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Miss Dreamsville #2
Miss Dreamsville and the Lost Heiress of Collier County
In this sequel to Amy Hill Hearth's 'funny and charming'(Publishers Weekly) debut novel, Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women's Literary Society, the eponymous book club reunites one year later, in the late summer of 1964.
Their mission: to fight a large development along the tidal river where member Robbie-Lee grew up and where his mother, Dolores Simpson, a former stripper turned alligator hunter, still lives in a fishing shack.
The developer is Darryl Norwood, ex-husband of narrator Dora Witherspoon, who returns to Collier County to assist in the battle. An old land deed, the discovery that one of the key characters has been using a false name, and a dramatic court hearing are just a few of the highlights. Not to mention the reappearance of the Ghost of Seminole Joe.
Just as Hearth's debut explored the ways we can find a sense of belonging in other people, her latest novel shows how closely tied each of us is to our sense of home - and the conflicts that can arise when our idea of that home becomes threatened. For Darryl, the river is a place ripe for development. For Dora, who is known as the Turtle Lady because she rescues Everglades "snappers," it's a place that belongs to the critters. And for Dolores, former stripper, it's a place to hide from the world.
Their mission: to fight a large development along the tidal river where member Robbie-Lee grew up and where his mother, Dolores Simpson, a former stripper turned alligator hunter, still lives in a fishing shack.
The developer is Darryl Norwood, ex-husband of narrator Dora Witherspoon, who returns to Collier County to assist in the battle. An old land deed, the discovery that one of the key characters has been using a false name, and a dramatic court hearing are just a few of the highlights. Not to mention the reappearance of the Ghost of Seminole Joe.
Just as Hearth's debut explored the ways we can find a sense of belonging in other people, her latest novel shows how closely tied each of us is to our sense of home - and the conflicts that can arise when our idea of that home becomes threatened. For Darryl, the river is a place ripe for development. For Dora, who is known as the Turtle Lady because she rescues Everglades "snappers," it's a place that belongs to the critters. And for Dolores, former stripper, it's a place to hide from the world.
320 pages, Paperback
First published September 8, 2015
22 people are currently reading
817 people want to read
About the author
Amy Hill Hearth
24 books133 followers"I'm a risk taker with my writing," Amy Hill Hearth (pronounced HARTH) says about her work. "I like to try new genres because I love to be challenged. Following my instincts without thinking of sales potential usually works out for me, anyway." Indeed, Amy's first book, which shocked the publishing world with its completely unexpected success, was the international bestselling oral history, HAVING OUR SAY: THE DELANY SISTERS' FIRST 100 YEARS, a N.Y. Times bestseller for more than two years which was adapted for Broadway and film. That book is still going strong, with new audiobook and ebook editions published Jan. 3, 2023. Since the 1993 publication of HAVING OUR SAY, Amy has written ten more books and won many national awards, with genres ranging from Southern fiction and oral histories for adult readers to biographies for young readers. Next up is Amy's first historical thriller, SILENT CAME THE MONSTER, a novel of the 1916 Jersey Shore shark attacks which will be published May 16, 2023. What her books have in common, she says, is that they are "stories from the past that resonate today." This reflects Amy's lifelong passion for American history as well as a lifelong fascination with the complexities of human nature and interactions. Born in Pittsfield, Mass., Amy has lived in various locations in her life, including Columbia, SC as a child, and, for the last 25 years, at the Jersey Shore.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
October 12, 2015
This is the sequel to
Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women's Literary Society
which I haven't read (yet), but you need not read the first book to enjoy this one.
The book starts off with Dora Witherspoon getting a telegram from Dolores Simpson that Dora's ex-husband Darryl Norwood is back in the town and is planning a big development along the tidal river. She wants Dora to stop him and Dora and the rest of Collier County Women's Literary Society; Jackie Hart, Mrs. Bailey White, and Plain Jane getter their forces to find a way to stop the development.
Charming! Thar is the word I would use to describe this book. I'm just so bloody fond of books/movies that takes place in the 60s in America (especially in a little town where everyone knows everyone). I mean there is lot going on, it's not a perfect little sweet story, Amy Hill Hearth never lets you forget that that there is still very much racism against the black that the civil right moments have not really had a big effect in the little towns in the south. Hell, there is a lot of racism against the Yankees as well. Jackie Hart and her family are from Boston, and they talk different and do things different there and it's not easy coming from Boston to Collier County (I seriously need to read the first book where Jackie arrives in Collier County).
But I'm still charmed by the book and the story. Yes, it was not a big surprising story with many twists, but I still enjoyed the book very much. The part where Dolores Simpson revealing her real name and everything that comes with that is probably my favorite part, and, Dora telling the book club about what she learned in Jackson about her mother was a sweet part and led to the wonderful revelation at the ending (that I guessed, but never mind that).
I was charmed by the characters and by the stories. And, if you also find these kinds of books charming, then I think you should read it.
I received this copy from Atria Books through Edelweiss in return for an honest review! Thank you!
The book starts off with Dora Witherspoon getting a telegram from Dolores Simpson that Dora's ex-husband Darryl Norwood is back in the town and is planning a big development along the tidal river. She wants Dora to stop him and Dora and the rest of Collier County Women's Literary Society; Jackie Hart, Mrs. Bailey White, and Plain Jane getter their forces to find a way to stop the development.
Charming! Thar is the word I would use to describe this book. I'm just so bloody fond of books/movies that takes place in the 60s in America (especially in a little town where everyone knows everyone). I mean there is lot going on, it's not a perfect little sweet story, Amy Hill Hearth never lets you forget that that there is still very much racism against the black that the civil right moments have not really had a big effect in the little towns in the south. Hell, there is a lot of racism against the Yankees as well. Jackie Hart and her family are from Boston, and they talk different and do things different there and it's not easy coming from Boston to Collier County (I seriously need to read the first book where Jackie arrives in Collier County).
But I'm still charmed by the book and the story. Yes, it was not a big surprising story with many twists, but I still enjoyed the book very much. The part where Dolores Simpson revealing her real name and everything that comes with that is probably my favorite part, and, Dora telling the book club about what she learned in Jackson about her mother was a sweet part and led to the wonderful revelation at the ending (that I guessed, but never mind that).
I was charmed by the characters and by the stories. And, if you also find these kinds of books charming, then I think you should read it.
I received this copy from Atria Books through Edelweiss in return for an honest review! Thank you!
September 11, 2015
Miss Dreamsville and The Lost Heiress of Collier County is a sequel to Amy Hill Hearth's debut novel, Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women's Literary Society.
Picking up a year after the events of the first book, Dora Witherspoon is called back to Collier County by an urgent telegram from Delores Simpson who asks for Dora's help in stopping her ex husband from building a development over the 'glades. Dora isn't entirely sure how Delores expects her to do so but with the support of her friends, she is determined to at least try.
I enjoyed reuniting with the members of the Collier County Women's Literary Society, Jackie 'Miss Dreamsville' Hart, Plain Jane, murderess Mrs Bailey White, Robbie-Lee and his alligator hunter mother, Delores nee Bunny-Anne McIntyre, and Priscilla, along with her precious new baby, Dream. Dora has been absent for a year, searching for information about her late mother's family in Mississippi but she is welcomed back with open arms, and the group is all too happy to join Dora's cause to save Delores's home.
With it's charming southern accent and lighthearted wit, you might be fooled into thinking this novel is nothing more than light entertainment, but it includes an important message about environmental protection, and again touches on the intolerance, racism and sexism that typified the far south in the early sixties.
The plot is entertaining as Jackie stirs up trouble in the local newspaper, provoking the ghost of Seminole Joe and the ire of the town's investors. Dora is also struggling with the secrets she learned in Jackson about her family, unaware that she will find the surprising answers to her remaining questions in Collier County.
Funny, charming and yet thoughtful, Miss Dreamsville and The Lost Heiress of Collier County could be read as a stand alone but I would recommend that Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women's Literary Society be read first.
April 21, 2015
This novel picks up where the first novel, Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women's Literary Society, ended. The characters are all back and enjoying new adventures. Dora had moved to Jackson, MS to find out the mysteries of her late mothers life. Then she got a telegram from Dolores demanding she return to Naples right away.
When she returned, Dora found out that Darryl, her former husband, was developing a large tract of the Everglades. That tract included Dolores' home as well as those that poor blacks had lived in since the Civil War. To make matters worse, Darryl and his backers were using the Dreamsville name used first by Jackie when she had her renowned radio show.
Dora and the others in the group, including Robbie Lee who now lives in NYC, all fight the developers even though many local folks are in favor of development because it will bring jobs.
Once again, the author examines small town life in the Everglades. She also compares the lives of blacks in FL with those blacks in other Southern states and finds that the newly passed cvil rights laws were being ignored in Florida in the mid 60s.
When she returned, Dora found out that Darryl, her former husband, was developing a large tract of the Everglades. That tract included Dolores' home as well as those that poor blacks had lived in since the Civil War. To make matters worse, Darryl and his backers were using the Dreamsville name used first by Jackie when she had her renowned radio show.
Dora and the others in the group, including Robbie Lee who now lives in NYC, all fight the developers even though many local folks are in favor of development because it will bring jobs.
Once again, the author examines small town life in the Everglades. She also compares the lives of blacks in FL with those blacks in other Southern states and finds that the newly passed cvil rights laws were being ignored in Florida in the mid 60s.
March 13, 2015
I can't help but wonder how the others who already rated this book have even had acccess to read it. I am so honored to be one of its first readers--and it's so good!!! It's such a pleasure to return to the characters I loved and to see what they're up to a year later.
You can feel the heat of Florida coming off the page in waves in the summer of 1964. Collier County faces the threat of major development, and it seems to be at the hand of Dora's ex-husband Darryl. In this story, which continues the soulful exploration of isolated characters finding community, the setting is sometimes the star. Hearth makes sure we hear the birds and feel the presence of Collier County's reptiles as we follow characters through a new round of challenges. I even learned a thing or two (who knew turtles eat honeydew???).
Fans of Miss Dreamsville: it's been well worth the wait. You're in for a big treat!
You can feel the heat of Florida coming off the page in waves in the summer of 1964. Collier County faces the threat of major development, and it seems to be at the hand of Dora's ex-husband Darryl. In this story, which continues the soulful exploration of isolated characters finding community, the setting is sometimes the star. Hearth makes sure we hear the birds and feel the presence of Collier County's reptiles as we follow characters through a new round of challenges. I even learned a thing or two (who knew turtles eat honeydew???).
Fans of Miss Dreamsville: it's been well worth the wait. You're in for a big treat!
December 28, 2015
I enjoyed every page of it. It wasn't quite as solid as the first book, but this was a trip back home for me and I'm sure that went a long way towards filling in any gaps.
Full review: http://jenn.booklikes.com/post/130954...
Full review: http://jenn.booklikes.com/post/130954...
July 10, 2015
I just devoured Amy Hill Hearth's first book set in Collier County, Floria: Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women's Literary Society. It was just delightful as is the second book, Miss Dreamsville and the Lost Heiress of Collier County.
When I read the first book I had never been to Florida. Now I've been there twice. Florida is a steamy, magical place and author Amy Hill Hearth captures it beautifully. I discovered a new town in this book, Everglades City, that we will need to check out next time. The Florida of the early 1960s was not filled with snowbirds but would soon be due to the widespread integration of air conditioning into homes. Civil rights had not yet come to Florida. In fact segregation was still in full of effect.
Miss Dreamsville and the Lost Heiress of Collier County is a story of friendships and of family and the families that develop through friendships. It is a story of the strength of women. And it is a story of secrets and of secrets revealed. It is a loving, touching and heart-warming tale.
I highly recommend reading the two Miss Dreamsville books. You can read the Lost Heiress as a stand-alone but your heart needs to read both. They are both so good. Miss Dreamsville and the Lost Heiress of Collier County is out in September...don't miss it!
When I read the first book I had never been to Florida. Now I've been there twice. Florida is a steamy, magical place and author Amy Hill Hearth captures it beautifully. I discovered a new town in this book, Everglades City, that we will need to check out next time. The Florida of the early 1960s was not filled with snowbirds but would soon be due to the widespread integration of air conditioning into homes. Civil rights had not yet come to Florida. In fact segregation was still in full of effect.
Miss Dreamsville and the Lost Heiress of Collier County is a story of friendships and of family and the families that develop through friendships. It is a story of the strength of women. And it is a story of secrets and of secrets revealed. It is a loving, touching and heart-warming tale.
I highly recommend reading the two Miss Dreamsville books. You can read the Lost Heiress as a stand-alone but your heart needs to read both. They are both so good. Miss Dreamsville and the Lost Heiress of Collier County is out in September...don't miss it!
November 15, 2016
In some ways I liked this sequel better than the first book, Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Literary Society. I felt there was more action in this book and the characterization seemed a bit deeper to me, though that may well have been due to the fact I already knew the characters from the first book...don't know. :) I am going to recommend to my book club that we read this one since everyone so enjoyed the first book and it was GREAT for generating discussion! Highly recommend reading both of these and let's hope there will be more to come using these same characters!
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September 9, 2022I think it is my best work yet!
September 9, 2015
This is the second story set in Collier County, Naples Florida. Set in the mid 1960's, Dora hurries home after a year in Mississippi when she gets word that her ex plans to destroy the peace and quiet with a fancy new housing development. We get to catch up with all the bookclub members and learn some secrets about Robbie-Lee and his mother. The characters have all developed and the storyline is very believable. I enjoyed this book and hope to return to Collier County for another visit.
March 26, 2017
Pleasant enough, but not particularly engaging and easy to put down. I picked it up because it was set in Collier County in SW Florida, which I visited for the first time this year. It was set in Naples in 1964 before Naples was developed, so it promised to give me a glimpse into that bit of history. It did, but it turns out her husband, not she, is the Florida native, so I don't trust the glimpse I got.
June 25, 2016
I read all of the rave reviews on this book, but I can't say I agree with them. I found the characters to be "cartoon"-ish and the plot was not that believable to me. I thought the book was somewhat boring and read through it rather quickly.
October 7, 2015
Disappointing. Not as original or as feisty as the first book. But sequels will be sequels...
April 1, 2018
I give this book three stars only because once we finally get to the last 6-8 chapters of the book it really picks up and has a satisfying ending.
The problem was it took a lot to get there and there were just a lot of parts that I felt really dragged.
I enjoyed the first book of this 'series', having read "Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women's Literary Society" in one day, and was excited when I found out there was a sequel. So struggling through the first half of this book was a bit of a disappointment for me.
Honestly, I'm not sure if I would recommend this book to others, the first book did not end on a cliff hanger so it is not necessary to read the sequel to truly enjoy the first book.
The problem was it took a lot to get there and there were just a lot of parts that I felt really dragged.
I enjoyed the first book of this 'series', having read "Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women's Literary Society" in one day, and was excited when I found out there was a sequel. So struggling through the first half of this book was a bit of a disappointment for me.
Honestly, I'm not sure if I would recommend this book to others, the first book did not end on a cliff hanger so it is not necessary to read the sequel to truly enjoy the first book.
February 17, 2020
I really loved this little series. The characters are quirky but so endearing. Twist in the plot that you don’t see coming. Very good book!
September 6, 2015
In the first Miss Dreamsville, we learned about Jackie Hart, a transplant from Boston, and her struggle to fit in with the people of the Florida Everglades. In her attempt to find a place to be, she started the Collier County Literary Society, and became Miss Dreamsville for the residents.
In this book, which takes place the following year of 1964, we learn about another of the members of that book club - Eudora Welty Witherspoon, known to all as Dora. The story begins where the last ended, when Jackie urged Dora to go and find out more about 'her people,' where she came from, and Dora has been doing exactly that in Jackson, Mississippi. But one day Dora receives a telegram from home. The telegram is from Dolores Simpson, who lives in an old shack on the edge of the Everglades. It simply reads that there's trouble, and Dora needs to come home now.
Borrowing money from her landlady, she boards a bus back home to Collier County with dread filling her, not knowing what the trouble may be. When she arrives at Dolores' shack, Dora discovers the trouble is worse than she thought. Her ex-husband Darryl is back in town, and he's going to build a housing development right where Dolores' shack sits, and it has divided the town into two camps: those that want it, and those that don't.
So Dora, not knowing what to do, not wanting to face Darryl alone, and not wanting to think about what might or even could happen, turns to her friends from the book club - Jackie, Plain Jane, and Mrs. Bailey-White. (Of the remaining members, Dolores' son Robbie-Lee (who is also Dora's best friend), is in New York, and Priscilla is in college; and Miss Lansbury, the librarian, has retired.
But here we have another dilemma: Jackie, Plain Jane and Mrs. Bailey-White are taking care of Priscilla's little girl while Priscilla is in college. While it shouldn't be a problem, and wouldn't today, the crux of the matter is that Priscilla is black, and in the Old South, it was. And with Jackie's tendency to act as if she were still in Boston, she sometimes forgets that things don't work the same way in the South as they do in the North, and it takes longer for life to change. She might not be happy about it, she doesn't like it, but she is learning to understand.
Then there's Judd, Jackie's son, who has been taking care of Dora's home and turtles while Dora's been out of town; and thirteen-year-old Judd is beginning to grow up, while Jackie's husband Ted is beginning to resent his time working away from home when he knows he should be with his family.
Dora finds herself in the center of change, confused about what she learned and what she still needs to learn, not sure if she can share with her friends, but still through it all realizes that in deciding to help Dolores - who has never asked for help from anyone - she will also be helping herself.
I have found that there are some books you can read and wish you hadn't; others you can read and be happy you read them; still others you will set aside and know that you will read again; and then there are books that only need to be read once to remain with your forever. This is one of those books. In the end, there are secrets in the Glades, as there are everywhere in life. Some are better off never being known. Some need to be told to end a story. Sometimes the secrets don't matter. But if you're lucky, you find out what really does. Highly recommended.
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review but it in no way influenced my decision.
In this book, which takes place the following year of 1964, we learn about another of the members of that book club - Eudora Welty Witherspoon, known to all as Dora. The story begins where the last ended, when Jackie urged Dora to go and find out more about 'her people,' where she came from, and Dora has been doing exactly that in Jackson, Mississippi. But one day Dora receives a telegram from home. The telegram is from Dolores Simpson, who lives in an old shack on the edge of the Everglades. It simply reads that there's trouble, and Dora needs to come home now.
Borrowing money from her landlady, she boards a bus back home to Collier County with dread filling her, not knowing what the trouble may be. When she arrives at Dolores' shack, Dora discovers the trouble is worse than she thought. Her ex-husband Darryl is back in town, and he's going to build a housing development right where Dolores' shack sits, and it has divided the town into two camps: those that want it, and those that don't.
So Dora, not knowing what to do, not wanting to face Darryl alone, and not wanting to think about what might or even could happen, turns to her friends from the book club - Jackie, Plain Jane, and Mrs. Bailey-White. (Of the remaining members, Dolores' son Robbie-Lee (who is also Dora's best friend), is in New York, and Priscilla is in college; and Miss Lansbury, the librarian, has retired.
But here we have another dilemma: Jackie, Plain Jane and Mrs. Bailey-White are taking care of Priscilla's little girl while Priscilla is in college. While it shouldn't be a problem, and wouldn't today, the crux of the matter is that Priscilla is black, and in the Old South, it was. And with Jackie's tendency to act as if she were still in Boston, she sometimes forgets that things don't work the same way in the South as they do in the North, and it takes longer for life to change. She might not be happy about it, she doesn't like it, but she is learning to understand.
Then there's Judd, Jackie's son, who has been taking care of Dora's home and turtles while Dora's been out of town; and thirteen-year-old Judd is beginning to grow up, while Jackie's husband Ted is beginning to resent his time working away from home when he knows he should be with his family.
Dora finds herself in the center of change, confused about what she learned and what she still needs to learn, not sure if she can share with her friends, but still through it all realizes that in deciding to help Dolores - who has never asked for help from anyone - she will also be helping herself.
I have found that there are some books you can read and wish you hadn't; others you can read and be happy you read them; still others you will set aside and know that you will read again; and then there are books that only need to be read once to remain with your forever. This is one of those books. In the end, there are secrets in the Glades, as there are everywhere in life. Some are better off never being known. Some need to be told to end a story. Sometimes the secrets don't matter. But if you're lucky, you find out what really does. Highly recommended.
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review but it in no way influenced my decision.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 31, 2015
I received Miss Dreamsville and the Lost Heiress of Collier County from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This does not influence my opinions or the content of my review.
I read Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women's Literary Society about a year ago, and will confess now that I found it just OK. I requested this second novel from NetGalley because I am always willing to give a second chance, and I'm very glad I did. After reading this second installment, which has the same characters and cadence, I really don't know why I was so "meh" about the first book. I must have been a grump that week, because this second book about the diverse readers of small town Naples, FL circa 1962 is funny, endearing, and interesting all at the same time. It is well-plotted and has many relevant topics to attract a variety of readers. In 1962, Naples was not the refuge from Northern winters it is today, Walt Disney was just starting to buy up swampland, and the Everglades were considered a waste of good land by many. There are at least six references to Elizabeth Taylor, an actress and personality at her peak in the early 1960s, information about race relations in Florida at the time, and the role of women in society
There is something for everyone in this book, which can be seen as a light, quick read, if one so chooses, or thought about and discussed for the more political topics. Miss Dreamsville and the Lost Heiress of Collier County would encourage discussion on a variety of topics with a book group and I highly recommend it. Reading the first novel, Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women's Literary Society, where Jackie first moves to Naples and starts to shake things up is not required to follow the second story.
I read Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women's Literary Society about a year ago, and will confess now that I found it just OK. I requested this second novel from NetGalley because I am always willing to give a second chance, and I'm very glad I did. After reading this second installment, which has the same characters and cadence, I really don't know why I was so "meh" about the first book. I must have been a grump that week, because this second book about the diverse readers of small town Naples, FL circa 1962 is funny, endearing, and interesting all at the same time. It is well-plotted and has many relevant topics to attract a variety of readers. In 1962, Naples was not the refuge from Northern winters it is today, Walt Disney was just starting to buy up swampland, and the Everglades were considered a waste of good land by many. There are at least six references to Elizabeth Taylor, an actress and personality at her peak in the early 1960s, information about race relations in Florida at the time, and the role of women in society
There is something for everyone in this book, which can be seen as a light, quick read, if one so chooses, or thought about and discussed for the more political topics. Miss Dreamsville and the Lost Heiress of Collier County would encourage discussion on a variety of topics with a book group and I highly recommend it. Reading the first novel, Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women's Literary Society, where Jackie first moves to Naples and starts to shake things up is not required to follow the second story.
September 13, 2015
I was amused to see Naples Florida described in “Miss Dreamsville and the Lost Heiress of Collier County” as 'the end of the earth,' for a real estate broker in Tampa used exactly those words to describe it to my parents a dozen years earlier than the time in which this book is set. Fortunately, they did not listen to him and I grew up there — and remember it as being somewhat more sophisticated than the sleepy little Southern town Ms Hearth describes. That doesn't matter; I am sure her literary license is up to date.
In some ways, I consider this sequel to “Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women's Literary Society” to be superior to its predecessor. It certainly has a more compelling plot (with some nice twists) and the characters have more chance to grow. On the other hand, there are passages of back-story and info-dumps and redundant descriptions that detract somewhat from the flow of the narrative. The first book was definitely more tightly written. Or more thoroughly edited.
Over all, it is a decent. entertaining read, and interesting enough, with just a dash of mystery, to keep one turning pages.
In some ways, I consider this sequel to “Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women's Literary Society” to be superior to its predecessor. It certainly has a more compelling plot (with some nice twists) and the characters have more chance to grow. On the other hand, there are passages of back-story and info-dumps and redundant descriptions that detract somewhat from the flow of the narrative. The first book was definitely more tightly written. Or more thoroughly edited.
Over all, it is a decent. entertaining read, and interesting enough, with just a dash of mystery, to keep one turning pages.
October 21, 2015
Miss Dreamsville and the Lost Heiress of Collier County is Southern fiction at its best! Set in 1964 in Collier County, Florida, we meet a most entertaining and diverse group of characters. Dora Witherspoon was summoned by ex-stripper/alligator hunter Dolores Simpson to return immediately to Collier County to deal with Dora's ex-husband Darryl and his proposed development in the Collier County everglades. Dora teams up with her other book club members to come up with the best way to stop Darryl in his tracks and many adventures ensue. We also get the chance to see the characters struggle with how best to handle the civil rights movement and how the movement tracked through the South.
I loved the characters in the book and have already put the first book Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women's Literary Society on my to-read list. This book would make a wonderful film and I think book clubs would also enjoy it.
I received this book from Atria Books through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. See all of my reviews: www.walleysbookreviews.com
I loved the characters in the book and have already put the first book Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women's Literary Society on my to-read list. This book would make a wonderful film and I think book clubs would also enjoy it.
I received this book from Atria Books through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. See all of my reviews: www.walleysbookreviews.com
August 16, 2015
I was given an advanced copy of Miss Dreamsville and the Lost Heiress of Collier County by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
When I saw that this book was a sequel, I decided to purchase the first book Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women's Literary Society to read first. I live in Charlotte County Florida, which is just a hair North of Collier County, so the local aspect of these books was a big draw. I enjoy reading books that are set in places I have visited or lived.
I thoroughly enjoyed both of the books. I don't like to give too much detail so I don't spoil the books. Quirky characters are throughout both books.
When Robbie-lee's mother, Dolores, contacts Dora to ask for help fighting Dora's ex-husbands plans to build a new development by filling in part of the Everglades. Many secrets are revealed.
When I saw that this book was a sequel, I decided to purchase the first book Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women's Literary Society to read first. I live in Charlotte County Florida, which is just a hair North of Collier County, so the local aspect of these books was a big draw. I enjoy reading books that are set in places I have visited or lived.
I thoroughly enjoyed both of the books. I don't like to give too much detail so I don't spoil the books. Quirky characters are throughout both books.
When Robbie-lee's mother, Dolores, contacts Dora to ask for help fighting Dora's ex-husbands plans to build a new development by filling in part of the Everglades. Many secrets are revealed.
September 20, 2015
This is a sequel to Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women's Literary Society. I enjoyed the first book much better. In her new book, the members of the literary society are reunited to fight against a huge residential development in Naples, Florida, being built by Dora's ex-husband, Darryl. The original Miss Dreamsville, Jackie Hart, fights the fight because the development is called DREAMSVILLE, and others from the group join in to preserve the waterways and nature in the nearby Everglades. Told in 1964, the community is still reeling from Kennedy's assassination and the Civil Rights movement, although, Collier County is literally untouched by it.
There is a touch of Fannie Flagg humor is this book but it doesn't quite hit the mark like Fannie.
There is a touch of Fannie Flagg humor is this book but it doesn't quite hit the mark like Fannie.
September 11, 2015
Sissy: When I realized that one of the main characters was a stripper turned alligator hunter, I was hooked. I just had to know more about Dolores Simpson. Miss Dreamsville and the Lost Heiress of Collier County (there! I wrote out the whole long thing) is chock-full of similar fascinating personalities, like a good Southern seafood gumbo is chock-full of shrimp. Bubby: I’ve never eaten gumbo, seafood or otherwise, but I’ll agree with Sissy’s analogy. There’s just so much good stuff packed into this novel. Read our full review of Miss Dreamsville and the Lost Heiress of Collier County.
June 28, 2017
Easy summer read.
July 16, 2015
While this is a follow-up to a previous novel, "Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Literary Society" with the same characters, the author provides a summary of each one's activities early in this book. I found this very helpful because it has been awhile since I read the first book and I didn't remember the details well. This book picks up smoothly where the first ended and follows a few storylines closely. This is an easy, comfortable, relaxing book. It creates the sense of visiting with old friends at a leisurely pace. There's a nice surprise at the end. I received this book from NetGalley.
November 10, 2015
My bookclub read Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women's Literary Society in 2013 as part of our theme, "Books About Florida". The author was gracious enough to join the group via Skype. We loved the book and Amy Hill Hearth's description of Florida during that time (mid 60's) are so real. Her latest book is the sequel taking place a year later. It was a joy to revisit the characters and find out what they had been doing. The characters and content are diverse reflecting beliefs and attitudes of that moment in time. Full of southern humor, you will get some great laughs.
June 23, 2015
I really enjoyed this fast, fun sequel to Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women's Literary Society. Southern fiction is already my wheelhouse, and this one is a sweet, sassy, sharp witted tale of friendship, family, and forgiveness. Reminiscent of Fannie Flagg (which from me is high praise), Amy Hill Hearth makes a reader laugh, and smile, and want to visit Collier County.
April 8, 2015
Our bookclub here in Collier County HAD to read this wonderful book! Miss Dreamsville chronicles the history of early Naples, Florida and the quirky characters make you laugh and appreciate how Naples was in the 60's - not too long ago!
We met Amy Hill Hearth at a Breakfast discussion - she is very funny, very witty and a wonderful story-teller. She advised us that a sequel to Miss Dreamsville is coming soon!
Nice Bookclub discussion material.
We met Amy Hill Hearth at a Breakfast discussion - she is very funny, very witty and a wonderful story-teller. She advised us that a sequel to Miss Dreamsville is coming soon!
Nice Bookclub discussion material.
June 16, 2015
I received a copy of Miss Dreamsville and the Lost Heiress of Collier County as a preread from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Having now finished this book, I wish I had read the first one! I'm putting it on my list from our local library.
I enjoyed being taken back in time (1964) to Florida, realizing just how different life in the south was, compared to life here in New England.
I look forward to learning more about Dora & her friends!
Having now finished this book, I wish I had read the first one! I'm putting it on my list from our local library.
I enjoyed being taken back in time (1964) to Florida, realizing just how different life in the south was, compared to life here in New England.
I look forward to learning more about Dora & her friends!
October 1, 2015
Great sequel! In the late summer of 1964, the members of the Collier County Women's Literary Society gather together after being apart for some time. Their mission is to stop the development of houses along the river where Robbie Lee's (the lone male in the book group) mother lives in a shack. Filled with the joy and hard aches of living in a small town, this historical novel brings humor with the delight of friendship built on very different personalities. Can be read as a stand alone too!
April 16, 2016
I vacation in Collier County and was interested in Hearth's take on it. The book is a little like The Help in that it is southern and in the 60's. It provides a southern attitude toward the lower class, Yankees and the race problem without including any of the violence. To this day I am startled when I am referred to as a Yankee. Southerners have a very different outlook about so many things and cannot see why we Yankees are so upset about them.
October 10, 2015
This was cute, but not as good as the first book, which I loved. It didn't help that I had to re-read the first book to figure out what was going on in this one. This was sweet, and it answered some questions that were left over from the last book. I had been hoping for a sequel, so i guess this one did the trick.
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