Thursday, March 10, 2011

"Grayton Beach Affair" - A Talkin' Tourism on Florida's Treasure Coast (and Beyond!) Book Review

On prior shows, the subject of Literary Tourism has come up.

Literary tourism is a type of cultural tourism related to events, places or fictional characters in books.

Literary tourists will travel to places where authors were born, where they lived, or are currently living.  Literary tourists also visit the destinations, restaurants, shops and other venues profiled in books to experience them first-hand.

This is a first for Talkin' Tourism--a book review. We accepted the assignment since it falls into the realm of literary tourism. Those who know Florida, will be transported back to the sleepy seaside town of Grayton Beach. Those who don't know Florida, will learn more about the southern flavor of the Gulf Coast.

Regardless of which category you fit in, if you are a literary tourist, it just might spur a visit to Grayton Beach to discover or rediscover the beach dunes, seaside restaurants, history and small town charm.

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For those of you who love to visit Florida’s Gulf Coast, and even those who don’t, put the Grayton Beach Affair on your spring and summer reading lists.

Author James Harvey combines a romance and war story set in the 1940’s in the seaside town of Grayton Beach. Harvey paints a vivid picture of not only Florida’s panhandle, but also Paris, France and Germany during World War II and the French RĂ©sistance, interweaving espionage, suspense, sacrifice, survival, passion and romance.

Main characters Christian Wolfe and Maggie Neal meet accidently during a stateside German prisoner of war rescue effort. Although their interlude in Grayton Beach is short, it sets the stage for a love that is rekindled post-war near Peachtree Street in Atlanta, Georgia.

Grayton Beach Affair is a quick and easy read, and combines elements that will appeal to both women and men. Harvey captures the southern and Florida small town beachside cultures perfectly.

Grayton Beach Affair will join the collection of Florida-themed books in our personal library.

Keep those Florida-based novels coming Mr. Harvey.
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