So Long Chester Wheeler - Book Review

A novel by New York Times Bestselling Author Catherine Ryan Hyde about a road trip with unlikely companions who end up forming an unexpected bond. 

Synopsis

So Long, Chester Wheeler: A Novel

As the story begins, Lewis Madigan, a software developer, is experiencing the worst day of his life!

His worst day began as he arrived at work. It was a day that he expected to be getting a promotion and a raise and instead ended up with a pink slip in his pay envelope. 

If the news of getting ‘laid off’  wasn’t enough, when Lewis got home that day, hoping for a bit of sympathy from his live-in boyfriend, he discovers the boyfriend is in the process of moving out and leaving for good. Afterwards, Lewis learns that the ex-boyfriend has also cleaned out their joint savings account! 

Faced with a horrendous job market, no money and few prospects, Lewis is uncertain what to do next. 

Chester Wheeler

Enter Chester Wheeler. Chester is Lewis’ hateful next-door neighbor; wheelchair-bound, cantankerous, and a constant source of irritation with his homophobic insults. 

Chester has worn through a number of caretakers—no one can stand to be around him. When the last caretaker walks out, Chester’s daughter is at her wits end. She needs to be with her daughter and newborn grandchild, not taking care of Chester. Knowing Lewis is out of work, she talks him into providing end-of-life care for her father.

Lewis doesn’t need the aggravation of caring for his insufferable homophobic neighbor, but he does need the money. Told that the only requirements are to run errands and be on call just until the daughter can work out other arrangements, Lewis agrees. 

Chester Wheelers Request

After several days of bickering, baiting, pushing buttons and exchanging barbs, Chester Wheeler decides to ask Lewis for a big favor. He wants Lewis to drive him, in his old Winnebago,  from his home in Buffalo, NY to Arizona. He wants to see his ex-wife for the first time in thirty-two years ~ for the last time. Lewis is unable to say no to a dying wish, and agrees. The journey spans one week and two thousand miles, and becomes an illuminating journey into the life and secrets of a vulnerable man.

Summary

So Long Chester Wheeler is a novel with characters who will fascinate you. The story is told with humor and a deep understanding that sometimes the last people in the world we would expect to connect with are those who need our help the most.  It will make you think about your own feelings and how they influence your life. 

*Book Review of “So Long Chester Wheeler” was written by Wednesday Elf

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Love in the Present Tense - Book Review

Love in the Present Tense is an inspiring story of love in all its many forms. 

Synopsis of Love in the Present Tense by Catherine Ryan Hyde

Love in the Present Tense

Pearl is a street kid who, on her 13th birthday, becomes pregnant and accidentally kills the baby’s father, a police officer. She spends the next five years moving around, trying to keep hidden from the police who search for her and attempting to keep baby Leonard safe. Eventually, her past catches up with her and she never returns after leaving Leonard with her neighbor, Mitch.

Mitch is far from the ideal caretaker--he’s having an affair with a client’s wife--but he and Leonard must find a way to bridge the gap between them as they bond as parent and child. As time goes on, Leonard becomes very close to Mitch, but he never stops feeling Pearl's presence in a tangible way: her 'forever love' for him.  And Mitch discovers that taking care of Leonard is the best thing that ever happened to him.

The story's characters include a tough teen (Pearl), her sweet son (Leonard, age 5 at the beginning of the story, smart and loving and suffering from a degenerative eye disease), and the 25-year-old neighbor, Mitch, who maintains a home business. 

Summary

Narrated in the alternating voices of the principal characters, this novel is an examination of relationships and special bonds. Events go back and forth in time from one chapter to the next. Mitch and Leonard grow up together, through the power and the magic of the human heart.

Author Catherine Ryan Hyde once again gives us an astoundingly wise portrayal of human nature. 

*Review of the novel, Love in the Present Tense, was written by Wednesday Elf

 

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Walter’s Purple Heart - Book Review

Serious, sad, lighthearted and told with humor.

Each chapter is titled by a name, flipping between Michael, Walter, Mary Ann and Andrew

Synopsis of Walter’s Purple Heart

Walter's Purple Heart

Michael Steeb is an aimless 21-year-old pot farmer in Central California in the 1980s. He has no real plans or interests...until the day he connects with memories of a life that seems to belong to someone else. That "spirit" is Walter, a young American soldier killed in World War II.

Forty years ago….

Seeking answers on the Ouija board, he later comes to understand that Walter is an earlier incarnation of himself.

Michael eventually realizes that he has been given a mystery to solve. He is being asked to lead Walter's family to closure and peace and deliver the real truth behind Walter's Purple Heart. Somehow, he needs to achieve the forgiveness absent for so many years so Walter can move on, and leave his anger behind.

To accomplish this task given to him, Michael sets out to find Walter's best friend, Andrew, and Mary Ann, the fiancée Walter left behind. Mary Ann recognizes Walter in Michael immediately. But Andrew thinks Michael is nothing but a con man and doesn't believe a word he says. Michael, encouraged by the spirit of Walter, continues to try and accomplish the goal Walter has set for him. 

Summary 

A large part of the story is narrated by Walter ~ from beyond the grave.  Walter's Purple Heart is a fast-paced war drama and a deeply felt romance, with a unique twist on the prospect of multiple lives. 

A romantic story about a dead World War II soldier who transcends the barriers of time to touch the lives of the people he loved in his life.  Catherine Ryan Hyde at her best in this fascinating metaphysical fiction story.  

Related Links:

• Reviews of books by Catherine Ryan Hyde
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*Book Review of Walter’s Purple Heart is written by Wednesday Elf

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Book Review of Heaven Adjacent

A novel by Catherine Ryan Hyde

What if you have been living a high-powered life, where work is everything and your time is totally organized? Then, something drastic happens that makes you realize that there may be more to living than what you have been doing. This is what happens to Roseanna Chaldecott the day her best friend and law partner suddenly dies.

Heaven Adjacent

Synopsis of Heaven Adjacent

Something snaps in Roseanna’s life one morning when she takes a step back and realizes that all she and her law partner had worked for now has no real meaning anymore. Instead of dutifully going off to the office as usual, and feeling unsure of her future, Roseanna leaves her home in New York City and begins to drive upstate on one tank of gas with no plans to return. Nothing seems to matter anymore; she lives alone and is estranged from her grown son, and work no longer seems important. 

Hours later, Roseanna’s need for gas occurs in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains where she discovers a ramshackle farm located on seventy-six acres that is for sale. Deciding this is the perfect hideout, she purchases the property and arranges to have her Manhattan apartment closed up and her belongings shipped to the farm. She also notifies her secretary that she won't be back.

The farm appears to be full of possibilities, but also includes a few surprises. It seems there is a young mother and her small daughter who have been squatting on the property. Having company is the last thing Roseanna wants, but she reluctantly allows them to stay. 

As time goes by, it is discovered that there is a lot of old farm equipment and other metal things stored in and around the farm and its many buildings. Roseanna and the young girl begin sculpting zoo animals using this ‘junk’. As a result, others are drawn to the farm; some of whom stay on, camping on the many acres. Eventually, a newspaperman writes a story about the sculptures and even her estranged son, Lance, shows up. Lance pleads with her to return to the city, but Roseanna has finally discovered where she belongs. And, soon Lance also discovers a simple truth. 

Summary

Roseanna thought she needed space and solitude when her new adventure began, but, although her new life does not provide the solitude she first sought, her heart has found room for much more.

This is a wonderful, yet bittersweet, story about slowing down and discovering what can be gained when leaving everything behind! 

People come into our lives and it’s not always a forever kind of thing, and not always meant to be. Not every deal is for keeps.

~from Heaven Adjacent by Catherine Ryan Hyde

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*Book Review of ‘Heaven Adjacent’ was written by Wednesday Elf

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The Language of Hoofbeats by Catherine Ryan Hyde - A Book Review

Among the many interests and activities which author Catherine Ryan Hyde enjoys, is that of horses. She is an avid equestrian and often posts pictures online of her horses. In addition, Catherine has featured horses in several of her books. The Language of Hoofbeats is one such book. This is my review of this fascinating and interesting novel. 

Synopsis

Two of the main characters, Clementine and Jackie, each narrate the story, taking alternating chapters to tell their side of the events.

The Language of Hoofbeats

The story begins when Jackie and her wife, Paula, looking for a quiet life for their kids - a young adopted son and two teenage foster children - move in across the street from Clementine. Paula is a veterinarian and this move has brought her to a remote country area in need of another vet. Jackie is a stay-at-home mom for the kids. 

Clementine is a terribly unhappy person who is so damaged by her daughter’s suicide that she cannot be civil to most people, including her husband. The husband finally cannot take her negativity any longer and he moves out about the time Paula & Jackie and the kids move in next door.

Clem has a horse named Comet who used to belong to the now-dead daughter. Comet is quite high-strung and has not been receiving very good care because Clementine is rather scared of the horse and the husband has moved out. When the foster teen Star, a quite unhappy girl herself, is drawn to and bonds with Comet and attempts to begin a friendship with the horse. Clementine, in her usual horrid fashion, resents the friendship developing between Star and the horse and chases her away from her property several times. Clem is extremely nasty to Star and also to her foster mothers, Jackie and Paula. Finally, not being able to stand the way the horse is neglected, Star steals Comet and they become lost. The real action in the story begins as Jackie and Clementine join forces to search for both Star and Comet. 

Throughout the story, we also become acquainted with the other foster child, Mando, and the younger adopted son, and learn what happened to Clementine’s daughter. 

Summary

From the book jacket: 

When a troubled girl steals a horse, her foster moms are thrown together with their reluctant neighbor 

The Language of Hoofbeats shows us the complexity of human relationships and points out how very relatable characters can sometimes be intensely flawed. But, by facing the scars they carry and the choices they have made, along with forgiving the regrets, a diverse group of people often can be transformed into a family. An extremely good read! 

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Catherine Ryan Hyde

*Book Review of “The Language of Hoofbeats” is written by Wednesday Elf

 

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A Different Kind of Gone - Book Review

A Catherine Ryan Hyde novel about justice, involving lies and impossible choices.

Synopsis of ‘A Different Kind of Gone’

A Different Kind of Gone: A Novel

What if ‘missing’ doesn’t mean ‘never found’. What if a search and rescue volunteer searching for the missing teenager in the mountains near the Utah-Arizona border finds her and discovers she is actually in hiding, as she fears her abusive boyfriend will kill her for trying to leave him.

The search and rescue volunteer, Norma Gallagher, finds Jill huddled in a cave, terrified that Jake will kill her if he ever sees her again. Norma has to make a difficult decision. Does she try to help this girl by secretly returning her to her grateful parents and keeping silent about it, or returning with her so law enforcement and the rescue personnel can stop looking.

Eventually, to protect Jill from a dangerous man, Norma secretly takes her home to California. Keeping her safe and hidden from Jake, the press and the public, this act will remain a secret between Jill, her parents, and Norma. But, secrets cannot last forever.

Five years go by, when Jake is arrested for severely beating his wife, a girl he met during the time of the search for Jill. Because Jill Moss has been declared legally dead after five years, in addition to a trial for the attempted murder of his wife, Jake will also be tried for the murder of Jill Moss. 

Jill’s family, who has successfully hidden her away all these years, refuses to come forward. This leaves Norma with a life-changing decision.

Summary

Jake’s jail term for the beating will no doubt be short-term. What happens when Jake is released from prison? On one hand, there is the danger to Jill if Jake finds out she is still alive. Then there is also the possible danger down the road to his wife, who we discover is pregnant, for turning him in. But, should a man be put on trial for a murder that never happened?

Norma Gallagher has to weigh the consequences if she keeps quiet, and the risks if she dares to finally tell the truth. 

A Different Kind of Gone is an interesting exploration of domestic violence with a compelling look at women married to abusers. The author explores the situation of domestic violence in sensitive and gentle ways, making the story one that is very readable.

If you were Norma, how would you decide?

*Book Review of “A Different Kind of Gone”, written by Wednesday Elf

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Life, Loss, and Puffins - Book Review

Review of a novel by Catherine Ryan Hyde

For two teenagers, their bucket list isn’t about dying. It’s about finally living.

Highlights of the Story

Life, Loss, and Puffins: A Novel

The two main characters in Life, Loss, and Puffins are teenagers Ru Evans and Gabriel.

Ru lives in California with her mother. She is freakishly smart. She taught herself euclidean geometry at age seven and has a photographic memory and total recall. As the story begins, Ru is about to enter college, and she is only thirteen years old. 

The college is 150 miles from Ru’s home, so her mother arranges for her to board with a family near the college campus. This family consists of a mother and her seventeen year old son, Gabriel.

Gabriel is very much an outsider like Ru. They both have trouble making friends; Ru due to her intelligence, Gabriel because he has his own way of ‘being’, which includes wearing makeup on his eyelashes and nail polish on his fingers.

Ru and Gabriel, perhaps because they recognize the ‘uniqueness’ in each other, form a deep sibling-like bond. Being able to relate to someone else in their world that they can talk to is a first for each of them. 

Originally, Ru’s mother planned to come pick up Ru each weekend, but the first few weeks she comes up with excuse after excuse why she cannot come. Finally Ru gets Gabriel (who drives her to the college campus every day and picks her up in the afternoons after his own college classes) to drive her home to see her mom. She discovers her mom’s sister is there and that her mother is terminally ill. She had tried to keep this from Ru. Quite soon, Ru’s mother dies and Ru is expected to go live in Kentucky with her miserable aunt, her only remaining relative and one she has never gotten along with. 

The Trip of a Lifetime

Not able to bear the thought of life with her aunt without ever really having a normal life (wanting to go from being a smart person to just being a ‘person’), Ru tells Gabriel what she would like to do. Gabriel agrees to help her fulfil her ultimate dream. They set off from California and head for Canada. Ru’s bucket list includes seeing the aurora borealis and the Atlantic puffins in the wild. 

Summary

Atlantic Puffin (Source: Pixabay)

Ru & Gabriel know that they will be in trouble when caught, but their special friendship, combined with help in unexpected places, combine to help them both see what it feels like to really ‘live’ as a normal person as they take life one beautiful and spontaneous day at a time. 

This is a delightful feel-good, coming of age story about two young people you will really enjoy getting to know. 

• For more books by and about Catherine Ryan Hyde, click here.
• For more book reviews, check out ReviewThisBooks.com

*Book Review of Life, Loss, and Puffins written by Wednesday Elf

 

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Rolling Toward Clear Skies by Catherine Ryan Hyde

Book Review of a novel by Catherine Ryan Hyde, a favorite author who combines relatable dilemmas and interesting characters who often tug at your heartstrings. This is a heartfelt novel of hope and second chances.

A Synopsis of Rolling Toward Clear Skies

Rolling Toward Clear Skies: A Novel

Maggie Blount is a California GP and divorced mother of two teenage girls. In addition to her private practice with 3 other physicians, she also works with Alex, her professional (and romantic) partner, running Doctors on Wheels.   Their mobile non-profit vans provide free medical care in the aftermath of disasters.

The story begins as Maggie & Alex get ready to head to Louisiana where a hurricane is about to make landfall. Maggie’s daughters, Willa and Gemma, go to stay with their father for the duration, complaining all the way, as they have grown up to be very entitled, spoiled girls. 

During their time in Louisiana, Maggie and Alex treat 2 loving teenage sisters whose parents were killed in the storm that destroyed their home.  There is also a terrified puppy who becomes as attached to the girls as the girls do to him. 

When it is found that these sisters' only remaining relatives are very elderly grandparents who are unable to care for them, Maggie decides to foster Jean and Rose. After some preliminary paperwork and home visits by social services, Jean & Rose come to live with Maggie and her family. 

It is an emotional story that eventually finds Maggie’s new blended family in chaos. The foster sisters, Jean and Rose, are polite and appreciative and feel blessed to have found a safe new home. Maggie’s own daughters are self-involved teenagers who have grown up always having everything they wanted and who resist this intrusion by strangers into their privileged lives. Maggie knows she has made some mistakes in parenting her daughters, giving them too much to make up for her long work hours and the divorce. 

Maggie seeks help through a therapist to admit her role in Willa & Gemma’s entitled upbringing, and to learn how to teach her daughters about gratitude and empathy. She begins to learn to undo the damage and anticipate the needs of all four girls, Alex, and the puppy. 

Summary

Wise words and insightful observations combine to bring about a satisfying conclusion to this topical, thought-provoking, and appealing story. 

Related Reviews:

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For a review of author Catherine Ryan Hyde, click here.

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*Review of the book “Rolling Toward Clear Skies” was written by Wednesday Elf

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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More Good Today Day - Holiday Review

Looking through a list of wacky, wild and funny holidays for December, I came across one for December 14th called "More Good Today Day".  Reading that it is a gratitude/share kindness/caring kind of day, it seemed to fit in this mid-December counting the days until Christmas time. We are all feeling 'good' as we prepare to celebrate the holidays with family/friends and it seems appropriate that we take a bit of time on December 14th to share those good feelings. 

Holidays That Celebrate Kindness, Generosity and Caring

Learning about the More Good Today Day holiday, I discovered that there are a number of holidays throughout the year which focus on the positive words and acts of kindness that belong under the umbrella of More Good Today! Check out the following dates that encourage us all to be more caring and extend acts of kindness that help make this old world of ours a better place to live.

Image: Pixabay

• January 24th is known as National Compliment Day, a day to promote positivity by brightening someone’s day.
• February 17 is National Random Acts of Kindness Day
• June 1st is National Say Something Nice Day
• June 7 - World Caring Day 
• October 5th is National Do Something Nice Day
• On the 4th Saturday in October, we are encouraged to participate in Make a Difference Day – which is a “national day of doing good”.
• November 13 is World Kindness Day
• November 28 is GivingTuesday - A day of global generosity
• December 1st is known as World Generosity Day

Summary

So, pick a day to be extra kind, or caring or generous and discover how giving out positive vibes also makes YOU feel GOOD. That would seem to be the positive message behind this More Good Today Day! 

*More Kindness and Caring Reviews to Read and Embrace:

• Embracing the True Spirit of Christmas Through Acts of Kindness by Barbara Tremblay Cipak
• Embracing the New Year: A Journey of Kindness, Tolerance and Authenticity by Barbara Tremblay Cipak

*Holiday review of More Good Today Day written by Wednesday Elf 

Pay It Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde (2014-12-23)

Share a Little Kindess: A Children's Book about Doing Good in the World

Feeling Grateful: How to Add More Goodness to Your Gladness

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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