Soul-Soothing Books - Saving CeeCee Honeycutt

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman

I read good recommendations about this book and was lucky enough to find a copy at my local Half Price Book store. I am so glad I did because I really enjoyed this book. Actually, I was crying my eyes out by about page 30 - which, if you ask my husband, is a rare occurrence!

Here is the book's summary via Beth Hoffman's website:

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 loved the characters - colorful and strong and so real you just want to go and stay with them (or be one of them!). I loved that it was set in Savannah - my dream destination! Everything you dream/know about Southern women and Savannah is here in this book. It is a true Southern coming-of-age story of a twelve-year-old girl who needs love, compassion, friendship and her own direction.

It was one of those books that you want to read quickly to see what happens, but when you get to near the end, you want it all to slow down so you don't have to end the story. A great summer read.