At
the tender of age of 12, Cecelia Rose Honeycutt has already experienced
more life than some adults. She has no friends in her town in Ohio;
and, in fact, is either pitied or teased by the majority of the town.
This is through no fault of her own. It is because her mother has lost
her mind, and the whole town knows it. While her mother parades around
town in a variety of ill-fitting pageant and prom dresses mentally
living in 1951, Cecelia (better known as Cee Cee) hangs her head in
embarrassment and horror. And because Cee Cee's father is never around
-- he's a traveling salesman who checked out on the family situation
long ago -- it falls to Cee Cee to care for her mother when she has an
episode.
Sad, frustrated, and alone, Cee Cee wishes many times
her life was different. And then one day, it is. Because one day, in a
tragic accident, Cee Cee's mother dies. In swoops Cee Cee's great-aunt
Tootie, whom Cee Cee met only once, as an infant. With the permission
of Cee Cee's father, Aunt Tootie takes Cee Cee to live with her in
Savannah and Cee Cee's life changes forever. In Savannah, Cee Cee meets
strong woman of many varieties and backgrounds. She learns and grows;
and, perhaps most importantly, she is allowed to be a child. She
experiences love and kindness and even a few shockingly hilarious
situations. And through this new environment, she is able to work
through her struggles with the past and the demons she battles within.
***This
was a cute read. There were a few areas I felt were unrealistic, and I
am a bit disappointed that nearly every male character who actually
played a part in the novel is portrayed in a negative light (with the
exception of Aunt Tootie's husband, but he isn't actually in the novel,
as he has passed away). I'm not saying women aren't great... But men
aren't all jerks, yet that's how they all come across in this novel, at
least in my opinion.
