Beth Hoffman Discusses Saving CeeCee Honeycutt

Join Book Club Girl of the blog http://bookclubgirl.com as she welcomes Beth Hoffman, author of the New York Times bestseller, now in paperback, Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt. Twelve-year-old CeeCee Honeycutt knows about hurts. She lives in a home where shocking events and misery are daily occurrences. CeeCee’s mother, Camille, is lost in a psychotic fantasy world where she’s still a young beauty queen and her father purposefully spends very little time at home. When Camille is struck and killed by an ice cream truck, CeeCee needs a place to go and the answer arrives when Tootie Caldwell, a great-aunt from Savannah, who CeeCee’s never even heard of suddenly arrives. Upon entering the house, Tootie instantly senses that something is terribly wrong. She volunteers to take CeeCee back to Georgia, and CeeCee’s father eagerly agrees. As unthinkable as the relinquishment of his daughter seems, it just might prove to be the greatest gift he could give her. With nothing but a few meager possessions, CeeCee climbs into her aunt’s car. The beautiful world Aunt Tootie has created in Savannah leaves CeeCee wonderstruck, as does Tootie’s coterie of eccentric friends—including Oletta, the housekeeper famous for her wise reflections on life and her gooey-sweet homemade cinnamon rolls, and Miz Thelma Rae Goodpepper, the stunning nextdoor neighbor with a taste for the exotic. A summer filled with adventure ensues, and the lessons learned from these fascinating and diverse women help CeeCee take her first timid steps toward becoming a normal little girl. With lots of love and laughter and some good old-fashioned fun, CeeCee begins to heal. Aunt Tootie and Oletta know all about pain and unresolved grief, and with their loving guidance, CeeCee begins sorting through the events of her childhood and discovers a few good memories of her mother hiding in the ruins. As she comes to terms with her past, she's finally free to begin a new life where she can bloom.