The Secret of Honeycake, Kimberly Newton Fusco
The Secret of Honeycake, Kimberly Newton Fusco
List: $20.00 | Sale: $14.00
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The Secret of Honeycake

Author: Kimberly Newton Fusco

Narrator: Cassandra Morris

Unabridged: 7 hr 39 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/21/2025


Synopsis

Hurricane is quiet while her Aunt Claire is a force of nature with very particular ideas--and a host of Latin sayings to back them up. When Hurricane gets stuck living with her, she retreats into herself...until a series of unexpected friends, including a mangy cat, help her find her voice in a whole new way.

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.

About The Author

Kimberly Newton Fusco is the acclaimed author of four other books for young readers: Chasing Augustus, Beholding Bee, The Wonder of Charlie Anne, and Tending to Grace, all of which received starred reviews and many accolades, including the Schneider Family Book Award. As a child, Kim was shy and stuttered and wanted to be a writer more than anything, and now she is!  She was a national-award-winning education journalist before becoming a novelist.  The mother of four grown children, she lives with her family, a lolloping golden retriever, and a very old cat in a house in rural Rhode Island surrounded by woods and fields where her pet sheep, Huck and Finn, graze.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Charlotte on February 02, 2025

This book was PERFECT. Hurricane is like a mixture of Anne of Green Gables and Pippi Longstocking. I loved her story very much, and it felt like the perfect mix of historical context and whimsy. A new favorite for sure!......more

Goodreads review by Jess on March 22, 2025

I’m calling it now: the Secret of Honeycake by Kimberly Newton Fusco is a classic. The stock market crash of 1929 has just occurred, and many people have tuberculosis, including Hurricane’s sister Bronte. Bronte is sent away to hopefully get better, and Hurricane must live with her Aunt Clare, who h......more

Goodreads review by Emily on January 26, 2025

First of all, I appreciate that this author is choosing to write middle grade historical fiction at a time when it is not trendy. (Though the choice to name the main character “Hurricane” seems anachronistic.) Unfortunately, this novel is full of overwrought sentences packed with flowery descriptions......more

Goodreads review by Vicky on November 11, 2024

It’s 1930 and Hurricane has to stay with her aunt because her sister has tuberculosis. Hurricane is a quiet girl and loves writing in her words of encouragement journal. As time passes Hurricane meets Theo who helps her with a stray cat. Mr. Keats, who lives with her aunt, and loves to bake has Hurr......more

Goodreads review by Meghan on March 09, 2025

You know when you hear the cadence of a good friend’s laughter? You get a warm feeling inside and can’t help but smile. That is how this book was for me. It’s the perfect story to curl up with next to a pet and a steaming beverage. The characters the author created were so endearing and I couldn’t s......more


Quotes

★ "Hurricane employs stunningly beautiful, highly descriptive language to narrate her own tale with a depth of feeling and growing awareness of her attributes and true strength of character....Powerful, emotional, and wondrous." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"This swiftly paced novel is filled with strong life lessons about embracing change, using writing as a coping mechanism, and learning how to find one’s voice. Short chapters and frank text entreat to young readers and challenges them to forge their own paths." —Publishers Weekly

"Fusco takes her time developing the Depression-era setting and the backgrounds of each character, giving this heartwarming novel depth and authenticity." —The Horn Book

"A gentle and heartwarming historical read." —Booklist


Awards

  • New York Public Library Best Books for Kids