Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by: Beth Hoffman

***Received an advance copy of this book courtesy Penguin Group USA

Synopsis

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.

My Review Comments:

I absolutely loved this book and the beautiful description taken from the backdrop of Savannah Georgia. I believe Saving CeeCee is southern literature at its best. When CeeCee loses her Mother, her Great-Aunt Tootie comes to rescue her. Instantly, CeeCee is transported from her home in Ohio to an enchanted world of eccentric women that will shape her to become the girl that she was always meant to be. There are pearls of wisdom spread throughout the book that makes it even more special. In my view, Aunt Tootie was a cross between a steel magnolia disguised as a fairy godmother and guardian angel, and in her spare time is behind the restoration of the historical district and keeps up with her beautiful garden. She was truly an amazing woman. If only we all could have a Great-Aunt Tootie in our life, what a better world we would live in. I highly recommend this book. It shows the true essence of southern hospitality and charm at its best.