Fans of The Thing About Jellyfish and A Snicker of Magic will be swept away by Cindy Baldwin's debut middle grade about a girl coming to terms with her mother's mental illness. When twelve-year-old Della Kelly finds her mother furiously digging black seeds from a watermelon in the middle of the night and talking to people who aren't there, Della worries that it's happening again-that the sickness that put her mama in the hospital four years ago is back. That her mama is going to be hospitalized for months like she was last time. With her daddy struggling to save the farm and her mama in denial about what's happening, it's up to Della to heal her mama for good. And she knows just how she'll do it: with a jar of the Bee Lady's magic honey, which has mended the wounds and woes of Maryville, North Carolina, for generations. But when the Bee Lady says that the solution might have less to do with fixing Mama's brain and more to do with healing her own heart, Della must learn that love means accepting her mama just as she is.
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“Narrator Sisi Aisha Johnson turns on her sweetest Southern drawl for this heartwarming story…Demonstrating expert narrating skills, Johnson smoothly switches between the girls’ voices during their deep heart-to-hearts…Despite the large cast, Johnson gives each character a distinct tone and tempo, allowing listeners to easily follow busy conversations. The story’s gentle take on mental illness and its flawless narration make it a must-listen. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
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