It's not often that a book with so little major conflict, a happy ending, and sweet and kind characters, gets the kind of acclaim that Beth Hoffman's debut novel, Saving CeeCee Honeycutt, is getting. Often compared to The Help and Steel Magnolias (or a cross between the two), it's a lovely example of what I love most about Southern Literature. Simply oozing with southern charm, lush language, eccentric characters, and descriptions that had me ready to pack my bags, I thoroughly enjoyed Saving CeeCee Honeycutt from start to finish. The young heroine, CeeCee, leaves the only life she's known in Ohio after her mentally unstable mother commits suicide and her absent father sends her to live with her Great Aunt Tallulah (or Tootie). Upon arriving at Tootie's gorgeous home in Savannah, Georgia, CeeCee is welcomed into a new world, one which is stable, loving, and where money is no longer an issue. In Oletta, Tootie's housekeeper and cook, CeeCee finds the only girlfriend she's ever known, and discovers the joys of friendship, with all its camaraderie, mischief, trust, and comfort. CeeCee spends an idyllic summer in Savannah, lolling on the porch with her books, sipping iced tea, learning the gossip about the neighbors, and being fawned over by Tootie (who has no children of her own, and is widowed) and her gaggle of friends. Throughout this summer, CeeCee heals and finds the courage to face the realities of the new life still ahead of her. Sure, there are small conflicts that the characters face; this is, after all, the south in the Civil Rights era. However, the novel is infused with humor, warmth, and charm, and overall, left me with a contented glow and a yearning for a trip to the south! I recommend for anyone looking for a lovely summer read, or a wonderful and uplifting story, or who loves Southern Literature. Let me know... I do have a copy I'm willing to part with! ( )

2.5 stars. I might call it a cute story, but it couldn't seem to make up its mind whether it was an adult or a children's book and was a bit overly saccharine anyway. ( )

CeeCee is 12 years old when her mother dies and her usually-absent father decides to send her to live with her great-aunt in Georgia. CeeCee, even though her father is usually away, is still hesitant to leave, but once she arrives in Georgia she becomes great friends with Aunt Tootie’s cook(?).

I listened to the audio. This was pretty slow-moving, but an ok book. Not a whole lot really happened. I did find it odd that CeeCee was really only making friends with women much older than she is. She did make one friend her age, and I assume – had the book continued into the school year – she and her new friend her own age would have been the story at that point. Anyway, this one was ok for me. ( )

Well, so, I suppose any story about a young girl moving to a new neighborhood will have similarities, and probably I flatter myself to even see them, but I’m thinking that anyone who has read this story will think I borrowed from it if they read the short (1500 word) story I submitted to my library’s NaNoWriMo project this past November, starting with my Character’s name, Chelsea (Sea Cee) Chathum.
Yes, the nick name is spelled different, but it started out as Cee Cee, based on her initials, which my character actually explains in the story. And I came by the last name by picking something out of thin air that started with "Ch" because I liked the alliteration I'd had with Chelsea Church, which I'd abandoned when it occurred to me that, being in the first line of the story, it sounded like a place, rather than a person.
You’re thinking the last name isn’t relevant, because it’s nothing like "Honeycutt?" I thought the similarity ended with the first name too, until I Googled “Savanna Georgia”, since Mrs. Hoffman makes it sound so pretty that I wanted to see pictures to see if it was still that pretty, since her story, like mine, takes place some 50 years ago, in the 1960’s (it appears to be--still that pretty), and discovered through that search, that Savanna is in “Chatham” County. Yes, again a slightly different spelling, and that fact occurs nowhere in Mrs. Hoffman’s story, but I still find it odd –and seriously think anyone who read Mrs. Hoffman’s story, then mine, if they knew Georgia well enough to know counties, would certainly think I was borrowing.
It doesn’t matter, of course, since it’s not real likely our NaNoWriMo Anthology will get too far beyond our library’s community, and my story is nowhere near as interesting or well written as Mrs. Hoffman’s--mine's only about moving, where hers is about so much more.
It could easily only be me seeing similarities since I'm basing them a little on things I cut from my story to keep it within the word limit, but it occurs to me that I might have psychically connected to a book already in existence—which is scary. One worries about not borrowing from other works they’ve read, now apparently, if I decide to develop my writing skills, I have to add to that worry, that I’ll borrow from things I haven’t read.
But I’ve made this review all about me instead about this wonderful debut novel. It was great! I especially loved it because her characters share my interests; nature—both wild and cultivated, photography, old homes, estate sales, and with the added skills of being able to renovate—a talent I envy. Keep writing Beth!
( )

A sweet, coming of age story that leaves a good taste.

In this easy-to-read book, young Cee Cee Honeycutt has become her mother’s keeper and in doing so, Cee Cee has become socially awkward and outcast. Cee Cee turns to reading as her escape and dives headlong into her books.

When an unfortunate accident leaves Cee Cee alone, her great-aunt, Tootie, comes from Savannah, Georgia to take Cee Cee in. A reluctant Cee Cee comes to love Tootie and rely on Odette, Miss Tootie’s cook.

Set in a time where color divided people, Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt shows how love and empathy can heal wounds and save people.

I enjoyed this book, even though it felt a bit like a version of The Secret Life of Bees, it, like the Bees, is worth the read. ( )

Audiobook edition, read by Jenna Lamia. This was overall an enjoyable story. The author is terrific at creating vivid characters and settings, and Jenna Lamia's reading is as fantastic as always. But the story itself felt too scattered, as though it is a series of events that the characters experience and react to, rather than a coherent plot. The resolution to each event felt unfinished and a little unreal, and the story overall was a little too syrupy for my taste. ( )

This was a wonderful book with an appealing cast of characters and a lovely narrative. ( )

A well done book. I know it seems like Southern Lit is a popular genre right now but it is books like this that make it so. No strong male figures and I do wish there had been atleast one. However, the women in this story hold up the story with great beauty. I can see this book being made into a movie. ( )

This is one of two novels bundled together in a Reader’s Digest Large Type edition. It's an emotional telling of how a daughter relates to her mentally ill mother.

What a wonderful slice of the South along with a glimpse of what mental illness does to the family of the person afflicted. This is the story of 12 year old CeeCee. Delightful and very well written. ( )

I loved reading this book for book club and hope Beth Hoffman writes a sequel! ( )

A delightful gentle read. I listened to the audiobook, which was well done. The only criticism I have is that the talking level of Cee Cee seemed high for her age, although she was very intelligent and well read and had little contact with children her age, so it is possible. In any case, I really enjoyed reading this book. ( )

A very cute story about a girl who finds a strong and unique female community in the south. Slow in parts, but overall a very good book exploring the ups and downs of life. If you enjoyed The Help, this book will be right up your alley. ( )

I enjoyed this book. The story was not predictable. I enjoyed the characters and felt close to them like I was part of the book. ( )

This book is a quick read and that's about all the good I can say about it. Unfortunately, it encompasses every single trope about southern living, southern charm, black people as rich ladies' cooks, poor little lonely white girls, uppity neighbours, crazy dead mothers, crazy neighbours, absentee fathers, Strong Southern Women (TM) etc. etc. that you could ever hope to wring out of 200 pages. This story is about as soppy as a doily soaked in sweet tea wrapped around an apron dripping with gin. It is one precious mess. It's like the author took bits of all the "Southern" books and stories she could think of and threw them in a blender and then poured it all over her word processor. Which I hope short-circuited after that.

I heard rumour that it may become a movie. Heaven forfend. ( )

A pure joy to read. I will miss them. ( )

I really enjoyed this book. I actually listened to it through Audible and the reader was very good. It was told from the perspective of Cee Cee Honeycutt who is 12 years old. Overall just a good feel good story! ( )

I really enjoyed this book. I actually listened to it through Audible and the reader was very good. It was told from the perspective of Cee Cee Honeycutt who is 12 years old. Overall just a good feel good story! ( )

Delightful is what comes to mind when I think of this book. It tells the story of Cee Cee, who is taken in by her great aunt from Savannah after her mentally unstable mother dies. Cee Cee has never met her great aunt Tootie before, but she soon becomes pleasantly surprised by the warmth that Tootie, her housekeeper, and a myriad of Southern neighbors pour onto her. Cee Cee has a few bumps along the way as she adjusts to her new community - and learns a few things about her past history - but all in all it is delightful to enter the world of this book and see how she turns out in the end. ( )

Finished the book in about two days. It was fun sharing CeeCee's wide eyes wonderment and discoveries. Beth did a good job at capturing self doubt and internal critic that lives in all of us. If we are lucky we would have women in our life similar to those that came to CeeCee's rescue. ( )

This book is proof that all of our freshman English teachers were wrong: there actually is such a thing as too many metaphors and similes, and this book reached critical mass on nearly every page. It's entirely probably that the most often used words in this book are "like" and "as if".

It is described here in some marketing material as Steel Magnolias meets The Help. Not even close, although it seems to borrow heavily little details from both of those. (Up to and including the chocolate pie from The Help.)

It is also listed as adult fiction, and I disagree with that as well. This is more of a YA book and written on that level. There were many, many chances to delve into something of substance in this coming-of-age story, but the author chose instead to resort to shallow tropes, homilies, and pancreatitis-inducing amounts of marshmallow fluff. The end result is that this reads like any one of a dozen other forgettable books set in a certain time frame in the south. ( )

Really liked the voice of the 12-year-old main character at the beginning, but the book as a whole didn't work for me. I can find plenty good about it for recommending, though, especially to Ya-Ya Sisterhood fans. ( )

A fabulous book from a newly debuting author, Beth Hoffman, 'Saving CeeCee Honeycutt' will delight readers of chick-lit and women's fiction alike. Bringing to mind the story styles of Mary Kay Andrews and Rebecca Wells, CeeCee tells the tale of a young girl whose had a harder than need be life and the lengths to which long distance friends and family are willing to go to help rebuild her shattered world. It's heart-warming, funny and everything in-between. Take a look inside CeeCee's world for a story you won't soon forget! Happy Reading! ( )

Four and a half stars. I love books that take place in the south, there's just something special about the setting and the people. Yes, some southern novels can be a bit predictable, but sometimes that's only the backdrop for the story, in this case a feel-good story. This book could be described as Cinderella meets The Secret Life of Bees. Sweet, with a dose or two of reality in the form of mental health issues and racism. It's a story of family, trust, humor, and wisdom. ( )

There's a line in the book that summarizes it well, that there's a difference between eccentric and crazy.

CeeCee's mom crosses that line. She has something wrong with her mentally and she keeps dressing up in old prom dresses and reminiscing about being a beauty queen. CeeCee's dad is hardly ever home.

The first 12 years of CeeCee's life are very sad. Then one day she is sent to live with her great aunt Tootie. For the first time in her life, she's welcomed into a family. There's her aunt and her aunt's cook and they both welcome her with open arms.

Lots of eccentric characters enter the story around this time.

I enjoyed how things gradually got better for her. It was hard to read so much of the sadness at the beginning, but I sure did love the ending.

( )