truly having it all. And yet, it remains - an emptiness that no shopping trip, European vacation, or social calendar can fill. 

While her husband commits social suicide and the life they worked so hard for crumbles around them, Mary Lynn wonders if their marriage can survive. Or if perhaps there really is a more abundant life that Jackson has discovered, richer than any she's ever dreamed of. 

My take: 

I enjoyed reading about the Scovilles. Their journey was fascinating to me - going from rural outcast to possible Charleston debutantes, to "iffy social standings" again. It was an education for me to read about the social societies in the old south. I knew they existed in some form, but never realized that they were this "alive and well" today. It amazes me that people really live this way, and makes me wonder how some people are able to live with themselves after treating others with such disregard. 

I also found myself fascinated with Jackson Scoville's spiritual journey and realized that I need to do some re-evaluating in my own life. I also enjoyed the look into Catherine's (the oldest Scoville daughter) life and how she was affected by her parents' lifestyle and decisions. 

I would have to give this book a 5 and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Christian fiction and/or the south.

About the author:

Beth Webb Hart, a South Carolina native, is the best-selling author of Grace at Low Tide, Adelaide Piper, and The Wedding Machine. With a B.A. in English Literature from Hollins University and and M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Sarah Lawrence College, Hart serves as an inspirational speaker and creative writing instructor at conferences, retreats, schools, libraries and churches across the country, and she is the recipient of two national teaching awards from Scholastic, Inc. and the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers. She lives with her husband, composer Edward Hart, and their family in Charleston. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from BookSneeze. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."