Posts
Pages: 306
Published: 2010
Publisher: Penguin
Source: My bookshelf
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.
My thoughts:
After my last two disappointments I knew I needed something to good, but what? I had heard such good things about this one and sometimes lit fiction is just the thing to get you out of that rut. And I was right.
This book was just plain charming, sweet, up-lifting and filled with wisdom and friendship. It was just the kind of book I needed. And all those things I had heard were true, Hoffman has a good voice and she weaves a magical story in a way. A delightful book that still deals with some heavy things.
Poor CeeCee, her mum is crazy and her dad is always away. The kids at school laugh at her cos of her mum, and even the grown-ups stay away. I just felt so sorry for that poor child, at least this did have one friend in an elderly woman, but life was hard for her. She had to take care of everything. And her mum's death left her with big scars, but that is what this book deals with. Coming to terms with those scars and finding friends. Never have I been happier to see someone make friends in this book because she was so deserving.
The writing is wonderful, there is always something warm over the whole book and at the end I smiled. All was well and it left that same warm feeling inside of me that was found in the book.
Conclusion:
A great book that I recommend warmly and I have my fellow booklovers to thank for reading it.
Cover:
Fitting
I like books which leaves me with the warm fuzzy feeling :)
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad it was good! I have this near the top of my TBR pile.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful review of my novel. I'm delighted that you enjoyed CeeCee's story and appreciate your kind words! Thank you so much.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!
Yay! I am so pleased you loved it too. I love this book completely.
ReplyDeleteI loved this book!
ReplyDeleteCherry
ReplyDeleteIt was a truly lovely book and I could almost smell the scents of the south in the air :)
Diana
I hope you will enjoy it too
Vivienne
Hihi, I know ;) And i am glad I listened to what everyone else was saying. I knew I had to have it.
Happy New Year Beth :D
it sure was mostly cos of Vivienne, she sure knows the way to spread the word about your book
I loved this book too, and still think about CeeCee and Oletta!
ReplyDeleteI've been wanting to read this one, I have heard nothing but great things about it!
ReplyDeleteNice review Blod :)
This one is on my shelves and I can't wait to get to it. Glad it broke your reading slump :)
ReplyDeleteThis is a different book from what you usually review here but you pretty much affirmed other reviews I've read. And yay for the author commenting!
ReplyDeleteYes! So glad that you read it and loved it too!
ReplyDeleteHmm... I hadn't heard of this book before, but I'm a big fan of books that get you out of a rut and have uplifting messages. :)
ReplyDeleteOh this one sounds so sweet! I think I need to pull this one off of my shelves for 2012!
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard about this book until now, it sounds fantastic. I will add it to my TBR for one of those days I need a good book after a reading slump.
ReplyDeleteOhhh...I think I'll like this one. It's one of the first I downloaded to my Nook, but haven't read yet. I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteI really liked it too! It was just plain heartwarming and I loved Cee-Cee :)
ReplyDeleteBermuda
ReplyDeleteIt was such a lovely book and I would love to know people like this.
Naida
It is as good as you have heard :D I do hope you get to read it soon
Jenny G
It sure did. There is nothing like good old fiction to break a slump. And I am glad to hear that you got it.
Steph
I do not get around to fiction that often these days, true. Ever since I started blogging I have found so many other things to love :)
Yay indeed :D
Staci
ReplyDeleteI am very happy to have read it.
Missie
You haven't? Then I am so very happy to having introduced you to it. Such a wonderful little book.
Amused
If is sitting there then yes it needs to be read.
BookCat
I am glad to hear that, and I am happy to introduce this author to more bloggers. Because I would not have found this gem without the blogging world.
Yvonne
I am sure you will enjoy it too.
Felicia
So very heartwarming :D
I have heard wonderful things about this one but I have just not picked it up yet. Glad to know you enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteLinda
ReplyDeleteI am sure you would enjoy it too :)
Jennie
ReplyDeleteIt sure was lovely :D
I haven't heard about this one either but it does sound sweet in a positive way. When my monster fixation is over I might look for it!
ReplyDeleteAna
ReplyDeleteLol, it would certainly be different from those monster books you are reading right now. perhaps you would even have to read something between those and this one ;)
I have this book, but haven't read it yet. So glad you liked it. I'm looking forward to reading it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review. :)
Happy New Year!
Yay for a book you loved!
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard about this book before, but it sounds so good. I am totally gonna add this to my tar list now :) I really need to read a heartwarming story right now. Hehe. It sounds a little like So.B.It?
ReplyDeleteSounds very heart warming and sweet. I'm sure I would like this one too.
ReplyDeleteYaY! So glad you found one that you liked after the bad start to the year. You know that means I so need to add it to my ever growing wishlist. Yep, never catching up with that list. :D
ReplyDeleteOh so glad you found a warm book to relax and recover with. :) Very nice review.
ReplyDeleteI've heard only positive things about this novel. I need to get to it asap.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!
It sounds cute! If you're looking for a pick-me-up book, BET ME by Jennifer Crusie is a cute contemp romance you might like. I just recommended it to Nat (Wicked Little Pixie) and she loved it. :)
ReplyDelete<3,
-J
I loved this sooo much, made my favorite read list last year, so glad you loved it too :)
ReplyDeleteCE Hart
ReplyDeleteI hope you will enjoy it too :)
happy New Year!
Oh and I could not get into your blog for some reason :/
Chris
YAY :D
Wdebo
...So.B? Hm, I can't figure out what you mean with that.
But yes heartwarming and lovely, totally worth the time.
Jenny
I am sure you would, it is just a feel good book.
Melissa
Hihi, yes you have to! And you would like it. Sweet and nice, with a happy ending. Because those are truly needed.
Melissa My
ReplyDeleteIt was needed. Now I can go into the new year witha smile.
DC
Happy New Year!!
I hope it will be a good one for you.
Jess Haines
I saw the 4th book on GD by the way, yay, I can't wait to read it!
Anyway, bet me..hm, I do think I have read that one, I have read some of the Crusie ones in Swedish. And this one might have been one of those
Teddy
So good, and i am happy to have finally read it
Nice review, and I am glad it made you happy, but not really my kind of book.
ReplyDeleteGlad to see you loved this book as much as I did! Happy new year!!
ReplyDeleteAurian
ReplyDeleteNo? But fiction is always so good :)
Anna
I sure did :D Such a wonderful book
i've heard so many wonderful things about this book!
ReplyDeleteCarrie
ReplyDeleteIt is truly lovely :) I am sure you'd love it too
It's a cute book, I've been telling all my blogger/rom-reading friends about it lately. :)
ReplyDeleteI'll let you know when I have STO ARCs!
<3,
-J
Jess Haines
ReplyDeleteI can't wait :D Cos you were so eeeeevil in that last book, so very evil
I have owned this book for a couple of years now. Still haven't read it!
ReplyDeleteThis book does sound very lovely! I'm glad that it helped get you out of the rut off the bad books!
ReplyDeleteMarg
ReplyDeleteOh you must read it!
Deanna
It was just what I needed :)