Say Goodbye For Now
by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Pages: 366
Format: book
Goodreads: On an isolated Texas ranch, Dr. Lucy cares for abandoned animals. The solitude allows her to avoid the people and places that remind her of the past. Not that any of the townsfolk care. In 1959, no one is interested in a woman doctor. Nor are they welcoming Calvin and Justin Bell, a newly arrived African American father and son.
When Pete Solomon, a neglected twelve-year-old boy, and Justin bring a wounded wolf-dog hybrid to Dr. Lucy, the outcasts soon find refuge in one another. Lucy never thought she’d make connections again, never mind fall in love. Pete never imagined he’d find friends as loyal as Justin and the dog. But these four people aren’t allowed to be friends, much less a family, when the whole town turns violently against them.
With heavy hearts, Dr. Lucy and Pete say goodbye to Calvin and Justin. But through the years they keep hope alive…waiting for the world to catch up with them.
Kritters Thoughts: Catherine Ryan Hyde has become my go to for just sweetly perfect stories. I have read four of her books and they are all unique, but the same. They have fantastic characters that draw you in from the very first page and you want to root for them and their story.
In this story, Dr. Lucy has moved to a small town and has isolated herself. She has surrounded herself with animals and outcasts, until a boy ends up on her front porch with a dog that needs care. She decides to take him and the dog in and her world is turned upside down.
I can not glow enough about this book. The story switches from Dr. Lucy's point of view to Pete's and the chapters are easily labeled and the story seamlessly switches back and forth and moves along. I loved how each character played off the other, it felt so natural.
There is some currentness to this book as we are dealing with racial issues in the United States. It was interesting to read how the world was in 1952 and compare how far we have come and still the issues we deal with now.
Have you read Catherine Ryan Hyde? I don't know I can name a favorite, but can you?
Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one copy of this book free of charge from TLC Book Tours. I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.