Moon Over Edisto

December 3, 2012
Hart (Sunrise on the Battery) has crafted a heartwarming story of compassion and forgiveness amid the colorful landscape of South Carolina’s low country. Julia Bennett enjoyed an idyllic life growing up in a stately home in Charleston with younger sister, Meg. Their father Charles, a lawyer who loved to paint, and their mother Mary Ellen, a homemaker who loved to cook, completed their perfect nuclear family. The family drew even closer when at their rustic cottage on Edisto Island. There they would “wet a line,” paint, and frolic in the warm summer sun, often in the company of Marney, Julia’s best friend from college, until circumstances left Marney and Charles spending a summer alone at the cottage. Charles’ indiscretion did more than end his marriage; it devastated his relationship with his daughters and the girls’ relationship with each other. Only Aunt Dot seems to be able to bridge the gap between family members, until Marney has a need that only Julia can meet. Hart’s rich detail enhances each element, from the mouthwatering menus to the soul-wrenching confrontations, in this engaging and thought-provoking tale. Agent: Mark Gilroy