4.5 stars
This was a beautifully written novel!
Set during the early years of the Great Depression, it’s the story of young Hurricane (yes, her actual name), and the many changes she must adjust to when tuberculosis strikes her family. It is a warm, sweet read, sort of like how I imagine honeycake would taste!
*I received a digital copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.*

Historical Fiction at its best. The year, 1930, the place, the coast of Maine. Hurricane must leave the only home she has ever known as turberculosis has claimed the life of her mother, and the health of her sister. She leaves her beloved dog, Brody-Bear, with a neighbor and goes to the city to live with her Aunt Claire. Fusco does an excellent job of creating characters and situations that bring historical details to life for readers. So many adults in her life misunderstand Hurricane's quiet, shy ways. Throughout the story Hurricane and Aunt Claire come to know and understand each other developing a beautiful relationship. Mr. Keats and Theo, as well as William the Conqueror, Gully, and Moon Pie, add to the creation of a supportive, loving, and welcoming group of humans. Readers will want the story to continue. Please, do not disappoint us.

I loved these characters! I would look forward to dipping into their world each night as I read The Secret of Honeycake, which is set at the beginning of the Great Depression. Hurricane is a quiet and observant kid who loves deeply. She doesn't always do well in school because she doesn't like speaking to adults. When her big sister gets sick with tuberculosis, Hurricane goes to live with her rich Aunt Claire. This is quite a shock to them both. Aunt Claire is gruff but teaches Hurricane to have confidence in herself and to be bold. For her part, Hurricane teaches Aunt Claire how to be true to yourself rather than follow what society expects. Mr. Keats is Aunt Claire's only servant, as the rest has to be let go when the stock market crashed. He is supremely kind and calm and helps the other two find themselves. And then there is Theo, the fish sales boy, who wants to grow up to be a vet and has an animal menagerie following him as he goes through the streets selling fish. You will want to be friends with each and every one of these characters! This book left a residue of joy in my heart.

Hurricane McAdams Pierce is an eleven-year-old girl growing up in the early 1930s. Hurricane and her older sister, Bronte, were left orphaned after their mother died of tuberculosis; their father was killed over a decade earlier in World War One. When Bronte is diagnosed with TB, she is sent to a sanitarium and Hurricane is whisked away to live in the city with her wealthy Aunt Claire. Aunt Claire grew up in the same coastal community as Hurricane but worked hard to fit into polite society after marrying her husband, the late Mr. Butterfield.

Hurricane, despite her name, is a quiet and introverted girl. She likes to write, but her teacher Miss Witherspoon wants her to be more outgoing. When she’s brought to the city, Hurricane is unused to her aunt’s formal ways and struggles to learn the rules of etiquette. However, she finds an immediate kindred spirit in Mr. Keats, the cook/chauffeur.

Mr. Keats will be a favorite with anyone who loves Matthew Cuthbert’s sweet bond with Anne Shirley. He’s kindly, understanding, and unafraid to stand up to Claire when she’s too strict with her niece. Despite their disagreements on how Hurricane should be brought up, the two are more like mother and son than employer and employee. We learn that Mr. Keats is a WWI veteran and suffers from shell shock, or PTSD, that is triggered by loud noises. Claire is always gentle and patient while tending to him, and in one scene, kicks the Butterfields out of her house for saying he belongs in a psychiatric hospital.

Aunt Claire is also a fascinating character in her own right. She’s a woman who married into wealth but is now struggling through the Great Depression and trying to make things work. Although she can come off as harsh, she is doing what she thinks is right for Hurricane. Over time, though, her softer side begins to show itself. While she initially disapproves of Hurricane’s friendship with a fish peddler named Theo, she comes around once she gets to know him.

This book definitely has the feel of a classic children’s book. The Hurricane-Claire-Keats dynamic is very Anne of Green Gables, which I’m sure will appeal to older readers as well as young ones. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

What a darling book Kimberly! I was so in love with the main character and her sweet story. My daughter and I read this together and just devoured it. She asked to read it again. Thank you for a wonderful story!

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 Hurricane help him sometimes. Hurricane and her aunt start to get along better, and Hurricane starts to stand up for herself. One day she asks her aunt could they all go live at her house because she misses her sister and her dog. What ends up happening?,
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Sometimes reading about hard times makes you feel better, and so I dived into this middle grade story set on the east coast at the beginning of the Great Depression. Hurricane, the protagonist 11-year-old girl is sent to live with her Aunt, when her sister, her only other surviving relative, comes down with TB, and has to be sent away.


Hurricane does not like the house in the city. It is cold, and uninviting. And her aunt is still and formal, and tries to make Hurricane the same way. She even wants her to change her name, to be more acceptable.
And Hurricane finally finds her voice and refuses.


And the name of the book is about a recipe that has been passed down orally, never written down. Hurricane doesn’t know how to make it, and her Aunt can’t remember. She tries, and tries, in the cold house in the city, and can’t quite do it.


This is a quiet, quick read of a book. I love how the main character finds herself, and realizes what she needs to do with her time, and how she doesn’t want to become “civilized.” That that is not what is best for her..


What I most loved about this story is how the antagonistic aunt grows and changes the more she is around Hurricane. And the growth is from memories of what she loved when she lived in the house by the Atlantic, when she was a girl. It was such a sweet growth. And so strong as well.

For this great historical fiction, I would give all the stars available. Based loosely on family history, the author has brought out some great characters, strong of will and spirit.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book is coming out the 21st of January 2025.

This is a really sweet book about change and family.
I loved that Hurricane helps her Aunt see that it's okay to be a certain way and that letting go of the past and being open to change can be good.
I liked the animals in this story too and the new friendships.
This is a lovely middle grade read.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

This story is simply delightful, yet not without a few heartaches as life so likes to deliver.

Hurricane and her older sister Bronte have been living by themselves ever since the death of their father during World War I, and their mother's death from tuberculosis in 1930. Now Bronte has been diagnosed with TB, and is sent to a sanitarium. Hurricane, eleven, is taken from her coastal home and everything familiar, even leaving behind her beloved dog, Brody Bear.

Hurricane finds herself living with her great Aunt Claire, and her chauffeur/cook, the kind Mr. Keats. Aunt Claire grew up in the same community that Hurricane is from, but once she married Mr. Butterfield (who died shortly after they were married), she learned how to perform in cultured society. Right off the bat, she is disturbed by Hurricane's rough ways as well as her insistence in wearing overalls and worn out boots. Easy going Mr. Keats is much more understanding, bringing her delicious baked goods instead of the beef boullion with pepper and horseradish that Aunt Claire recommends for her cold. Aunt Claire takes her new responsibility seriously and is determined to raise this girl right. She reads parenting type books and attends a Mother's Club.

Mr. Keats and Hurricane hit it off as they find a stray cat, they name MoonPie, even though Aunt Claire does not approve of pets. Even so, Aunt Claire has her soft spots, although they take a while to surface. Desiring to provide Hurricane with more fitting wear, she has a seamstress come to the estate, but the woman turns up her nose at making pants for a girl. This incidence reminds Aunt Claire of how much she hated being fitted for clothes, therefore she sends the seamstress away. Here you notice the hard shell of Aunt Claire begin to soften.

Then we meet the fish boy, who aunt Claire has no use for, nor his dog, nor his injured seagull. Because this is a friend for Hurricane, she eventually agrees to his presence.

This story is filled with generosity and innate kindness. Hurricane narrates her story with love, generosity and kindness even when frustrated. This Is a work of historic fiction incorporating Depression-era Hoovers and Frigidaires, lack of indoor plumbing, electricity and basic resources during this hard time in history. Then there is the mysterious honeycake, my mouth watered for, as well as the many many well described baked goods Mr. Keats prepared. But NOT the turnip pie!
Everything comes together in a lovely, hopeful new beginning, honeycake included.

I recommend this book for your gentle readers who love a happy ending. Probably has a greater appeal to female readers.

This was a delightful story of a young girl named Hurricane who goes through losing the most important things in her life and finding her way back to them and more. A depression era story that will tug at your heartstrings and make you smile! The short chapters make it a great option for young readers looking for something more difficult than those early chapter books that they have graduated from. Simply delightful!

A lovely historical fiction written with today's more diverse view but that doesn't mean it didn't happen this way

This is a good choice for readers who want to know more about the Great Depression. Informative cute story with lots of depth

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Hurricane and her sister Bronte have been living by themselves ever since the death of their father during World War I, and their mother's death from tuberculosis in 1930. When Bronte is also diagnosed with this difficult disease, she is also sent to a sanitarium, and Hurricane is whisked away from her coastal home and her dog, Brody Bear, to live in the city with her great Aunt Claire and her chauffeur and cook, Mr. Keats. Aunt Claire grew up in the same community that Hurricane is from, but once she married Mr. Butterfield (who died shortly after they were married), she worked very hard to learn how to exist in cultured society. She is worried about Hurricane's brash manner, as well as her insistence in wearing overalls and worn out boots. Mr. Keats is much more understanding, bringing her delicious baked goods instead of the beef boullion with pepper and horseradish that Aunt Claire recommends for her cold. Aunt Claire is determined to do right by Hurricane, and even attends a Mother's Club. Mr. Keats suggests that perhaps schooling can wait for the moment, and spends some quality time getting to know Hurricane. The two even have plans to entice a stray cat, whom they name MoonPie, into the house, even though Aunt Claire does not approve of pets. Aunt Claire has her soft spots, although they take a while to surface. She wants to provided Hurricane with "proper" clothes, so has a seamstress in, but when they woman turns up her nose at making slacks for Hurricane, Aunt Claire remembers how much she hated being fitted for clothes, and sends the woman away. She doesn't care for a boy who sells fish door to door, accompanied by a dog and an injured sea gull, but eventually agrees to his presence as he helps with the cat. When Hurricane is angry that she has not gotten information about Bronte's recuperation, Aunt Claire calls the hospital and demands updates. The three housemates do the housework together, since the Great Depression has impacted even the Butterfields' wealth; Aunt Claire is allowed to live in the house as long as she is alive, but even selling the silver and other household items does not allow for an adequate budget. Eventually, Mr. Keats has to introduce a vast quantity of turnips into the household diet, although there seems to be enough money for luxurious ingredients like pineapple and coconut! Eventually, Aunt Claire decides that the best plan is to head back to Hurricane's house on the coast so that the girl can return to running wild along the shore. Luckily, this move coincides with Bronte's release from the sanitarium as well as the arrival of a much more sympathetic teacher at the local school.
Strengths: Like Mrs. Scott in Elliott's Bea and the New Deal Horse, Aunt Claire is an interesting and underrepresented character in Great Depression stories; a wealthy woman who has fallen on hard times but trying to make things work. Mr. Keats is fascinating as a World War I vet with "shell shock". Hurricane is a typical tween girl who feels stifled by societal norms and is also dealing with a lot of grief. The three seem to genuinely enjoy being together, even though there are a lot of differences, and Aunt Claire eventually realizes that the way she has lived her whole life isn't necessarily making her happy. Fusco has done solid research on this era and has another books set during this time (The Wonder of Charlie Ann), so the period details are fantastic.
Weaknesses: Aunt Claire understands that during this time period, appearances were everything, but this had a layer of modern sensibility overlaid on the time period that was a bit odd. I wouldn't have wanted to squash Hurricane's spirit completely, but she should have learned how to comport herself in polite society, and even Mr. Keats should have known that and guided her in a gentler way. She probably also wouldn't have minded wearing skirts as much as portrayed; it's just want one did at the time. Neither of my grandmothers ever wore slacks.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who want to know more about the Great Depression and enjoyed books like Wendell's Light and Air. This had the feel of a classic orphan tale like Fisher's Understood Betsy, Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables, or Porter's Pollyanna.

I absolutely loved this book! The story was so well written. The characters are engaging and the setting was so perfectly described! I wish the book was a series so I could look forward to traveling back to this world! A must read for the young and old!