Review: The Secret of Honeycake

By Kimberly Newton Fusco

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2025. Fiction. 362 pgs.

11-year-old Hurricane is no stranger to loss. After her father died in the Great War and her mother died of tuberculosis, Hurricane lives with her older sister Bronte in her beloved home by the coast. But then Bronte also contracts tuberculosis and is sent to a sanatorium and Hurricane is sent to live with her stuffy Aunt Claire in the city. Quiet Hurricane struggles in her new environment, not least because of her aunt's determination to make her proper young lady. Luckily, Hurricane also has new friends in the shape of Mr. Keats, a war veteran who works for Aunt Claire; Theo, a charming young fish monger; and a stray cat that slowly warms up to Hurricane. Though so much is in flux for Hurricane, she learns to make the best of her situation.

This is a charming historical fiction with a classic feeling behind it. The heartwarming sentiments will appeal to readers who like classic 20th century novels like Pollyanna.

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