Summer of a Thousand Pies by Margaret Dilloway

To do so, however, she has to overcome her ingrained suspicion of and belligerence toward others. She even makes friends, something that was virtually impossible before given her itinerant lifestyle and the contempt of kids at school. At first, it is a disaster, but Cady gets better, and also helps out in the pie shop. 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. 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.Ĭady wants to help bake.

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. 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.Ĭady 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. Ever since, we have grabbed them up whenever we could.

Summer of a Thousand Pies is a sweet and satisfying treat of a novel full of friendship, family, and, of course, pie.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. But are there some things even the perfect pie just can't fix? 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. Then she finds out that Aunt Shell's shop is failing.

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. Cady isn't used to stability, after growing up homeless in San Diego with her dad.

When Cady Bennett is sent to live with the aunt she didn't even know she had in the quaint mountain town of Julian, she isn't sure what to expect. A heartfelt contemporary middle grade novel about a girl who must try to save her aunt's failing pie shop, perfect for fans of The Thing About Jellyfish, Fish in a Tree-and The Great British Baking Show.

Summer of a Thousand Pies by Margaret Dilloway