Heartwarming Summer Reading

After finishing Saving Ceecee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman, I wanted another sweet, easy to read book. Luckily for me, Hoffman just released a new book called Looking for Me. Like Ceecee, this novel takes place in the South and is about family.

Teddi is a middle aged woman who has the fortune of not only pursuing her passion, but making money off of it. Teddi is the owner of an antiques shop in Charleston. She has a knack for finding beauty and life in the most abused of furniture and bringing it back from the brink of the garbage lot. Although originally from Kentucky, Teddi has found a place, good friends, and customers in Charleston and even a surprising new romance. However, Teddi is still dealing with the loss of her brother who ran away decades ago and hasn’t been heard from since. She still carries the hope of one day finding him. Teddi weaves her story through the ups and downs of her family history in Kentucky, and her present life in Charleston.

Charleston and Kentucky play vital roles in Looking. The reader gets the sense of the woods and farm land in Kentucky, but I found that Charleston was not as well highlighted. Compared to Hoffman’s first novel, Saving Ceecee Honeycutt, where the setting was described and the reader truly got the sense of the surroundings; Charleston’s descriptions missed the mark. Not to say it wasn't a perfectly lovely novel. For those looking for something a bit nostalgic, comforting, and moving, this is a good pick.

Here are a few similar novels:

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd.
A character driven story about a young woman and the three women who take her in. This is a novel with a strong sense of place and memorable characters.

Tapestry of Fortunes by Elizabeth Berg

An engaging and heartwarming read, Berg writes about women’s lives. Cecelia decides to sell her home and road trip with three other women in search of things and people they are seeking.

The Apple Orchard by Susan Wiggs

The main character also works with antiques and it is about discovering your roots and making your way in the world. Tess finds out she is to inherit an apple orchard and be part owner with a half-sister she didn’t know existed.