Sullivan's Island, Frank's debut novel, is the story of Susan Hayes, a betrayed wife who returns to the home of her youth to try to put her life back together. Written in alternating chapters, the novel explores both Susan's evolution as a single mother and budding writer and her difficult childhood with an abusive father and depressed mother. After discovering that her husband has been cheating on her with a bimbo in her twenties, Susan flees with her daughter, Beth, to her old family home on Sullivan's Island, SC, the home where her sister Maggie has been raising her family. While Susan grieves for her broken marriage, she meets the local newspaper editor, who offers her a job writing a household hints column for the paper. With the help of her writing and her fierce love for her daughter, Susan begins to regain her sense of self-worth with humor and determination.
Frank manages to combine two sadly common stories, set during two different eras in Susan's life, into a wonderful story full of interesting characters and a wonderful sense of place. No wonder this first novel led to so many other excellent ones!
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