Dorothea Benton Frank’s Letter to Librarians

Dot Frank’s latest book, Return to Sullivans Island went on sale this week.  This is the long awaited sequel to her first novel, the bestselling Sullivan's Island which launched Dot’s career. It debuted on the New York Times list at number nine, went back to press twenty five times, was published in ten foreign languages and today there are over one million copies in print.

Publishers Weekly calls Return to Sullivans Island “tight storytelling, winsomely oddball characters and touches of Southern magic make this a winner.”

The following letter is from Dot to librarians.  Enjoy…

Dear Librarians and Friends,

Return to Sullivans Island is my tenth novel and as you might imagine I am sitting here wondering how the last decade passed so quickly.  At the same time I can look back and remember so many remarkable new people I have met, places I have been and countless ways in which my life has been enriched simply because I took the brave step to write my first book, Sullivans Island.

Now I am taking another brave or perhaps slightly insane leap to write a sequel to that first work, fully aware that sequels can be the kiss of death, bringing about endless comparisons to the original.  So the sequel presents unique challenges.  It has to satisfy those who liked the original story but it also has to stand alone on its own.

So why attempt to do this?  Well, I felt like these times of uncertainty demanded something that would give me some comfort to pen and would hopefully be a comfort to read.  It takes a long time to write a book because I want the reader to really enjoy the journey I plan for them and that usually means lots of rethinking and rewriting, which is the part I actually enjoy most. 

Return to Sullivans Island is the story of Beth Hayes and what happens to her when her family averts their eyes from their children to pursue their own gilded dreams.  Beth comes of age in the Island Gamble which is more haunted and opinionated than ever and on Sullivans Island whose own historic character has plenty to do with who is welcome and who is not.  Put quite simply, this story is about what matters most and how success is not only measured in material assets.  And it’s about the importance of knowing where you belong in this world.

I hope you will enjoy Return to Sullivans Island.  Please know that each time you recommend one of my books to your patrons I understand that you have hundreds of thousands of other titles you could place in their hands instead.  I am deeply humbled and profoundly grateful for your support.  I have always thought that librarians are a little bit like doctors, travel agents and professors all rolled into one.  We all know that a great story can lift spirits, take you anywhere in the world you want to go and in any time period to boot, and the lessons you learn from a good book can buoy your own convictions and even change your life.  Thank you one and all for the wonderful work you do every day.  I am sending you wishes for every good thing.

Most sincerely,

Dot Frank

Comments

[Jennifer Graves]

This is a great letter. Thanks for posting it!

[Marie]

What a nice essay.