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Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman

Twelve-year-old CeeCee is in trouble. For years she’s been the caretaker of her psychotic mother, Camille— the crown-wearing, lipstick-smeared laughingstock of an entire town. Though it’s 1967 and they live in Ohio, Camille believes it’s 1951 and she’s just been crowned the Vidalia Onion Queen of Georgia.

The day CeeCee discovers Camille in the front yard wearing a tattered prom dress and tiara as she blows kisses to passing motorists, she knows her mother has completely flipped. When tragedy strikes, Tootie Caldwell, a previously unknown great-aunt comes to CeeCee’s rescue and whisks her away to Savannah. Within hours of her arrival, CeeCee is catapulted into a perfumed world of prosperity and Southern eccentricities—a world that appears to be run entirely by women.

While Tootie is busy saving Savannah’s endangered historic homes from the wrecking ball, CeeCee encounters a cast of unforgettable, eccentric characters. From the mysterious Thelma Rae Goodpepper, who bathes in an outdoor tub under the watchful eyes of a voyeuristic peacock, to Oletta Jones, the all-knowing household cook, to Violene Hobbs, the loud-mouthed widow who entertains a local police officer in her yellow see-through peignoir, the women of Gaston Street keep CeeCee entertained and enthralled for an entire summer.

But CeeCee’s view of the world is challenged in ways she could have never imagined: there are secrets to keep, injustices to face, and loyalties to uphold. Just as she begins to find her ballast and experiences a sense of belonging, her newfound joy collides with the long-held fear that her mother’s legacy has left her destined for destruction.

Laugh-out-loud funny, at times heartbreaking, and written in a pitch-perfect voice, Saving CeeCee Honeycutt is a spirited Southern tale that explores the intricate frailties and strengths of female relationships while illuminating the journey of a young girl who loses her mother but finds many others.

I absolutely adored this book and I think Beth Hoffman is a writer who is going to be delighting readers for years to come. But this particular post is about much more than just her novel, SAVING CEECEE HONEYCUTT, it’s about her journey as a debut novelist. Beth recently guest-posted on The Book Lady’s Blog about the importance of book bloggers and the impact they have on the success of a book. Essentially book bloggers are readers who like to share the good books they’ve read. Read the essay here and check out Beth Hoffman’s website here.

Hello there Funky Fruiters!!!

As usual we're running a little slow so here I (Christy) am with a book recommendation to keep you going until our next post goes up, which should hopefully be next week after my sidekick, Kristi gets back from vacation (must be nice huh?)

Anyhoo........without further delay, I simply can not say enough about this Help like read that is absolutely WONDERFUL!!!!

Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman (NO SPOILERS so feel free to read ahead)

If you liked (or loved in our case) The Help by Kathyrn Stockett, you will simply adore this novel of deep Southern wonderfulness!!! It follows the story of a young girl, who moves to Savannah, Georgia after her mother is involved in a tragic accident and her father is mentally and physically unavailable. Cee Cee meets her Aunt Tootie and company and learns what it's like to be a southerner as well as why her mother had an undying love for the south.

This book will not only make you want to run out and buy every Paula Deen cookbook you can get your hands on, but it may even make you consider moving to Savannah. The women in this story are simply unbelievable and I think all of us would love the neighborly way they exist. I personally even asked my husband if he'd consider it (ok a little drastic being that I've never even been there - so who knows maybe someday I'll get down there and check it out because it almost sounds too good to be true!!) This is a wonderful Spring time read that will leave you begging for a sequel!!!

So check out Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt and I dare you to disagree with me!! :)

Happy fruiting and we'll see you soon!!!!!