Charleston’s beloved local author, Dorothea “Dot” Benton Frank, passed away last year after a brief illness. Her passing came as a shock and major loss to the Lowcountry, whose readers have voraciously read her NYT bestsellers since her debut novel, aptly titled Sullivan’s Island. A native of the island, Frank split her time between Sullivan’s and New York in her final years. Since that first novel, Frank was prolific, writing over 18 books that the late author Pat Conroy described as “funny, sexy, and usually damp with sea water.” Frank and her books were so beloved that her fans held a fan fest last spring, featuring events from a downtown Charleston walking tour to a jazz cruise on the Charleston Harbor. Last month Frank fans got one final taste of the author’s writing with the release of Teddy Spaghetti, a kid’s book co-written with Frank’s daughter, Victoria Benton Frank. Victoria told the City Paper: “We are thrilled that our beloved wife and mother has been chosen for best local author. Thank you for all of your support. We miss her like crazy.” —Connelly Hardaway
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Mary Alice Monroe
