The Moveable Feast Literary Luncheons Announced

The Moveable Feast Fall 2016

Mostly Fridays, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., $25 each

Literary luncheons with exciting authors at area restaurants

The Moveable Feast is held at area restaurants throughout the year on Fridays, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. On occasion, an author’s book tour schedule is accommodated with a mid-week or even a Saturday Moveable Feast. For each feast, the chef prepares an exquisite menu, typically unavailable during the restaurant’s public hours. The presentation precedes the meal. Individuals, couples, friends, book clubs and other groups are assigned table seating. Each literary luncheon is followed by a book signing at Litchfield Books for those unable to participate in the feast. Each feast is $25 (occasionally more when the book is included); books are available at a 10% discount from Litchfield Books. For schedules and reservations, call 843-235-9600 or www.classatpawleys.com.

August 12 – Curtis J. James (High Hand) at Kimbel’s, Wachesaw

99fca3_5e00fd715b12425eaeb245ef21da7db5Only two people stand in the way of a covert CIA takeover of the White House: Frank Adams, a recovering alcoholic who was once his newspaper’s biggest star, and his ex-wife, Lisa Hawkes, a female James Bond exiled by the government. This remarkable debut spy thriller, combines the driving suspense found in Tom Clancy’s books with John le Carré’s textured tension. Curtis J. James is a pseudonym for the three writers who collaborated on this book. They are Curtis Harris, James Ellenberger, and James Rosen. Curtis Harris is a physician-scientist who is world renowned in the field of cancer research. Medicine. James Ellenberger worked for nearly 30 years in numerous capacities with the national AFL-CIO. A Vietnam War veteran, he has traveled extensively in Asia and the Middle East. James Rosen is Pentagon correspondent for the McClatchy Co., based in its Washington, DC, bureau.

 

Tuesday, August 16 – Kim Wright (Last Ride to Graceland) and

Joy Callaway (Fifth Avenue Artists Society) at Kimbel’s, Wachesaw

Lauded for her “astute and engrossing” (People) writing style imbued with “originality galore” (RT Book Reviews), Kim Wright channels the best of Jennifer Weiner and Sarah Pekkanen in this delightful novel of self-discovery on the open road as one woman sets out for Graceland hoping to answer the question: Is Elvis Presley her father? Blues musician Cory Ainsworth is barely scraping by after her mother’s death when she discovers a priceless piece of rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia hidden away in a shed out back of the family’s coastal South Carolina home: Elvis Presley’s Stutz Blackhawk, its interior a time capsule of the singer’s last day on earth. A backup singer for the King, Cory’s mother Honey was at Graceland the day Elvis died. She quickly returned home to Beaufort and married her high school sweetheart. Yearning to uncover the secrets of her mother’s past – and possibly her own identity – Cory decides to drive the car back to Memphis and turn it over to Elvis’s estate, retracing the exact route her mother took thirty-seven years earlier. As she winds her way through the sprawling deep South with its quaint towns and long stretches of open road, the burning question in Cory’s mind – who is my father? – takes a backseat to the truth she learns about her complicated mother, the minister’s daughter who spent a lifetime struggling to conceal the consequences of a single year of rebellion.

Historical novelist Joy Callaway takes us to The Bronx, 1891. Virginia Loftin, the boldest of four artistic sisters in a family living in genteel poverty, knows what she wants most: to become a celebrated novelist despite her gender, and to marry Charlie, the boy next door and her first love. When Charlie proposes instead to a woman from a wealthy family, Ginny is devastated; shutting out her family, she holes up and turns their story into fiction, obsessively rewriting a better ending. Though she works with newfound intensity, literary success eludes her-until she attends a salon hosted in her brother’s writer friend John Hopper’s Fifth Avenue mansion. Among painters, musicians, actors, and writers, Ginny returns to herself, even blooming under the handsome, enigmatic John’s increasingly romantic attentions. Just as she and her siblings have become swept up in the society, though, Charlie throws himself back into her path, and Ginny learns that the salon’s bright lights may be obscuring some dark shadows. Torn between two worlds that aren’t quite as she’d imagined them, Ginny will realize how high the stakes are for her family, her writing, and her chance at love.

August 19 – Carla Damron (The Stone Necklace) at Inlet Affairs

Clawing chest pains and a fiery car crash take one life and change the destiny of four others. Debut novelist Damron braids together the stories of a grieving widow, a struggling nurse, a young mother, and a troubled homeless man, reminding us of the empowering and surprising ways our lives touch one another and how, together, we can recover from even the greatest of losses. Weighted down by their respective pasts, the four Columbia, SC, characters must make life-altering choices that reverberate into the fates of the others, ultimately bringing them together in unexpected but healing acts of compassion, forgiveness, and redemption.

 

August 26 – T.D. Johnston (Friday Afternoon and Other Stories) at Carefree Catering

Memorable in the fashion of a favorite music album, this eclectic series of powerful tales range from humor to tragedy, from epiphany to comeuppance, from history to the future, reflecting the variety of conflicts and experiences present in the human condition. Johnston’s short stories have appeared in numerous acclaimed magazines and anthologies, including Hobart, PineStraw Magazine, Mulberry Fork Review, Literary Juice, Civil War Camp Chest, Rod Serling Books’ inaugural anthology, Submitted for Your Approval, and Short Story America anthologies of contemporary short fiction, where he serves as publisher and editor. He also serves on the Board of Governors of the South Carolina Academy of Authors.

 

Sept. 2 – Kim Boykin (Echoes of Mercy) at Pawleys Plantation

“Forty years of atonement ought to count for something. After all, Billie Warren was just nine years old when she did what she did. She’d hoped the memory of that one horrible act would be diluted by time, by the birth of her daughter, and the death of her father. But the recollection was always there, following her around like a pack of lost dogs…” And with that opening, Boykin is off and running with her newest novel, the kind of book (says Huffington Post) “that makes you want to lock the door, turn off the phone and read every page straight through to the end.” The author of A Peach of a Pair, Palmetto Moon and The Wisdom of Hair, Boykin is every soccer mom’s dream come true – an acclaimed writer whose stories started in snippets while cheering from the bleachers.

 

Sept. 9 ~ Jim Casada (Bird Dog Days, Wingshooting Ways:

Archibald Rutledge’s Tales of Upland Hunting) at Sea View Inn

Archibald Rutledge has long been recognized as one of the finest sporting scribes this country has ever produced. A prolific writer who specialized in stories on nature and hunting, over the course of a long and prolific career, Rutledge produced more than fifty books of poetry and prose, held the position of South Carolina’s poet laureate for thirty-three years, and garnered numerous honorary degrees and prizes for his writings. In this revised and expanded edition of Bird Dog Days, Wingshooting Ways, noted outdoor writer Jim Casada draws together Rutledge’s stories on the Southern heartland, deer hunting, turkey hunting, and Carolina Christmas hunts and traditions. This collection, first published in 1998, turns to Rutledge’s writings on two subjects near and dear to his heart that he understood with an intimacy growing out of a lifetime of experience – upland bird hunting and hunting dogs. Its contents range from delightful tales of quail and grouse hunts to pieces on special dogs and some of their traits. Bird Dog Days, Wingshooting Ways also includes a long fictional piece, “The Odyssey of Bolio,” which shows that Rutledge’s literary mastery extended beyond simple tales for outdoorsmen.

 

Sept. 16 ~ Susan Boyer (Lowcountry Book Club) at Ocean One

The USA Today bestselling author and winner of multiple awards, including the Agatha Award for Best First Novel and the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense, Boyer is back with her fifth in the Liz Talbot mystery series. Somebody pushed Shelby Poinsett Gerhardt out her second-floor library window, and it wasn’t her husband. At least that’s what Charleston’s most prestigious law firm wants Liz to prove. To bring the killer to justice, Liz must run the spectrum of Southern society, from the local homeless shelter where Shelby volunteered to the one-hundred-year-old book club where Charleston’s genteel ladies are dying to join. “Boyer delivers a beach read filled with quirky, endearing characters and a masterfully layered mystery, all set in the lush lowcountry. Don’t miss this one!” (Mary Alice Monroe)

 

Sept. 23 ~ Robert Hicks (The Orphan Mother) at Kimbel’s, Wachesaw

An epic account of one remarkable woman’s quest for justice from the New York Times bestselling author of The Widow of the South and A Separate Country. In the years following the Civil War, Mariah Reddick, former slave to Carrie McGavock – the “Widow of the South” – has quietly built a new life for herself as a midwife to the women of Franklin, Tennessee. But when her ambitious, politically-minded grown son, Theopolis, is murdered, Mariah – no stranger to loss – finds her world once more breaking apart. How could this happen? Who wanted him dead? Mariah’s journey to uncover the truth leads her to unexpected people – including George Tole, a recent arrival to town, fleeing a difficult past of his own – and forces her to confront the truths of her own past. Brimming with the vivid prose and historical research that has won Robert Hicks recognition as a “master storyteller” (San Francisco Chronicle).

 

Sept. 30 ~ Kathryn Smith (The Gatekeeper: Missy LeHand, FDR, and the Untold Story

of the Partnership That Defined a Presidency) at Inlet Affairs

The first biography of arguably the most influential member of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s administration, Marguerite “Missy” LeHand, FDR’s de facto chief of staff, who has been misrepresented, mischaracterized, and overlooked throughout history…until now. Widely considered the first female presidential chief of staff, Marguerite “Missy” LeHand was the right-hand woman to Franklin Delano Roosevelt – both personally and professionally – for more than twenty years. Although her official title as personal secretary was relatively humble, her power and influence were unparalleled. Everyone in the White House knew one truth: If you wanted access to Franklin, you had to get through Missy. She was one of his most trusted advisors, affording her a unique perspective on the president that no one else could claim, and she was deeply admired and respected by Eleanor and the Roosevelt children. With unprecedented access to Missy’s family and original source materials, journalist Kathryn Smith tells the captivating and forgotten story of the intelligent, loyal, and clever woman who had a front-row seat to history in the making. The Gatekeeper is a thoughtful, revealing unsung-hero story about a woman ahead of her time, the true weight of her responsibility, and the tumultuous era in which she lived – and a long overdue tribute to one of the most important female figures in American history.

 

SAT., Oct. 8 (12-2 pm) ~ Geraldine Brooks (Secret Chord)

at Pawleys Plantation, $45 (includes book)

A master of bringing the past alive, Pulitzer Prize winner (March) and international bestseller (Caleb’s Crossing) Geraldine Brooks seems able to time travel. Sometimes, reading her work, she draws you so thoroughly into another era that you swear she’s actually lived in it. Peeling away the myth to bring the Old Testament’s King David to life in Second Iron Age Israel, Brooks traces the arc of his journey from obscurity to fame, from shepherd to soldier, from hero to traitor, from beloved king to murderous despot and into his remorseful and diminished dotage. The Secret Chord provides new context for some of the best-known episodes of David’s life while also focusing on others that have been neglected. We see David through the eyes of those who love him or fear him – from the prophet Natan, voice of his conscience, to his wives Mikhal, Avigail, and Batsheva, and finally to Solomon, the late-born son who redeems his Lear-like old age. Brooks has an uncanny ability to hear and transform characters from history, and this beautifully written, unvarnished saga of faith, desire, family, ambition, betrayal, and power will enthrall her many fans. This special Saturday Moveable Feast is $45 (including the book), and will begin with lunch at noon, followed by Brooks’ presentation and book signing.

 

Oct. 14 ~ Erika Marks (The Last Treasure) and Marybeth Whalen

(The Things We Wish Were True) at Kimbel’s, Wachesaw

It’s been almost a decade since Liv, Whit and Sam were together. The three students became fast friends over their fascination with the lost schooner Patriot, which disappeared of the coast of North Carolina in 1813. Liv is particularly interested in the fate of passenger Theodosia Burr, daughter of Aaron Burr; there have been rumors about Theodosia and the wreck for over 200 years. But the little group breaks up when Liv falls for the charismatic Whit, leaving Sam out in the cold. Now, Liv has left her obsession with the Patriot behind to concentrate on her diving career and her increasingly contentious marriage to Whit. When Liv is able to read a diary written by Theodosia Burr at a museum, she gets caught up in the excitement of the search again and the three old friends reunite in another attempt to find the ship. The real star of this story is the Patriot and all the rumors surrounding Theodosia Burr.

 

From the author of The Mailbox (which sent numerous readers in search of it on the North Carolina coast) comes a novel about an idyllic small-town neighborhood when a near-tragedy triggers a series of dark revelations. From the outside, Sycamore Glen, North Carolina, might look like the perfect all-American neighborhood. But behind the white picket fences lies a web of secrets that reach from house to house. Up and down the streets, neighbors quietly bear the weight of their own pasts until an accident at the community pool upsets the delicate equilibrium. And when tragic circumstances compel a woman to return to Sycamore Glen after years of self-imposed banishment, the tangle of the neighbors’ intertwined lives begins to unravel. During the course of a sweltering summer, long-buried secrets are revealed, and the neighbors learn that it’s impossible to really know those closest to us. But is it impossible to love and forgive them?

 

Oct. 21 ~ Janice Y. K. Lee (The Expatriates) at Ocean One, Litchfield

Following her New York Times bestselling debut (The Piano Teacher) where she was described as a “female, funny Henry James in Asia,” Lee’s long-awaited new novel explores the emotions, identities and relationships of three very different American women living in the same small expat community in Hong Kong. Mercy, a young Korean American and recent Columbia graduate, is adrift, undone by a terrible incident in her recent past. Hilary, a wealthy housewife, is haunted by her struggle to have a child, something she believes could save her foundering marriage. Meanwhile, Margaret, once a happily married mother of three, questions her maternal identity in the wake of a shattering loss. As each woman struggles with her own demons, their lives collide in ways that have irreversible consequences for them all. Atmospheric, moving and utterly compelling, The Expatriates confirms Lee as an exceptional talent and one of our keenest observers of women’s inner lives.

 

Oct. 28 ~ Mary Alice Monroe (A Lowcountry Christmas) at Pawleys Plantation

Lucky us! Two Mary Alice books in one year! In this poignant continuation of the Lowcountry Summer series, a wounded warrior and his younger brother discover the true meaning of Christmas. As far as ten-year-old Miller McClellan is concerned, it’s the worst Christmas ever. His father’s shrimp boat is docked, his mother is working two jobs, and with finances strained, Miller is told they can’t afford the dog he desperately wants. “Your brother’s return from war is our family’s gift,” his parents tell him. But when Taylor returns with PTSD, family strains darken the holidays. Then Taylor’s service dog arrives – a large black Labrador/Great Dane named Thor. His brother even got the dog! When Miller goes out on Christmas Eve with his father’s axe, determined to get his family the tree they can’t afford, he takes the dog for company – but accidentally winds up lost in the wild forest. The splintered family must come together to rediscover their strengths, family bond, and the true meaning of Christmas.

 

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