There comes a time in a woman's life when she realizes she has more perfume in her bottles than she will even get opportunities to wear and what is she going to do about that. This was the situation for Miriam Elizabeth Swanson, a still beautiful, but middle-aged New York quasi-socialite, desperate to pander to the wishes of Agnes Willis, the stone-faced chair of the gala spring benefit, while she clings to the vestiges of her old life of 20 years ago before her ungallant husband ran away with a lingerie model and her two sons abandoned any opportunities to be with her.

Then, the unspeakable happens! After spending hours of work volunteering to organize for the benefit, Miriam has a fall from grace that leaves her lurching on her high heels and stunned by the viciousness of the crowd she had worked so hard to please.

Supported by the best and wisest of friends as well as being her tenant, Kevin Dolan, Miriam seeks solace by visiting her mother on Sullivan's Island in South Carolina. There as she re-connects with her youthful self, she sees her mother differently than before and decides to change her own ways as well. Intrigued by meeting the handsome Harrison Ford (even better than the movie version), Miriam is re-named to suit a softer "Mellie" self and she soon realizes that there might be something to that. As unexpected events occur, Mellie starts to change how she views life, her family and her silver tea sets.

Yet, despite her previous misgivings, when Miriam's new tenant, Liz, has a tragic finale to a relationship, Miriam quickly connects to who she really wants to be and as she reaches out to help Liz, her friends and family start to reach her in ways she never could have imagined.

Dorothea Benton Frank is well known for her delightfully sassy and sophisticated novels with a connection to Sullivan's Island and THE LAND OF MANGO SUNSETS only re-affirms that well-earned reputation. She is skillful at interweaving the threads of the various stories about, and between, the generations, the urban and island geographies and her characters are quirky, yet totally realistic to their environments. I just adored Kevin, the devoted friend and so talented window dresser with all the right connections who brought such magic to the wedding, and Harry the Parrot who just knew just when to say "Charles is an ass!". This story will have instant appeal to the over 40 crowd as well as to younger readers still trying to figure out their boomer moms. This is one hoot of a novel you will enjoy!

Book Summary

Her sleazy husband left her for a lingerie model who's barely more than a teenager, and her kids are busy with their own lives. But before Miriam Elizabeth Swanson can work herself up into a true snit about it all, her newest tenant, Liz, arrives from Birmingham with plenty of troubles of her own. And then Miriam meets a man named Harrison, who makes her laugh, makes her cry, and makes her feel like a brand-new woman.

It's almost too much for one Manhattan quasi-socialite to handle�so Miriam's escaping to the enchanted and mysterious land of Sullivans Island, deep in the low country of South Carolina, a place where she can finally get her head on straight�and figure out that it's not pride that's going to keep her warm at night . . .