Wedding Cake

March 22, 2010
In the fifth installment of Hinton's Hope Springs series (after Christmas Cake
), the town of Hope Springs, N.C., is abuzz over a round of weddings among the series cast of friends. In this flowery confection, pastor Charlotte Stewart is living n New Mexico, but having trouble committing to her new beau; working as director of a shelter for battered women, she fears she may fall prey to the same pitfalls as her clients. Meanwhile, back in Hope Springs, nosy friend Beatrice Witherspoon is busying herself trying to reunite her married-but-separated friends Jessie and James Jenkins. Bea's plans fizzle when she discovers that her daughter is secretly engaged—and sending out invites. An unfortunately underserved plot line finds Louise Fisher, a lesbian, agreeing to marry the widower husband of the group's late member Margaret (who died in the last volume). Though at times brashly unsophisticated (old-fashioned recipes like clam dip and party mix fill space between chapters), Hinton's down-home charm carries the light, feel-good story with ease.