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TAKE ME WITH YOU

by Catherine Ryan Hyde ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 22, 2014

A story about good people doing their best to survive, combined with a message that will cause readers to close the book...

Hyde’s followers, who love the warmth and inspiration they draw from her work ( Walk Me Home , 2013, etc.), won’t be disappointed by this latest effort.

August is on his way to Yellowstone to go camping, but his RV has broken down, leaving him and his small part–Jack Russell terrier, Woody, stranded in a one-horse desert town. While the mechanic, Wes, works on the vehicle, the science teacher frets that he won’t have enough money to make it to the park. He’s not going for pleasure, although that was the original purpose of the trip; instead, he’s transporting some of his son’s ashes so he can sprinkle them around the park. He and Phillip, who was killed in the car accident that led to the breakup of August’s marriage, had planned the trip together. Now it seems as though the RV’s engine repairs will eat up most of his cash. Then Wes makes August an offer he can’t refuse: Finish your trip, but take my two boys with you, and I won’t charge you anything. The boys, 12-year-old Seth, and Henry, 7, will go into the foster system if Wes, who's scheduled to serve 90 days in jail, can’t find an alternative. August refuses but finally relents, and what follows is a lifelong bond among a recovering alcoholic, a wise young boy who's been forced to play the grown-up since his mom walked out, and sweet but silent Henry. Hyde’s books can be almost relentlessly uplifting, but in her case, that’s not a bad thing. She does it well and manages to avoid bringing religion, schmaltz or improbable outcomes into the mix, instead relying on crisp, clean prose and a straightforward method of storytelling that has its own unique appeal.

Pub Date: July 22, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-4778-2001-8

Page Count: 400

Publisher: Lake Union/New Harvest

Review Posted Online: June 18, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014

FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP

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by Catherine Ryan Hyde

THE NIGHTINGALE

by Kristin Hannah ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 3, 2015

Still, a respectful and absorbing page-turner.

Hannah’s new novel is an homage to the extraordinary courage and endurance of Frenchwomen during World War II.

In 1995, an elderly unnamed widow is moving into an Oregon nursing home on the urging of her controlling son, Julien, a surgeon. This trajectory is interrupted when she receives an invitation to return to France to attend a ceremony honoring  passeurs : people who aided the escape of others during the war. Cut to spring, 1940: Viann has said goodbye to husband Antoine, who's off to hold the Maginot line against invading Germans. She returns to tending her small farm, Le Jardin, in the Loire Valley, teaching at the local school and coping with daughter Sophie’s adolescent rebellion. Soon, that world is upended: The Germans march into Paris and refugees flee south, overrunning Viann’s land. Her long-estranged younger sister, Isabelle, who has been kicked out of multiple convent schools, is sent to Le Jardin by Julien, their father in Paris, a drunken, decidedly unpaternal Great War veteran. As the depredations increase in the occupied zone—food rationing, systematic looting, and the billeting of a German officer, Capt. Beck, at Le Jardin—Isabelle’s outspokenness is a liability. She joins the Resistance, volunteering for dangerous duty: shepherding downed Allied airmen across the  Pyrenees to Spain. Code-named the Nightingale, Isabelle will rescue many before she's captured. Meanwhile, Viann’s journey from passive to active resistance is less dramatic but no less wrenching. Hannah vividly demonstrates how the Nazis, through starvation, intimidation and barbarity both casual and calculated, demoralized the French, engineering a community collapse that enabled the deportations and deaths of more than 70,000 Jews. Hannah’s proven storytelling skills are ideally suited to depicting such cataclysmic events, but her tendency to sentimentalize undermines the gravitas of this tale.

Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-312-57722-3

Page Count: 448

Publisher: St. Martin's

Review Posted Online: Nov. 19, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2014

HISTORICAL FICTION | FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP

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THE LAST LETTER

by Rebecca Yarros ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 26, 2019

A thoughtful and pensive tale with intelligent characters and a satisfying romance.

A promise to his best friend leads an Army serviceman to a family in need and a chance at true love in this novel.

Beckett Gentry is surprised when his Army buddy Ryan MacKenzie gives him a letter from Ryan’s sister, Ella. Abandoned by his mother, Beckett grew up in a series of foster homes. He is wary of attachments until he reads Ella’s letter. A single mother, Ella lives with her twins, Maisie and Colt, at Solitude, the resort she operates in Telluride, Colorado. They begin a correspondence, although Beckett can only identify himself by his call sign, Chaos. After Ryan’s death during a mission, Beckett travels to Telluride as his friend had requested. He bonds with the twins while falling deeply in love with Ella. Reluctant to reveal details of Ryan’s death and risk causing her pain, Beckett declines to disclose to Ella that he is Chaos. Maisie needs treatment for neuroblastoma, and Beckett formally adopts the twins as a sign of his commitment to support Ella and her children. He and Ella pursue a romance, but when an insurance investigator questions the adoption, Beckett is faced with revealing the truth about the letters and Ryan’s death, risking losing the family he loves. Yarros’ ( Wilder , 2016, etc.) novel is a deeply felt and emotionally nuanced contemporary romance bolstered by well-drawn characters and strong, confident storytelling. Beckett and Ella are sympathetic protagonists whose past experiences leave them cautious when it comes to love. Beckett never knew the security of a stable home life. Ella impulsively married her high school boyfriend, but the marriage ended when he discovered she was pregnant. The author is especially adept at developing the characters through subtle but significant details, like Beckett’s aversion to swearing. Beckett and Ella’s romance unfolds slowly in chapters that alternate between their first-person viewpoints. The letters they exchanged are pivotal to their connection, and almost every chapter opens with one. Yarros’ writing is crisp and sharp, with passages that are poetic without being florid. For example, in a letter to Beckett, Ella writes of motherhood: “But I’m not the center of their universe. I’m more like their gravity.” While the love story is the book’s focus, the subplot involving Maisie’s illness is equally well-developed, and the link between Beckett and the twins is heartfelt and sincere.

Pub Date: Feb. 26, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-64063-533-3

Page Count: 432

Publisher: Entangled: Amara

Review Posted Online: Jan. 2, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2019

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

GENERAL ROMANCE | ROMANCE | FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP | CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

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by Rebecca Yarros

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REVIEW: Take Me With You by Catherine Ryan Hyde

TAKE ME WITH YOU by Catherine Ryan Hyde is an entertaining coming-of-age, adventure novel full of family values and addiction awareness. It hit one of my favorite tropes, which is “travel challenges”. I didn’t expect it to be mostly from the male point-of-view, but it was an agreeable difference.

It’s TBR Challenge day with Wendy the Super Librarian and time for me to visit the other challenge participants. I love doing this every month!

Why was this in Dorine’s TBR? I’m drawn to travel stories. We love to camp, and RVing across country is something I’ve always wanted to do. The mention of Yellowstone in the blurb grabbed me.

My favorite trope may seem odd, but I’ve read several books during the last two years that use travel challenges as a plot device, which in turn shows the characters’ growth by how they handle them. Travel is one of the themes on my blog because I love the idea of gradually writing about our own travel adventures. This novel just kept getting better as I read, because the outdoor challenges became more important as the story progressed. That also added appeal to the second part of the novel when I grew wary of where it was going.

I read romance or women’s fiction as the bulk of my fiction, but I also enjoy coming-of-age stories. What intrigued me most about this book is its male point-of-view with a lack of female protagonists. There were a couple female cameo appearances, but this is significantly about father/son relationships. Not romantic in any way, it’s more about the love of family – related by blood or adopted through friendship.

Science teacher August Schroeder takes his motorhome across country every summer. He budgets for gas and expenses for those months. He’s very excited about this year’s trip as well as a bit melancholy about not sharing it with his favorite person. Naturally, August is extremely disappointed when his RV breaks down. The local mechanic, Wes, understands August’s desire to continue his trip, but the repair costs will probably end his dream. Wes also has a dilemma. Can they come to an agreement that satisfies both parties?

August can’t believe Wes asks him to take his sons with him. Wes has a couple days to find his kids a place to live while he serves a jail sentence until September. Wes wants his boys to have an adventure instead of landing in foster care. Seth is the oldest and can take care of his younger brother Henry. August is a teacher, so he seems like a reliable choice. Not that Wes has an alternative if August refuses. Lucky for Wes and the two boys, August accepts. How can he refuse? His dog Woody loves the idea.

That’s just the first three chapters but there’s a lot more to this story. August has issues that reflect what the boys face with their dad. But August handles his issues in a more mature manner, which in turn teaches the boys how to live. Where the novel goes after Wes is released from jail is a complete surprise. That’s all I’m going to say so I don’t spoil it for you.

There were times when I doubted the dialogue. It’s not always believable. Seth can be a bit pretentious and cloying for a twelve-year-old boy. Since I liked the story and characters, I could ignore the hiccups. Seth and Henry are engaging kids and I couldn’t help but feel deeply for their situation. They bring the best out of August and help him cope with something that has been holding him back from enjoying his life. As a step-mom of two boys (now grown men), I could easily relate to Seth and Henry. They teach August as much as August teaches them, which makes their daily jaunts engaging.

I loved following their journey and wish this book was longer. That surprises me because I’m usually drawn to novels less than 300 pages. At 351 pages, I wanted more time RVing. The places they traveled made me anxious to go there. The locations I’ve experienced first-hand were fun to revisit, as well as accurately described.

One of the things I really enjoyed were the chapter titles. For example, “August, Standing Still” was the first chapter where August’s RV breaks down. Chapter two is “This will sound crazy” which is where Wes tells August what he wants from him. Each chapter gives a hint to what’s significant about it. It was fun to try to guess what will happen next based on the chapter title.

Catherine Ryan Hyde is best known for her book, PAY IT FORWARD , a philosophy I admire. The cover for LEAVING BLYTHE RIVER is how I discovered this author, which is another book I reviewed on my blog if you’re interested.

If you love books that highlight travel, then you’ll enjoy TAKE ME WITH YOU . I especially enjoyed the boys and how August becomes a catalyst for their future. TAKE ME WITH YOU is good family drama featuring imperfect characters with huge hearts. I’m anxious to find my next Catherine Ryan Hyde novel to add to my collection.

Review by Dorine, courtesy of The Zest Quest. Digital copy purchased by me from Amazon .

Take Me With You by Catherine Ryan Hyde Category: Coming of Age Fiction Publisher: Lake Union Publishing (July 22, 2014) Rated 4 out of 5

Tell me your favorite novels featuring travel so I can add to my pile!

Mmmm….sounds interesting.

It is! Catherine Ryan Hyde spins her stories in an intriguing way. If you like coming-of-age stories, then you might enjoy her style. Leaving Blythe River is similar — that it offers some unusual conflict.

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Captivating stories from the american west to west africa.

Book Review: Take Me With You

Take Me With You by one of my favorite authors, Catherine Ryan Hyde, is a heart-warming novel that reminded me to cherish the moment, to savor it, and to keep it locked in my heart.

August Shroeder, a high school science teacher, is facing life alone. His nineteen-year-old son was killed in an automobile accident, and he’s divorced from his wife. August and his son had planned to go camping at Yellowstone this summer, but now August plans to go alone and take his son’s ashes instead. He’ll be gone the entire summer.

August sets out in his RV but has the misfortune of a breakdown while still in California. A mechanic hauls the rig to his shop and begins the repair. Toward the end of the few days it takes, the mechanic asks a favor of August. Would August take the mechanic’s two sons with him? It’s a strange request, but the man confesses that he’s facing a three-month DUI jail sentence and he has no where else to leave the boys. It’s just the three of them—the boys’ mother is no longer in the picture. The mechanic offers to not charge for the repairs if August could take the boys with him.

The older boy, Seth, 12, is a bright, precocious boy. His little brother, Henry, 7, is timid with a cartoon-mouse voice on the rare occasions when he does speak. August has gotten to know the boys during the last few days because they’ve played with his little Jack Russell terrier. It’s an unusual request, but he reluctantly agrees.

The three of them set out on a joint adventure. They see it all—Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park where, as a science teacher, August could explain the geothermal areas to eager listeners, then on to Arches National Park, the Navajo Nation and finally the Grand Canyon.

The trip ends, but not the bond that has developed between them.

The story skips to eight years later. Another trip has been meticulously planned, another transformative journey that will change their lives forever.

I loved this book. I especially enjoyed the interaction between August and the boys. I delighted in the camping scenes. I’ve camped all my life, starting when I was 10 days old. We now camp with a truck/camper, which is similar to camping with an RV. I often felt as though I was with them seeing the sights and enjoying life on the road. This novel is one of many that I’ve enjoyed by this author. I highly recommend Take Me With You.

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***Book Review: Take Me With You, by Catherine Ryan Hyde

During the three days it will take to fix his truck, August camps on the property of the mechanic, Wes. While Wes works, the two men occasionally talk. August also observes the mechanic’s two young sons, Seth and Henry, playing in the dusty yard.  

We discover that Wes is facing a 90 day jail term. Because of that )and other reasons), Wes concludes that August is an upstanding individual.  He then asks August to take his motherless sons with him to Yellowstone for the summer. By doing so, Wes explains, they won’t have to go into the system with “strangers”—again.

I suspect that other readers, like me, take the bait and buy into Wes’s proposition, despite the ill-conceived nature of his request. Thus, we follow the threesome on a summer road trip that varies from sappy, to contrived to delightful. Despite the sometimes engineered storyline, lessons are learned, America’s might and magnificence is revealed and, three damaged souls achieve a measure of healing and renewal.    

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• About the Book

August Shroeder, a burned-out teacher, has been sober since his 19-year-old son died. Every year he's spent the summer on the road, but making it to Yellowstone this year means everything. The plan had been to travel there with his son, but now August is making the trip with Philip's ashes instead. An unexpected twist of fate lands August with two extra passengers for his journey, two half-orphans with nowhere else to go.

What none of them could have known was how transformative both the trip and the bonds that develop between them would prove, driving each to create a new destiny together.

Take Me With You by Catherine Ryan Hyde

• Publication Date: July 22, 2014
• Genres: Fiction
• Paperback: 362 pages
• Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
• ISBN-10: 1477820019
• ISBN-13: 9781477820018