Emmy Hamilton is not your typical young woman. Widowed due to the war in Afghanistan, she is left to pick up the pieces of her life without the man she loved. As an only child, Emmy feels her "aloneness" acutely and desperately needs something in her life to help her overcome her emotional devastation. She decides to follow her mother Paige's sage advice, and leaves her home in Indiana to begin anew in Folly Beach, South Carolina, her mother's childhood home.

Upon her arrival, Emmy agrees to buy Folly Finds, Paige's former favorite bookstore, as a way in which to heal her soul. The purchase comes with one caveat however: she must allow the seller's eccentric aunt, aptly named Lulu, to continue selling bottle trees on the premises. Hesitant to undertake such a permanent position on her own, she enlists the aide of the former owner to help with the transition.

As Emmy delves into her new business venture, she stumbles upon a box containing love letters along with a sketch of a bottle tree. Upon further investigation, she uncovers more rare books with secret messages scrawled in the margins that somehow may have a connection with the unusual Lulu. As this mystery unravels, she learns some harrowing details of a possible murder and even espionage that may have taken place in Folly Beach during World War II. Has Emmy's innocent search for a new life opened Pandora's Box? Or, has she just taken the first step towards understanding the true meaning of life?

ON FOLLY BEACH is the latest novel by the award-winning novelist Karen White. Known for her exquisite prose which delves into the inner core of her characters' emotions, she delivers a superb story of two women separated by sixty years who must rise above all obstacles in order to find eternal peace. With her most recent endeavor, she has proven her prowess as a storyteller by demonstrating her unique combination of history with intrigue and love in order to create an unforgettable novel. Without a doubt, ON FOLLY BEACH is White's crowning achievement.

Book Summary

The latest Southern novel from the acclaimed bestselling and award- winning author of The Memory of Water.

To most people, Folly Beach, South Carolina, is simply the last barrier island before the Atlantic. To some, it's a sanctuary, which is why Janie Hamilton's mother encourages her to buy the local book store, Folly's Finds, hoping it will distract Janie from the loss of her husband in Afghanistan.

Janie is at first resistant, but intrigued after finding love letters and an image of a beautiful bottle tree in a box of used books from Folly's Finds, and decides to take the plunge. The store's seller insists on one condition: Janie must allow Lulu, the late owner's elderly sister, to continue selling her bottle trees from its back yard. Historically, bottle trees were brought by African slaves to the American South, and Janie had grown up with one in her backyard, and it has always been a symbol of refuge to her.

Janie generally ignores Lulu as she sifts through the love letters, wanting to learn more. But the more she discovers of the letters' authors, the closer she feels to Lulu. As details of a possible murder and a mysterious disappearance during World War II are revealed, the two women discover that circumstances beyond their control, sixty years apart, have brought them together, here on Folly Beach. And it is here that their war-ravaged hearts can find hope for a second chance...