Five Miles South of Peculiar

Hunt (The Nativity Story) bakes up a Southern confection of a novel that’s on the sweet side but satisfying. The three Caldwell sisters are as different as can be, though two of them are twins. Carlene left their small home town of Peculiar, Fla., to sing on Broadway, but botched throat surgery steals her voice and sends her home, where twin Darlene is still nurturing jealousy of her glamorous sister despite her own considerable but more domestic talents. Magnolia, the youngest, has a sad backstory, a set of quirks, and two scene-stealing dogs, Lucy and Ricky. Hunt folds into this recipe for family dramedy two men, tangled family history, and smalltown dynamics. The result is deeply engaging characters that readers will care about—enough to overlook some minor problems with credibility and coincidence in plot development. Hunt writes with crisp confidence. Readers will appreciate the bonus of Southern dessert recipes from Darlene’s kitchen, unless they’re watching cholesterol. Agent: Danielle Egan-Miller, Browne & Miller Literary Associates. (June)