The Scrumptious Life of Azaleah Lane

Mama always said cooking for someone was like giving them a gift. When Mama and Daddy head out of town to a food-truck festival, their three daughters, Tiana, Azaleah, and Nia, are delighted to get to spend the weekend with their Auntie Sam. Azaleah gets the idea to make cookies for her parents, so with Auntie Sam's permission and little sister Tiana's help, she carefully makes a batch. But the cookies are awful, and it takes all of Azaleah's skills of solving a mystery to figure out what went wrong.



The Scrumptious Life of Azaleah Lane is a refreshing book, with its story of a family of people who have occasional little difficulties in their relationships but who genuinely care about each other. There's no over-the-top drama; the story is a gentle look at regular life. The little details—instant oatmeal for breakfast, buying groceries at a convenience store—offer windows and mirrors to contemporary readers. The characters are charming without being unbelievable, and that's a difficult tightrope to walk. I especially loved how the characters are persistent at working to change their behavior when they fall short. The aunt, especially, is a model of ideal behavior. She spoils the children just a bit but she always draws the line at going too far. The story's heart is a little mystery that draws the reader in, and I don't mind admitting that I, happily, didn't figure it out before the reveal at the end. Yes, I'd call The Scrumptious Life of Azaleah Lane completely refreshing and delightful.


I was gifted a copy of The Scrumptious Life of Azaleah Lane, written by Nikki Shannon Smith @nikki2smith and illustrated by Gloria Felix @GloriaFelixArt, from Capstone @CapstonePub. The opinions expressed are my own.