THE SECRET OF HONEYCAKE, by Kimberly Newton Fusco, Knopf Books for Young Readers, Jan. 21, 2025, Hardcover, $17.99 (ages 8-12)
A shy girl is forced to leave her seaside home and live in the city with her commanding aunt in The Secret of Honeycake, by Kimberly Newton Fusco.
A recipe for The World’s Most Comforting, Twelve-Layer Honeycake:
1 quiet girl named Hurricane, who runs like the wind along the Mighty Atlantic with her old dog Brody-Bear.
1 imperious aunt, who steps up when Hurricane’s world turns upside down.
1 kind-hearted boy, who helps wounded animals (and may smell a little of fish)
1 lonely and flea-bitten cat with a ragged ear and a crooked tail.
1 gentle chauffeur, who knows exactly what to say…and when not to say a thing.
Mix them all together in big, fancy house in the city. What you get might surprise you. —Synopsis provided by Knopf Books for Young Readers
The Secret of Honeycake reads like a warm hug. From beginning to end, Kimberly Newton Fusco’s novel is full of love.
Set between World Wars I and II, The Secret of Honeycake follows Hurricane as she discovers her own voice. Hurricane is smart and imaginative and charming in all the right ways. Introvert readers will immediately see themselves in her and will learn alongside Hurricane that their worlds can be as big and full as they want them to be.
A wonderfully eccentric cast of supporting characters help buoy the story. From Aunt Claire, who strictly adheres to “the rules,” and WWI veteran Mr. Keats to Theo the fish peddler and MoonPie, a mangy cat, each character adds color and heart.
The Secret of Honeycake has a classic feel that can only be attributed to Fusco’s inviting prose. Her writing at once feels as familiar as a favorite quilt or pair of well-loved boots. Fusco writes directly to her audience, giving readers room to breathe with short, lively chapters and descriptions that transport to a different place and time. An endnote that includes more on tuberculosis, the Great Depression and World War I, which are all featured in the novel, is an added bonus.
The Secret of Honeycake is a lovely read that I won’t hesitate to pass on to my middle-reader.
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