Saving CeeCee Honeycut, Chapters 16-22
Each week we see CeeCee become more comfortable with her surroundings and her new friends and family. The realities of a “normal” life begin to occur, with all of their complexities and subtleties. CeeCee is confronted with racism, not once but twice; first, through the attack on Tybee Island and secondly, (and more humorously), when she meets Sapphire. In reading this section, I couldn’t help but think that CeeCee’s reaction to the racial overtones of both interactions was subdued. I thought it a reminder that children don’t develop racist tendencies unless they are taught to.
We also see that as CeeCee becomes more relaxed and settled into her new home, the memories of life with her mother begin to emerge. CeeCee now has the security and support to deal with these issues. CeeCee has been afraid to think or talk about her mother; I wondered if Oletta’s advice at the start of chapter 16 in someway helped her gain the courage to begin dealing with the pain that she was carrying:
Every time you give in to your fears, you’re lettin’ that man win. And every time you do that, he gets stronger while you get weaker. Givin’ in to your fears will rob you blind. You’ll end up a prisoner to that man for the rest of your life.
CeeCee sees in Oletta a strength and peace that she would like to possess herself. One of my favorite lines from the book illustrates this:
Deep down I had the feeling that Oletta most likely knew all that was worth knowing, not in book-learning ways, but in the ways that really mattered, ways that let you hum songs during the day and sleep peacefully at night.
Wouldn’t we all like to have enough peace to allow us to hum songs during the day and sleep peacefully at night?
I look forward to reading your thoughts on this week’s chapters.
—Seraphina Ashe
Director of Guest Experience Programming
Glen Ivy Hot Springs
I agree. CeeCee had to confront her memories of her mother; and as painful as that was, it was good to know that she was surrounded with women who were there for her while she went through it. I also enjoyed knowing that she had a girl her own age in her life also at the end. This was a good book. Thanks for finding it for us.
We all grieve in our own way and on our own time frame, but we do grieve sooner or later…. I remember going to a grief group after my mother passed away… The mediator told us about a woman who left to go traveling after someone important to her had passed away… for two years she was on the go… but then she finally was home and the grief hit her… very hard. We can’t run away from it or entirely sweep it under the rug… But hopefully, like in Cee Cee’s case, we will be able to grieve in the most supportive and understanding circle possible.
I was glad that the book did get into race relations of that time in the South. Although I didn’t grow up in the South, my family’s roots are there and we would go to Virginia and North Carolina every year to visit my grandmothers. I always felt like I was going to a foreign country where people lived in two parallel universes. I liked how the author gave us glimpses of this in two different settings. Our main protagonists, Cee Cee, Aunt Tootie and Oletta transcend the everyday racism and see to the core and the essence of the people they deal with.