Receive Your Copy Saving CeeCee Honeycutt Written By Beth Hoffman Issued As Publication
wasn't the worst book I've ever read, but it was pretty flat, and I was disappointed after all the good reviews I read about it, And I had a lot of issues with the book that stopped me from really enjoying it:
The characters were pretty flat and stereotypical, The benevolent old Southern white society lady who saves her little grandniece, Her grumpybutohsoloveable black maid. The smart but troubled young girl, The crazy mother. I was very aware that these were characters, made up by some author, I particularly had issues with the crazy mom, The author clearly tried to give her some depth, but the character just felt so overdone, I tend to be really critical of "Mentally Ill Mother" characters becausethey're a commonly used plot device, and they have to be really wellwritten to pull it off, andmy mother struggled with alcoholism and depression when I was growing up, so I generally either really relate to the stories or it just seems phony to me.
In this story, it seemed contrived, I don't know maybe the author really had experiences like CeeCee's, and maybe some people with mamaissues related to this story, but I sure didn't,
There wasn't really any conflict in this story, I guess the conflict was supposed to have been CeeCee coming to terms with the loss of her mother, which I found utterly uncompelling, or the issues related to Oletta and her friends killing a white man, which was neatly wrapped up in a page.
But honestly, it waspages of CeeCee living the charmed life in her big rich Southern house with her big rich Southern aunt, Gee, how interesting.
And then there was this little gem: "Northerners have no idea what real living means, and they don't know a damn thing about etiquette or hospitality, " Oh, whatever. This book romanticizes the South to a ridiculous degree, Maybe its just my Minnesota pride talking, but it really grated on my nerves and Im not against Southern charm in novels by any means, But I dont think moving to the South solves everyones problems, and the idea that being in the North caused her mothers illness and CeeCees unhappiness is simplistic and ludicrous.
And it alienated me, as a reader, and made me get all defensive,
The writing was all right, but it was very deliberate nothing about this book seemed effortless to me, it all seemed planned and made up, I think in a really good book, it almost seems that the author is channeling the story and the characters instead of making them up that was not the case with Saving CeeCee Honeycutt.
For better, Southern folksy charm books with real substance I would recommend Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, The Secret Life of Bees, The Help, To Kill a Mockingbird, Divine Secrets of the Yaya Sisterhood, or Where The Heart Is.
This book wasn't an utter waste of time, it was a simple and pretty quick read, but there are plenty of similar, better books out there, This book was fantastic, I felt like I was in the story, The characters were so authentic and realistic they had me hooked from the beginning, I found myself getting choked up and then laughing out loud, a thoroughly delightful listening experience,
CeCe, is an isolated young girl who lives with her bipolar mother and an absentee father, She has no friends, or family that visit, her only real attachment is to an elderly neighbor who has loved and watched over her since she
was a baby, After her mothers untimely death, a new chapter in CeCe's life starts when she goes to live with her, Great Aunt Tootie in Savanna, GA, Aunt Tootie, as it turns out, is the Salt of the earth and lives in grand home that is full of wonderful smells and warm memories, Over time she, her friends, and her hilarious neighbors, help CeCe to heal and learn how to open her heart to love and friendships,
Oletta, Aunt Tooties' maid, long time friend, and CeCe, quickly become thick as thieves, After a mishap while on a trip to the beach, the two of them have a secret that may be their undoing, Many amusing adventures and wonderful feelings of comradery, simply make this charming book one I would definitely recommend to all,
Jenna Lamia does a stellar job with all the different women's voices, It's amazing how she did so many different voices all with the southern accent, Each character had a different dialect and were distinctly recognizable, Spectacular Job. I'm about to say something startling, not to say that is out of the norm for me, This book was better than "The Help", There it is and yes, you read that correctly, so you don't need to check it again, . . LOL. I would seriously listen to this one on audio CD, though, excellently done! I have to be honest and say this book was a bit reminicent of 'The Help' in some ways, . . but I'm not willing to share what those things are, you would have to read it, I currently live in Savannah, GA, . . which is where most of the book takes place, I can't say enough about this book, . . and if I did, I couldn't possibly do the book justice, just read it . I'm not going to say more than that,
I will say that I cried several times, . this book touches the heart,
Beth Hoffman wrote an incredible first novel, This book to my breath away and I could not put it down, Cee Cee Honeycomb is growing up with a very troubled mother and a father that ignores his entire family,
Cee Cee is on an emotional roller coaster, She does SURVIVE .
This book is full of Southern charm and I coould just see myself sitting with her on the porch and the beautiful gardens of Savannah,
Cee Cee meets and is taken care of by some wonderful people that I would love to call my friends,
I cried in this book many times and could imagine being a part of Cee Cee's life back in the's, Think big Pink Convertible with the top down of course,
If you loved THE HELP and SECRET LIFE OF BEE'S you must read this wonderful story of love, friendship and beauty, I will be taking a trip to Savannah this summer to see those beautiful flowers, . . This was my book club's monthly pick, and that was the only reason I finished it, The characters are stereotypes, with one or two quirks tacked on to make them "eccentric", The conflict, where it exists at all, is neatly wrapped up so that CeeCee can learn a valuable lesson, PSAstyle, The description is overwrought and repetitive everything is "sundappled" and looks like "miles of lace", and the voice seems to swing betweenandyears old, There's no real continuing plot the book is more a collection of anecdotes, Books written that way can be good, but in this book, there are so many that each one seems diluted, quickly glossed over to get to the next scene, Readers aren't given time to connect to the characters, the supporting characters aren't given time to develop, and the main characters don't change at all, Not that they need to their flaws are things like being too nice, too optimistic, too forgiving, Ugh. Way too syrupysweet girlpower for my taste, By the end of the book, I felt like I was the one who'd been hit by an ice cream truck, A book very reminiscent of "The secret life of Bees", "Midnight in the garden of Good and Evil" and a book that at times is so predictable it feels like it has copied the dozens of other books that involve southern charm, race relations, mother daughter relations and young women who rise above disadvantage and ultimately triumph.
At times the book would take a turn and I would think "but hasn't this plot line been in so many other books" Even the names of the characters are so predictable of a southern novel.
That said, I read the book in two days, . . it captivated me. The characters were strong and story line engaging but what did it for me was the imagery, This book was an indulgent sensual bath at times leaving me raw and sad and then at others being full of comfort, love and goodness, It's a mentally visual feast full of splendid gardens, old homes, lovely architecture, a first visit to the sea, peacocks, hummingbirds and a host of crazy, colorful, indomitable southern women who know how to cook up some comfort food and tell tall tales.
I was not surprised that the author was previously the head of a successful interior design firm, And for someone like me, who loves the aura of old houses and splendor of gardens this book just engaged my senses, Just when it verged on being trite one of the characters would offer pearls of wisdom or insight that were so beautifully stated I would be knocked down, And the underlying storyline about grief and overcoming it is something I understand and am interested in, A very satisfying read. one of my favs ever!!!
”Momma left her red satin shoes in the middle of the road, Thats what three eyewitnesses told the police, The first time I remember my mother wearing red shoes was on a snowy morning in December, the year I was seven years old, I walked into the kitchen and found her sitting at the table, No lights were on, but in the thin haze of dawn that pushed through the frostbitten window, I could see red highheeled shoes peeking out from beneath the hem of her robe.
There was no breakfast waiting, and no freshly ironed school dress hanging on the basement doorknob, Momma just sat and stared out the window with empty eyes, her hands limp in her lap, her coffee cold and untouched, ”
Cecelia Honeycutt, a young girl with a physically absentee father, at least most of the time, and a mother whose moods swayed from highs to lows, psychotic, until one day when CeeCee is twelve and her mother dies a tragic death.
Her father has at least enough sense to find a relative to take care of her, and he arranges for CeeCee to live with her greataunt Tallulah, who prefers to be referred to as Aunt Tootie.
”As he pulled away from the curb, a light breeze blew the paper from the box, It spun end over end and swirled into the street, I left it there and watched my dads car disappear,
“It was a familiar sight, ”
Gradually, CeeCee accepts her new life in Savannah, and begins to get a glimpse of the South her mother had always shared her love of, the climate, their appreciation of the gracious way of living.
”I loved this time of night, how everything softened and lost the hard edges of day, and how, if the wind moved just right, the live oaks would murmur tender green words across the shadowy lawn.
Sitting with a book in the warm circle of light from the table lamp had become my favorite way to end the day, ”
”Dont go wastin all them bright tomorrows you aint even seen by hangin on to what happened yesterday, Let go, child. Just breathe out and let go, ”
Filled with a charmingly eclectic cast of characters, this was a sweetly tender story of a young girl whose life brings her to a place where she can face her darkest fears and, hopefully, conquer them.
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