Secret Lakeshia Bell. She introduces her handsome new fiancé, Royce Storm, to the most important person in her life, her sassy and outspoken grandmother, Hattie Bell Ruffins. Hattie shares her heart-breaking news with her granddaughter that she only has a short time to live. Then asks her to help carry out her impossible bucket list at the same time planning a fabulous wedding. With not much time to spare an entire new and tumultuous journey begins for the couple. In all the chaos, Secret’s old enemy returns to demand what she feels is rightfully hers, her daughter whom she abandoned a short time ago. Secret has been caring for the child like she was her own and now may have to give her up. It seems that Secret's new faith in God is challenged at every turn. Will her fabulous wedding still take place in the summer? Only God knows if she will find the strength to once again turn her pain into power.
The book is unique mainly because of the subject matter. The older ladies in the book are seen as lively and exciting. Hattie Bell Ruffins is in her middle eighties and although she is facing hospice and cancer, her bucket list is full of exciting things that she still wants to do. Secret is beautiful on the outside but has inner turmoil that she can only resolve through her faith in God. Obstacles are coming at her quicker than she can handle them. There is no way she can handle one crisis after another without the support of her faith, her God, and the man who loves her. Death, laughter, hope, and making peace are all addressed in a humorous and serious way.
I think the ending is so beautiful. The main character, Secret re-experiences a huge trauma from her past and for a moment, she completely melts down. However, the strong words of her grandmother help her recover her senses and be as brave as she was raised to be. She has to stand strong even though everything in her wants to run away. It's always easy to be brave.
Mae said, “Hattie, where are your teeth? You’re on hospice. You cannot
do whatever you want. You have a family, and we love you.” Mae was
visibly upset with her eldest sister and placed both of her hands on her
hips. “Hattie, enough of your speech. Where did you go?”
Hattie rolled her watering eyes. “Y’all old ladies make me sick. Okay,
I’ll tell you the truth.” Hattie Bell realized that she was not going to
outtalk her sisters. With a deep breath, she quickly said, “Royce took
me skydiving.”
Royce looked away as he felt several pairs of glaring eyes and dropped
jaws. There was no explanation he could give to calm these old fires,
nor could he calm the young raging fire that sat beside him. “Now
wait, before y’all jump all over him,” said Hattie, holding up one finger.
“I begged him to take me so I could do some things on my final wish
list. He didn’t want to, but I begged. Y’all know I don’t beg anyone for
anything.” Royce was so glad Hattie stood up for him because he knew
he couldn’t beat that rap. Hattie told them that she had an exciting time
with her grandson. She continued, “He took great care of me, and I
even have video on it. I’m even on the YouTube and the Instant gram.”
Helen couldn’t help but laugh. “Mom, I know you didn’t just say you
was on YouTube.”
Hattie pulled out her cell phone and showed them that she already had
twenty thousand views. “Uh-oh, there my teeth go! Did you see them?
They just flew right out and hit the man’s goggles.” Everyone burst out
laughing. “Royce also set me up a Facebook page. Look how many
friends I have on here!”
All the anger turned into laughter as they watched the video of the old
lady smiling, then toothless, and then flying through the air.