Hoffman, B. (2010). Saving ceecee honeycutt. New York, NY/USA. The Penguin Group.
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306
306
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ANNOTATION
After tragedy strikes, CeeCee Honeycutt is whisked away to Georgia where she comes of age.
SUMMARY
Cecilia Rose Honeycutt is a twelve-year-old living in Willoughby, Ohio. She is anything but a normal twelve-year-old, and her family is anything but normal. Her mother suffers from psychosis, and because of these her father is all but non-existent in hers and her mother's life what with being gone for work all the time. SO, this leave CeeCee to care for her mother whose mental state deteriorates daily. The only escape for her is reading and spending time with her neighbor, Mrs. Odell. Then one summer afternoon, tragedy strikes, and CeeCee's mother is killed in an auto-pedestrian accident. This event leads to CeeCee being taken to Savannah, Georgia to live with her Great-Aunt Tallulah-or Aunt Tootie. It is here CeeCee if finally able to experience love and nurturing instead of having to constantly provide. it. She is thrust into Southern wealth and posterity. She finally confronts the pain and grief she has been holding in for years.
CeeCee become best friends with Oletta, Aunt Tootie's cook, and the two spend a lot of time together. She also comes to know the neighbors, Miz Goodpepper and Miz Hobbs-mortal enemies if there every were any. Surrounded by strong, confident women, and being in a society run by women, CeeCee comes of age. She learns to not give others power over her life. She learns to allow others to love her. She learns to forgive and grieve, and heal. In the end, CeeCee Honeycutt finds herself surrounded by friends and a family she never thought she'd have in her wildest dreams and a sense of self-worth and confidence she never thought possible.
MY REVIEW
Beth Hoffman transports us to the lush, green, humid, sweet smelling community of Savannah, Georgia in the 1960's where Southern hospitality is everything. Ceecee Honeycutt is left alone after tragedy strikes and turns her world upside down-in a very good way. She become surrounded by the most magnificent women I may have ever had the pleasure to come to know through a book. These women felt less like characters in a book and more like they were real people who I could look up and call. The confidence and tenderness of Aunt Tootie, The warm and nurturing kindess of Mrs. Odell, the strong, loving, and mentoring hand of Oletta-my absolute favorite character whom without her the book would have been nothing-Miz Goodpepper and her eccentricities and preachings of karma, Miz Hobbs and her hilariously delicious hypocrisy, the tragedy that is her mother, and many, many more women who leave an indelible imprint on the soul of CeeCee.
I found my heart broken and mended time and time again. I felt warmth in my souls as I experienced the deep unconditional love and loyalty these women had for each other and for CeeCee. Once in a while we will read something that stirs our souls. This was one of those books for me.
RATING
Quality: Gold
Popularity: Diamond
After tragedy strikes, CeeCee Honeycutt is whisked away to Georgia where she comes of age.
SUMMARY
Cecilia Rose Honeycutt is a twelve-year-old living in Willoughby, Ohio. She is anything but a normal twelve-year-old, and her family is anything but normal. Her mother suffers from psychosis, and because of these her father is all but non-existent in hers and her mother's life what with being gone for work all the time. SO, this leave CeeCee to care for her mother whose mental state deteriorates daily. The only escape for her is reading and spending time with her neighbor, Mrs. Odell. Then one summer afternoon, tragedy strikes, and CeeCee's mother is killed in an auto-pedestrian accident. This event leads to CeeCee being taken to Savannah, Georgia to live with her Great-Aunt Tallulah-or Aunt Tootie. It is here CeeCee if finally able to experience love and nurturing instead of having to constantly provide. it. She is thrust into Southern wealth and posterity. She finally confronts the pain and grief she has been holding in for years.
CeeCee become best friends with Oletta, Aunt Tootie's cook, and the two spend a lot of time together. She also comes to know the neighbors, Miz Goodpepper and Miz Hobbs-mortal enemies if there every were any. Surrounded by strong, confident women, and being in a society run by women, CeeCee comes of age. She learns to not give others power over her life. She learns to allow others to love her. She learns to forgive and grieve, and heal. In the end, CeeCee Honeycutt finds herself surrounded by friends and a family she never thought she'd have in her wildest dreams and a sense of self-worth and confidence she never thought possible.
MY REVIEW
Beth Hoffman transports us to the lush, green, humid, sweet smelling community of Savannah, Georgia in the 1960's where Southern hospitality is everything. Ceecee Honeycutt is left alone after tragedy strikes and turns her world upside down-in a very good way. She become surrounded by the most magnificent women I may have ever had the pleasure to come to know through a book. These women felt less like characters in a book and more like they were real people who I could look up and call. The confidence and tenderness of Aunt Tootie, The warm and nurturing kindess of Mrs. Odell, the strong, loving, and mentoring hand of Oletta-my absolute favorite character whom without her the book would have been nothing-Miz Goodpepper and her eccentricities and preachings of karma, Miz Hobbs and her hilariously delicious hypocrisy, the tragedy that is her mother, and many, many more women who leave an indelible imprint on the soul of CeeCee.
I found my heart broken and mended time and time again. I felt warmth in my souls as I experienced the deep unconditional love and loyalty these women had for each other and for CeeCee. Once in a while we will read something that stirs our souls. This was one of those books for me.
RATING
Quality: Gold
Popularity: Diamond
GENRE & SUB GENRES
Fiction
APPEAL FACTORS
This book presents a solid group of strong, confident, and self-affirming female characters. It offers a glimpse into the dynamics of the Southern culture during the 1960s during the civil rights movement in Georgia. Cecelia Rose Honeycutt is the protagonist and the story is her coming-of-age and how she is influence by the many good women who help her along the way.
BOOKTALKING
The power of forgiveness is not for the forgiven. It is for the forgiver.
Find your passion in life-you "fire"- and once you've found it don't let it go.
We cannot allow fear-and those we fear-to control our lives.We cannot allow others power over our sense of personal freedom.
We do not have to carry our burdens alone. Our loved ones can and want to help. We are worth loving.
DISCUSSION POINTS
CeeCee experience many events in her young life that caused her shame and embarassment because of something her mother or father did. Did you experience any events like this in your life? Any you would like to share?
Reading was a form of escapism for CeeCee during the hardest periods with her mother's condition and the lack of her father's involvement. What was it in your life that caused you to have an interest in reading?
After the attack at the beach, Oletta helps CeeCee "reclaim her power." Are the times in your life where you felt your power was taken away? How did you reclaim it?
One of the underlying themes throughout the book is forgiveness. How hard do you think it was for CeeCee to forgive her parents? What about times in your life when you've had to forgive?
Why is the relationship between Oletta and CeeCee so important to the story? Who is the Oletta in your life?
WHY THIS BOOK?
While looking for books that presented strong female characters this books came up. After reading the synopsis I felt immediately drawn into this book of Southern hospitality and the main character's coming-of-age story in a world run by strong, confident women.
THE AUTHOR
Beth Hoffman
REVIEWS
Looking for Me by Beth Hoffman
Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen
The Sweet Bye and Bye by Todd Johnson
AWARDS
New York Times Bestseller
Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Fiction, Debut Author 2010
POINTS TO REMEMBER
- 1960s Georgia
- Strong Women Protagonists
- Community Unity
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