Release Day Review: Dreaming of Flight by Catherine Ryan Hyde
An unexpected connection becomes the saving grace for two unlikely friends in a heart-stirring novel about love, loss, and moving forward by a New York Times and #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author.
Never knowing his parents, eleven-year-old Stewie Little and his brother have been raised on a farm by their older sister. Stewie steadfastly tends the chickens left by his beloved late grandmother. And every day Stewie goes door to door selling fresh eggs from his wagon—a routine with a surprise just around the corner. It’s his new customer, Marilyn. She’s prickly and guarded, yet comfortably familiar—she reminds the grieving Stewie so much of the grandmother he misses more than he can express.
Marilyn has a reason for keeping her distance: a secret no one knows about. Her survival tactic is to draw a line between herself and other people—one that Stewie is determined to cross. As their visits become more frequent, a complicated but deeply rooted relationship grows. That’s when Stewie discovers how much more there is to Marilyn, to her past, and to challenges that become more pressing each day. But whatever difficult times lie ahead, Stewie learns that although he can’t fix everything for Marilyn or himself, at least he’s no longer alone.
**ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
Dreaming of Flight is the third book I read by Catherine Ryan Hyde. I have become a huge fan of this author's writing style and storytelling. Her characters are all so unique and she's always able to make me care for them. The main characters of this book are Marilyn, an elderly grumpy lady, and Stewie, an eleven-year-old boy. These two meet when Stewie is making his round selling fresh eggs to neighbors. Stewie feels a connection to Marilyn because she reminds him of his grandma who he lost a couple of years ago. Marilyn is a bit prickly towards Stewie in the beginning but soon warms up to him even though she doesn't really show it.
Marilyn and Stewie really comforted each other. She became his adopted grandmother, and I enjoyed seeing them spend time together. I enjoyed seeing the growth in Stewie, and the love and support he received from his family. This book was pretty straightforward and the pace was great. But in the end, it had a pretty beautiful ending. This book was inspirational and uplifting, even if it had its sad moments at times. Stewie sometimes really had a lot on his small plate, but he always had the best intentions. His actions showed that you can get things done even if it seems impossible at times. I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait to read other books by Catherine Ryan Hyde.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Catherine Ryan Hyde is the author of more than 35 published and forthcoming books, including JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT, HEAVEN ADJACENT, THE WAKE UP, ALLIE AND BEA, SAY GOODBYE FOR NOW, LEAVING BLYTHE RIVER, ASK HIM WHY, WORTHY, THE LANGUAGE OF HOOFBEATS, TAKE ME WITH YOU, WHEN I FOUND YOU, WALK ME HOME, and DON'T LET ME GO.
An avid hiker, traveler, equestrian, and amateur photographer and astrophotographer, she has a published book of photos, 365 DAYS OF GRATITUDE: PHOTOS FROM A BEAUTIFUL WORLD.
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