Honey

A Novel

By: Victor Lodato

Narrated by: Carrington McDuffie

“Honey isn’t one of these frail wraiths who sip tea and shuffle in worn slippers. Honey subsists on Viognier and Valium and slips on Louboutins just to run to the grocery store.…a feisty heroine readers will embrace as an octogenarian with attitude to spare.”—Booklist

Meet a woman as tenacious as Elizabeth Strout’s Olive Kitteridge and as irresistible as Andrew Sean Greer’s Arthur Less: Honey Fasinga, the glamorous daughter of a notorious New Jersey mobster, is returning home at last, ready to reckon with her violent past.

As a rebellious teenager, Honey managed to escape her father’s circle of influence and reinvent herself in a world of art and beauty, working for a high-end auction house in Los Angeles. Now in her twilight years, she decides to return home and unexpectedly falls in love. But in her family, nothing has changed. When her grandnephew Michael bursts into her life in what appears to be a drug-fueled frenzy, and her Lexus gets jacked, it’s hard to keep minding her own business. As old cruelties begin to resurface, Honey is no longer sure what she really wants—to forgive or to avenge.

This electrifying literary breakout from PEN USA Award-winning author Victor Lodato is a masterful and deeply moving portrait of love in all its forms, of moral ambiguity, and of inspiring change—a story of female rage that asks the question: What are the limits of compassion in a world gone mad?

©2024 Victor Lodato (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers

Great writing and characters!

Compelling story with an excellent plot that flows easily, logically and naturally. Interesting mix of characters. Also, one of my favorite readers. A pleasure!

Eh not bad

This book has an interesting perspective with an older woman protagonist who is part of an Italian mafia family. It delivers a positive message about aging, emphasizing that life doesn’t stop as you grow older; there’s still room for new friendships and family bonds, even with a violent/traumatic past. However, the large cast of characters leaves little room for deep development of their stories. The inclusion of the protagonist’s grand nephew is great, although, again very lackluster with character development. The lack of violence is disappointing, given the mafia family context. Overall, not a bad book to read if you find yourself bored to death.

Poignant and relateable

First off, the performance was wonderful! It felt like Honey was actually narrating. Being a senior myself I could relate to everything Honey was going through in her later years. The pride and strength she had in her successes and individuality. Strength, kindness, cunning and maturity. All the things we don't realize we have until someone recognizes them in you. RIL, Honey.

Great story, setting and characters.

I enjoyed this book very much. As I noted above. Great story, great setting and great characters. Maybe because I feel I know these people. Jocelyn got on my nerves a bit, but she gets on Honey’s too. lol

A feisty heroine

An interesting story of a woman’s who has lived life on her own terms. She was born the daughter of a crime boss, found her way out of the trauma and at the end of life returns to her NJ roots and begins an uneasy reconciliation with her family.