Summer of a Thousand Pies

by Margaret Dilloway

When twelve-year-old Cady Bennett is sent to live with the aunt she didn’t even know she had in the quaint mountain town of Julian, she doesn’t know what to expect. Cady isn’t used to stability, or even living inside, after growing up homeless in San Diego with her dad.

Now she’s staying in her mother’s old room, exploring the countryside filled with apple orchards and pie shops, making friends, and working in Aunt Shell’s own pie shop—and soon, Cady starts to feel like she belongs. Then she finds out that Aunt Shell’s pie shop is failing. Saving the business and protecting the first place she’s ever really felt safe will take everything she’s learned and the help of all her new friends. But are there some things even the perfect pie just can’t fix?

Genres: Middle Grade, Fiction, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Young Adult, Summer, LGBT

384 pages, Hardcover

First published April 16, 2019

About the author

Award-Winning Books for Preteens and Adults


Margaret started writing stories in kindergarten. Ever since then, she's used writing to understand the world and entertain people.

She loves improv, attempting complicated baking recipes, hiking, and dollhouse miniatures.

Awards:
-MOMOTARO: XANDER AND THE LOST ISLAND OF MONSTERS: Winner of the American Library Association's Asian/Pacific American Librarian Honor Award
-THE CARE AND HANDLING OF ROSES WITH THORNS. American Library Association's Literary Tastes Award for Best Women's Fiction

Reviews

[etherealfire · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the sweetest thing ever; the delight of my summer.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so sweet. Cady is adjusting to living with her aunt after experiencing homelessness. Throughout the course of a summer, Cady matures as she works in her aunt's pie shop and makes new friends.
If you're looking for an uplifting summertime read with recipes included, check this one out.

[Dee (in the Desert) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 solid stars! Really enjoyed this middle-grade book! I wanted to read it as it is set in the village of Julian, which I adore & have visited a lot over the years. The local author did a very good job capturing the town's charm (and pies)!

[Manybooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set and taking place in Southern California, Summer of a Thousand Pies (2019) has author Margaret Dilloway showing how main protagonist and first person narrator Cady Bennett's mother died seven years ago (when Cady was five years old, so she of course is now twelve) and that since then, Cady and her father have gradually slipped into a state of homelessness, with Jim Bennett obviously also dealing with serious mental health issues and substance abuse. But when Cady gets into trouble at school (in San Diego) and her father arrives to pick up his daughter swaying and slurring his speech (but blaming this on side effects from medication), he is arrested on charges of child endangerment and Cady winds up in the custody of her Aunt Michelle Sanchez (whom Cady barely knows and who is her deceased mother's estranged sister).

Now Aunt Shell and her partner Suzanne are shown by Dilloway as living in Julian (legitimately known as the apple pie capital of San Diego County), where Michelle Sanchez owns and operates Shell’s Pie (hence of course the book title of Summer of a Thousand Pies) and where Cady starts helping out, being able to indulge in her love of baking, trying to become a good, nay in fact a great pie maker and also befriends Jay Morales, a member of a family of undocumented immigrants who work for Shell (but just to point out that I personally do consider the Morales family in Summer of a Thousand Pies to generally be legitimate as immigrants and while undocumented thus also not really problematic even though according to US and California law I guess they are, sigh) and with Cady also getting to know and slowly but surely learning to trust and appreciate both Aunt Shell and Suzanne, as well as finding out some rather uncomfortable but also necessary to know truths regarding her parents.

So living rurally, surrounded by apple orchards as well as getting to know and becoming friendly with a variety of affectionate pet dogs, a close-knit community (and finally having "real" friends, reliable and affectionate family and not jut being dependent on her loving, but always struggling with his own issues and thus often unreliable father) Cady in Summer of a Thousand Pies is presented by Margaret Dillowby's words as gradually developing a sense of belonging and security that has been foreign to her and missing ever since her mother's death, and that when Shell's business based financial struggles jeopardise the very survival and future of her pie shop, Cady's inherent scrappiness, ingenuity, and her determined drive to be a great, to become an expert pie-maker gets everyone in her newfound home involved to save the establishment and not to mention that Summer of a Thousand Pies also contains eight recipes with "notes" from Cady (including a gluten-free pie crust recipe since Cady's best friend Jenna is featured as having celiac disease in Summer of a Thousand Pies and is thus not supposed to consume anything containing wheat, rye etc.).

Finally and in the opinion of both my inner middle grade reader and also adult me, Summer of a Thousand Pies features memorable and generally nicely developed and personable characters and that Margaret Dilloway's strong writing (both thematically and stylistically) makes Summer of a Thousand Pies much much more than simply an account about baking and saving Aunt Shell's pie shop, since homelessness, substance abuse, undocumented immigrants and same-sex relationships (among others) are organically woven by Dilloway into her plot, along with themes of belonging, acceptance, and finding one's place in the world. And although some of the social issues touched and focused on in and throughout Summer of a Thousand Pies would perhaps benefit from deeper development, I do appreciate them being part of Margaret Dilloway's text, that they are a vital part of Cady's story and I also enjoy how not everything is wholly resolved by the end of Summer of a Thousand Pies either (as Summer of a Thousand Pies is indeed and of course featuring textual realism, and that Dilloway's delightful adherence to naturalistic and true-to-life fiction makes me majorly smile and also has me considering a very rare five stars for Summer of a Thousand Pies and as such also being a novel that I very highly and strongly unilaterally recommend to both young and old).

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent and engaging story about a young girl dealing with the effects of her father's mental illness and the ensuing instability. When her father is arrested, twelve-year-old Cady is sent to live with her aunt, the proprietor of a pie shop. Nestled in the mountains above San Diego, in the town of Julian, Shell's Pies is struggling to stay afloat. As Cady and her aunt Shell navigate the boundaries of their burgeoning relationship, Shell simultaneously attempts to keep her shop in business. Cady, wary of assistance and angry about her circumstances, comes to learn there are people worth trusting in this world, people who care deeply about her well being.
Over the course of one summer, young Cady bakes one thousand pies (and a few cakes for good measure) learning much about herself in the process. In fact, it is Cady's developing baking skills, creativity, and concern for a friend with celiac disease that just might be the ticket to the shop's success.
This middle grade novel is perfect for foodie fans, viewers of The Great British Bake Off, and anyone who enjoys a good coming-of-age tale. Several recipes are included.

[C.J. Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I saw the cover for Summer of a Thousand Pies, I thought I'd be settling into a fun and lighthearted middle grade contemporary. I was wrong. This is a beautiful, important book, but it doesn't deal with easy themes. Cady's mother has died and her grief-stricken father descends into alcoholism to the point where she has to live with her Aunt Shell. Her aunt's pie shop is run with equal amounts of passion and joy, but it isn't easy to thrive as a small bakery. And Cady's new friend Jay, whose parents are undocumented and works at Aunt Shell's bakery, depends on the pie shop staying open to keep from going homeless.

But that doesn't mean that this book is free of uplifting moments. Thanks to her aunts and her new friends, Cady's is able to let down her guard and trust the people she loves the most for the first time in her life. Through baking and immersing herself in life with Aunt Shell, Cady is able to heal from the loss of her mother and her father's mental health issues. Summer of a Thousand Pies is an example of how middle grade can delve into just as real and heartbreaking issues as YA, as well as queer representation, in a way that's appropriate and helpful for its young readers.

This is hands-down one of the best and (no pun intended) sweetest LGBT middle grade books I've read. I'd recommend it to elementary and middle school students in particular but also teachers who are looking for a way to introduce LGBT characters to their students in a compassionate and normalizing light.

[Samantha (WLABB) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Cady had to grow up fast. As the child of an addict, she knew homelessness, abandonment, and hunger. All things I wished she had never known. When her father was taken into custody, she was placed in the care of an aunt she never knew she had, and that was when Cady started to see things a little differently.

First and foremost, I really did like Cady. She had it tough, and because of that, she had trust issues. Her mother died, her father was unreliable, and she was forced to depend on herself. Given her history of being in and out of the foster care system, being homeless, and being bullied, among other things, she was still able to maintain some sort of optimism.

Which was why I loved seeing her grow and flourish once she moved in with her aunt Shell and her partner, Suzanne. Cady had to learn a lot about living with a family and trusting people, but she did, slowly but surely.

Her connection to Shell was very special. Shell was a little hard on the outside, but she shared her love of baking with Cady, and Suzanne was there to nurture when needed. Together, they were a great team, and it wasn't just Suzanne and Shell, who were there for Cady. There was actually a big community element in this book, which was quite lovely, and reinforced the idea, that it's ok to accept help from others, when you need it.

I did feel like there were a lot of side issues incorporated into the story, which didn't necessarily fit with the central plot. I understand the author may have felt compelled to included these issues, but I didn't feel they advanced Cady's story, and I thought that in a book packed with quite a few issues (and almost 400 pages in length), it made the story longer than it needed to be, and it dragged a little under all that weight.

Overall, this was a lovely story of family, friendship, and community. The final event was so joyful, and it warmed my heart seeing everyone pull together.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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[Jenn Bishop · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story absolutely charmed me. Cady hasn't known a home for a long time. Her mother died when she was little and she and her father have recently been experiencing homelessness in San Diego. But when his troubles land him in jail, her estranged aunt Shell, her mother's sister, steps in to care for Cady. Cady's resistant at first, and Shell and her partner Suzanne aren't exactly used to having a twelve-year-old around, but they bond over a love of pie and The Great British Bake-Off. Set in the tiny Southern California mountain town of Julian, this is a sweet story about a girl finding a family, friendship, and community in unexpected places. It's also about the way that food connects us -- to home, and to each other. The appended recipes are PERFECT for budding young bakers. Fans of cooking shows and fans Lynda Mullaly Hunt will find much to savor in this story.

[Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summer of a Thousand Pies is a sweet middle-grade contemporary novel. A story about family and belonging, set amongst the backdrop of food, glorious food, Summer of a Thousand Pies touches on some deep and troubling themes such as homelessness, financial hardship, and the constant fear and struggle to belong faced by illegal immigrants. With diverse characters and a strong -if a little too headstrong at times- lead characters, Summer of a Thousand Pies is sure to delight young readers.

Cady knows what it is like to go without, or to be judged for living in her dad’s van rather than a house like everyone else. So when her dad is arrested and she is sent to live with her aunt, Cady knows she just has to survive a few months until her dad will come to get her. But Cady’s aunt Shell is nothing like she expected, and having the freedom to eat as much as she likes and explore Shell’s property is a new experience for Cady. But the best bit is Shell’s pie shop, where Cady can help out, learn to make pies and finally get to try some of the recipes she has collected over the years. But Shell’s pie shop is being threatened with overwhelming debt and Cady wants to do everything she can to rescue the new home and family she has come to love so much.

If you are looking for a book that features cooking and recipes, then Summer of a Thousand Pies is perfect. Cady is mad about baking. From growing up in an environment with limited food and poor cooking conditions to moving in with her aunt, Cady discovers a whole new world of techniques, ingredients and the celebration all things cooking. The Great British Baking show is featured a lot, and Cady experiments with recipes and mixing new ingredients. Each of the main recipes she tries are included in the back of the book, along with notes from Cady herself about the ingredients or tips for following the method.

But Summer of a Thousand Pies isn’t just about cooking and food. It is also about family. Cady slowly comes to understand and love her aunt Shell, warms to Shell’s effusive partner Suzanne and learns about friendship and getting along with others as she becomes friends with Jay, who, along with his family, also lives and works with Shell. From the pie shop’s customers to the town’s people, Cady’s summer is spent learning about others’ lives, feelings and how to live with people, rather than shutting them out.

There is so much to discuss, so many layers to this story. Whether it’s Jay, who fears being forced to leave the US due to his illegal immigrant status, homelessness, alternative families, financial hardship, or Cady’s growth to someone who considers others and controls her emotions, Summer of a Thousand Pies has something that will touch every reader.

The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

Find more reviews, reading age guides, content advisory, and recommendations on my blog Madison's Library

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautiful book is going to stay in my heart forever, and I already know will be one of my top favorites this year. When Cady goes to live with her Aunt Shell after her father is arrested, her whole world flips. She has a bed, a room, and there's always food. There's also The Great British Bake Off to watch. Through this summer of change, she vows to bake a thousand pies at her aunt's pie shop, befriends an undocumented family, thinks about her dad, and embraces this sweet & exciting small town life where your neighbors lend a hand. Award worthy, any realistic reader will fall in love.

[Madeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh what a wonderful story!

I loved every word!

The characters were so endearing.

I will truly miss this family.



Thank you Margaret Dilloway and Goodreads for a free copy of this terrific story!

My new book definitely enjoys its new home!

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was mostly enjoyable and I would've given it more stars if there hadn't been so many political agendas squeezed into it. There's no place for that in a children's book.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is sweet and will help to start a conversation about a few of life's difficulties, including homelessness. I really enjoyed the main character, Cady. I think kids will identify with some of her fears even though they may not experience the same challenges she does. Cady's story might also bring about compassion and more understanding for those kids whose families might be struggling. Plus, the pie references are great for anyone who likes to bake! Recipes included!
DRC provided by the publisher and edelweiss.

[Dawn Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully sweet book.

[laura (bbliophile) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a lovely story! Full review to come.

[Dee Dee G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

[QNPoohBear · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twelve-year-old Cady Bennett has spent her life moving around from motel to motel in San Diego with her dad. Sometimes he goes out and night and doesn't return until the next day but that's OK because they'll get through this rough patch and soon Dad will have a job and a home for Cady. When Cady gets in trouble at school and her dad shows up under the influence, Cady is taken away from her dad and sent into foster care. Then her estranged Aunt Shell shows up to bring Cady home to her family farmhouse in the small town of Julian in the mountains. Cady is wary and longing to go home to the city, back to her school and her best friend Jenna who has celiac disease. When Aunt Shell and Suzanne introduce Cady to the delight of The Great British Baking Show, Cady is hooked. She's always treasured her mom's cookbook and longed to be a chef like her mom, who died when Cady was 5. When Cady discovers Aunt Shell owns a pie shop, it seems Cady's dreams have come true, but Aunt Shell won't let Cady bake a pie on her own. She makes Cady practice until perfect and practice means making 1000 pies! No sweat! Cady's first attempts at baking turn out to be a disaster. She takes her frustration out on her new best friend Jay and her Aunt Shell. Does Cady have what it takes to be a baker? Soon she falls into a comfortable rhythm of chickens, dogs, cats, new friends, baking and digging up invasive species in the national park. Cady feels content there and angry her dad kept her away for so long. What will happen when her dad is out of jail? Will he come bring her back to the city or can he live in Julian too? Will Cady even make it to 1000 pies? Then Cady's peaceful life starts to crumble like her pie crust and she worries about her future. Can she do something to change her life instead of blaming everyone else the way her dad always does?

Normally I stay away from modern "issue" novels. I read the news so I know what's going on in the world. I read novels to escape from all that. However, I couldn't resist the baking theme and the references to Bake-Off, one of my all-time favorite shows. (Poor Cady! She has yet to discover the Netflix only seasons! It's not the same without our beloved Mary Berry!) Even though I LOVE baking shows and baking, I felt that there was way too much repetitiveness in this novel. I didn't need to read a summary of each episode of of the show. I've seen them all multiple times and it would have been enough to say the show airs on PBS stations ad nauseum and is available on Netflix. Just a quick reference to what they were baking would have been fine. The author seems to have missed showing Cady the pie episodes! Pie means something different in Britain than it does here in the U.S. What about the American pies episode? That was weird. Cady would like that. I did like how Cady is inspired by the show to experiment with flavors. I could have done without the constant Mary Berry imitations. I always say "I wouldn't serve this to the judges!" or "What would Paul say about this bread?" (As Cady notes, Mary is always gracious). I didn't care for any of the pies Cady made, except Aunt Shell's basic apple pie and really, cornstarch isn't necessary, gross! My Nonnie never used cornstarch in her pies. The two cakes sound "scrummy" and I know I have recipes for them.

Cady's journey is interesting but predictable. It sounds realistic for the most part, aside from the weird Mary Berry imitations. At first Cady has a chip on her shoulder. She's afraid to relax, to get too close, she worries where her next meal will come from and hoards food. Cady is proud, stubborn and used to being independent. She has a hard time letting other people do things for her or be kind to her. Cady thinks her pride and stubbornness come from her dad but I see a lot of Aunt Shell in her so I think it comes from the Sanchez side!

Deep down Cady has a big heart. I love her heart. Her relationship with her best friend Jenna, a younger girl, is very sweet. Jenna adores Cady and Cady is always thinking of Jenna. At first I expected the kids to save the day at the end but the story remained true to life throughout. I liked how Cady came up with solutions, failed and tried again. Finally, she consults her friends and the adults to pull off her plan. She learns to let people in and open her heart. She also has to learn about who she is and come to terms with her conflicted feelings about her dad. Sometimes her voice sounds too mature and insightful for 12.

Cady's dad struggles with mental health and substance abuse issues. Which substances are never named specifically but perhaps opioids because he did have a broken leg at one point. It doesn't really matter. He's selfish but I think he loves Cady in his own way. He cares enough to admit they're "transient" so she can attend the best school. I think his conversations from jail about him are his way of telling her what he's doing so they can be together again but Cady has lost faith in his words. Mr. Bennett's mental illness comes in the form of religious mania. That doesn't quite fit in the story. It's brought up in the beginning and then dropped.

Like in Anne of Green Gables, Cady has a stubborn guardian who is tough to get to know and a kind guardian. Cady believes Aunt Shell didn't want anything to do with her until now. She's reluctant to trust Aunt Shell. Aunt Shell is a grown-up version of Cady! She's super stubborn and set in her ways. How on earth can she run a pie shop tucked away on a side street with only one type of pie and two variations on that pie? There is so much competition in the main part of town. Even Cady can see that's not good business. Aunt Shell was once a Marine and I think it makes her tough. She isn't easy to love and isn't quick to open her heart but she's trying to help Cady. Suzanne is always cheerful and kind. She's the opposite of Shell! Suzanne is eager to give all her love to Cady and while Shell lets Cady come to her, Suzanne keeps pushing until Cady lets her through. How can anyone not love Suzanne? I was a little surprised at everyone's easy acceptance of this couple. I would have expected a small town to be prejudiced against a same-sex couple but perhaps because Aunt Shell has lived there her whole life and does a lot for the community, people accept her for who she is; or maybe because California is like another planet from the rest of the country, even small towns are cool with people who don't fit the stereotype of small town life.

Jay is Cady's new bff. He's a know-it-all boy which would totally infuriate me the way it does Cady but Jay has a good to be a know-it-all. He is trying to help Cady and teach her things but he could be a little less annoying about it. His Mama, Maria, is kind and loving in the face of adversity. Jay's oldest sister Claudia is a silly teenager and a wannabe artist. She may not be talented enough to be professional, practice or not. Her boyfriend, Gable, made me suspicious at first. He sounded like a loser with big dreams but he grew on me. He comes from a good family so I think he'll be all right. Jay's little sister, Esmeralda, isn't necessary to the story except to illustrate the difficulties of undocumented immigrants. Sra. Vasquez, Jay's Abuelita, is caustic and sometimes too cruel. I think she's a mean grandma and rude to kids. However, I do get a kick out of the fact she tells it like it is. The Vasquez family story is heartbreaking. I wouldn't believe it if I didn't know it was true. It's utterly appalling that ICE conducts raids on the city bus. Isn't that like the Gestapo? The very people we fought against in the name of freedom? How on earth can you tell by skin color whether someone is undocumented from Mexico or not? Here on the city bus you have Portuguese, Cape Verdean, indigenous, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, and other Latinx. I am aware that some of them are undocumented but I don't know who and I can't tell just by looking at them! I imagine there's 10xs more diversity on a city bus in San Diego than there is in this little corner of the world. Their story broke my heart and made me even more eager to vote in November. Jay is determined to succeed and I know by the time he's 18 the laws will be different.

Shout-out to Cady's 5th grade teacher, Ms. Walker! She's exactly the kind of teacher Cady needs. She HELPS her students instead of yelling at them and being exasperated all the time. Ms. Walker seems to understand what Cady is going through even if she doesn't know all the details. She takes the time to make Cady feel special and wanted. Another wonderful, helpful, secondary character is Mr. Miniver. He's a cute, little old man who volunteers at the historical museum every day. He stops in at Shell's for a slice of pie and is their best customer and best friend. He's charming, has a good head for business and is a very good friend.

The bullies at Cady's old school are truly awful. Where are the teachers? The mean girl behavior is rude but normal. The bully who nearly killed Jenna needs to be suspended!

This book contains Cady's recipe book in the back! Bake at your own risk!

The landscape of San Diego county is a character in it's own right. California sounds like another planet from New England. I can't imagine driving 45 minutes and still being in the same state, let alone the same county. I'd die! Here, after 45 minutes you're at or across the state border or in the middle of the ocean. That's still enough to wine "Are we there yet?" and enough to require an overnight stay. I also can't imagine having that wild landscape in my backyard. We have orchards and fields but no mountains. The national park sounds interesting and I liked how the ranger helps Jay by letting the boy dig up non-native species. It gives Jay a sense of pride and place and helps the natural plants to survive.

I adore the pets, even Tom, the fat cat. I love how they're all named after famous chefs. I like how Julia and Jacques help Cady feel at home right away even though she's never had pets before. Their innocent comfort and simple pleasures help her relax and drop her guard more than the people can.

Writing this has made me hungry so I will stop here and go forage in the fridge to see if my dad left me the last bite of my mom's blueberry pie!

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first time we traveled to San Diego, we were advised to look for pies from Julian, California in specialty grocery stores, and it was love at first bite. Ever since, we have grabbed them up whenever we could. So of course I couldn’t resist reading this sweet middle grade coming-of-age story set in Julian and centered around the art of pie making.

Cady Bennett is 12, and she and her dad are homeless; life has gone downhill for them ever since Cady's mom died when Cady was five. The principal at her school in San Diego finally felt the need to contact protective services, and they in turn contacted the sister of Cady’s late mom to take at least temporary custody of Cady. Michelle, called Shell, brings a reluctant and hostile Cady with her to Julian, around an hour inland from San Diego, where Shell lives with her partner Suzanne and runs a pie shop.

Cady wants to help bake. She loves the idea of cooking, although she hasn’t been able to do much with their van's hotplate and an occasional motel microwave, and Shell and Suzanne allow her to experiment. At first, it is a disaster, but Cady gets better, and also helps out in the pie shop. She even makes friends, something that was virtually impossible before given her itinerant lifestyle and the contempt of kids at school. To do so, however, she has to overcome her ingrained suspicion of and belligerence toward others.

Most people she meets are patient and understanding of Cady, and better yet, they knew her mom and can tell her stories about this woman she never really knew.

But Shell’s shop is in trouble financially, and the attractive stable life Cady finally has is endangered. Cady's new friend Jay, whose mother works at Shell’s Pie, also lives with uncertainly; he and his family are undocumented immigrants. Together Cady and Jay try to come up with ways to help save them all. And in the meantime, Cady bakes and bakes. As she practices over and over, she learns to temper her expectations, take advice gracefully, and build on failure to achieve success. These lessons translate to her life and help her grow up in an entirely different way than just being “street savvy.”

Evaluation: I enjoyed this story and was impressed with all the life lessons incorporated into it, without it seeming too contrived. And what can be bad about reading about pie? There are even recipes at the end with “Notes from Cady” to help make them easier for kids.

Nota Bene: If you get to the San Diego area and find pies from Julian, or better yet, travel to Julian itself, I highly recommend the Apple Mountain Berry Crumb.

[Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars objectively, but I'm rounding up because this was a heartwarming read -- and it made me so hungry for pie!

The narrator is prickly at first, but understandably so. It was nice to see her evolution over the course of the story, and it felt believable.

Her voice (and thus the writing) is straightforward and unsophisticated, so I wasn't reading for the lyrical prose or anything, but the story moves along well, unencumbered by pretense or unnecessary complication and drama.

Also, there's a bit of a West Coast Gilmore Girls vibe to the setting and the cast of characters -- small town, quaint, wholesome -- which I found charming.

The story incorporates many topical elements -- the most prominent of which are homelessness, immigration, and addiction -- yet it never feels bogged down or preachy. We simply see these issues through the eyes of a young person who is doing her best to make sense of them. Thus, pleasantly, there is a sense of compassion and of optimism, two things I find to be of immense value these days.

[Robin Yardi · Rating 5 out of 5]

So sweet!

Cady was so easy to care for and her story is filled with all sorts of the difficulties that plague adolescence. Kids will find a friend here in this book. More than one. Plus a thousand pies. Need I say more?

[Jennifer Fernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a sweet middle grade novel about a homeless 12 year old girl named Cady who ends up going to live with an Aunt she’s never met when her dad gets into trouble. Cady has been homeless for 7 years and going to live in an actual home and not having to fend for herself is quite an adjustment. She struggles to overcome a lot of insecurities, develop friendships and learn to trust, all with a goal of making 1000 pies over the summer. This book was well-written, touching and realistic in the way characters developed over time. It introduced several different hot button topics (i.e. immigration) in a sensitive and appropriate for this age way. Thanks to my daughter for recommending this book to me!

[Rachel Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet story about friendship and family. I loved how Cady found her self-worth and belonging in community. And who doesn’t love a book with great descriptions of baked goods, lol.

My only complaint was the sheer number of issues the writer included. It seemed like she made a list of everything she could think of and put them in here. 4 stars.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED this middle grade book... full review to come!

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this one!

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a craving for a fiction book about a bakery and this hit the spot. More realism than I expected, but the sweetness and sadness were perfectly balanced.

(I really felt for Shell. Her stubbornness was frustrating and completely relatable.)

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed following Cade's life as they grow in their belief of self and family. Family is more than those you live with but can be found in the community.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really sweet book!

[Claire Funk · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was my favorite book I’ve read this year; a little girl with a rough home life gets sent to live w her aunt and her wife and learns about love and life and herself and feeling safe by learning how to bake guided by the great british baking show it made me laugh it made me cry I’m going to get a physical copy so that everyone I know can read it

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 I just didn't really connect with any of the characters, and much of the emotion and plot felt a little forced. Additionally, the author tried to fit in a lot of issues (homelessness, neglectful parent, LGBTQ, undocumented immigrants, economic hardship, etc.) into this one story and it just didn't work for me.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dilloway masterfully handles tough issues such as homelessness and substance abuse with a deft hand by first introducing you to Cady, and getting you to care about her. The fact that I also love the Great British Baking Show was simply an added bonus. Well done!