Saving CeeCee Honeycutt

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman

Synopsis(borrowed from B&N)

Steel Magnolias meets The Help in this Southern debut novel sparkling with humor, heart, and feminine wisdom

Twelve-year-old CeeCee Honeycutt is in trouble. For years, she has been the caretaker of her psychotic mother, Camille-the tiara-toting, lipstick-smeared laughingstock of an entire town-a woman trapped in her long-ago moment of glory as the 1951 Vidalia Onion Queen. But when Camille is hit by a truck and killed, CeeCee is left to fend for herself. To the rescue comes her previously unknown great-aunt, Tootie Caldwell.

In her vintage Packard convertible, Tootie whisks CeeCee away to Savannah's perfumed world of prosperity and Southern eccentricity, a world that seems to be run entirely by women. From the exotic Miz Thelma Rae Goodpepper, who bathes in her backyard bathtub and uses garden slugs as her secret weapons, to Tootie's all-knowing housekeeper, Oletta Jones, to Violene Hobbs, who entertains a local police officer in her canary-yellow peignoir, the women of Gaston Street keep CeeCee entertained and enthralled for an entire summer.

Laugh-out-loud funny, Beth Hoffman's charming debut novel, which Mary Kay Andrews calls "charming, disarming, sweet as the scent of magnolias on a Southern summer night," hums with wacky humor and down-home heart. It is a novel that explores the indomitable strengths of female friendship and gives us the story of a young girl who loses one mother and finds many others.

My thoughts

This is a great Southern coming of age story about CeeCee Honeycutt, who you just can't help but fall in love with. After her mother's death she is sent to live with her Aunt Tootie in Savannah where she meets a host of amazing strong women who play very different but important roles in her life. Beth Hoffman's descriptions of Savannah are beautiful and I felt as though I were right there. She describes everything from the architecture to the gardens perfectly. I laughed at the shenanigans that take place in the book and I was deeply touched by the love and tenderness of the characters. I especially loved Mrs. Odell and Oletta. I laughed and cried several times reading this book. It really stirs up emotions. I was truly sad to see the book end even though the characters will stay in my heart for a long time. Beth Hoffman has a wonderful storytelling gift and I can't wait to read more from her in the future.

When I first saw this book on a blog(sorry I can't remember who's it was), I knew I had to read this book and I knew I would love it! I went right over to Amazon and put it on my wish list. A short time later I received an email from Beth Hoffman offering me a copy. I was thrilled beyond words! I knew I wanted it to be my first read of the New Year. What a way to start my reading for the year! Oh, my, my! This book is a must read! Thank you to Beth Hoffman for offering me an advanced copy and for writing one of the best books I have read in a long time! In case you can't tell I adored this book!