Pie

When Alice's Aunt Polly passes away, she takes with her the secret to her world-famous pie-crust recipe. Or does she? In her will, Polly leaves the recipe to her extraordinarily surly cat Lardo . . . and then leaves Lardo in the care of Alice.

Suddenly Alice is thrust into the center of a piestorm, with everyone in town trying to be the next pie-contest winner ... including Alice's mother and some of Alice's friends. The whole community is going pie-crazy . . . and it's up to Alice to discover the ingredients that really matter. Like family. And friendship. And enjoying what you do.

I don't normally read YA, but the cat and pie on the cover drew me in. Then I downloaded a free sample of the first 2 chapters and immediately pre-ordered the book. Set during the summer of 1955 (love the '50s...wish I'd been around in that more innocent time!), Alice is a young girl grieving over the loss of her beloved aunt. She feels lost because they were so close, spending everyday together in Polly's pie shop. Alice doesn't get along with her mother, who was jealous of her successful sister. Then a mystery is dropped into Alice's lap...where is the recipe for Polly's famous pie crust, and how does her cat Lardo hold the answer? Love the small town feel, and I will admit I teared up at the end. This book is absolutely as sweet as pie.