Stay
By Catherine Ryan Hyde
The Summer of 1969 is one in which Lucas Painter's life is marked by change. First, his older brother Roy has been sent to Vietnam and through highly redacted letters it sounds like it is really rough. Then all his parents do fight - not just shouting but yelling and throwing things rivaling the war Roy is experiencing. And his best friend Connor seems more down than normal and his parents too seem to be the root of it. Lucas wants to help but he just doesn't know how he can.
When he happens upon a cabin hidden away in the woods he is more than a little startled to come face-to-face with 2 large dogs. Acting against his better judgment Lucas takes flight through the woods and the dogs are on him in an instant. Realizing that the dogs aren't chasing him but rather running with him Lucas soon makes a daily trek into the woods to run and release some of the stress that is tightening around him.
Stay is more than the title of this book as it also the overriding theme - stay is Lucas's way of asking those around him to find a reason to keep living, to not give up, to not succumb to despair. To fight for what is important and to be there for those who need you.
The majority of this book takes place during the summer of 1969 and the last few chapters take the reader to 2019 with Lucas looking back on the years just following that summer and his own decision in regard to serving in Vietnam and how it affected him for the rest of his life. Life is all about choices - some choices are right for you but not for someone else. The question one must when faced with a choice is are you willing to pay the price that your choice will exact.
I have not previously read Catherine Ryan Hyde's work and found it to be more than a little intriguing - she made me what to know what came next. I really liked Lucas and found his compassion, concern, and loyalty to be admirable. This is a book about the power of true friendship and how it can change everything when it focused on what is best for the other person and not self-serving. Would make for an excellent book club selection.
I received a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion - all thoughts expressed are my own.
About the Book:
An unforgettable novel about the power of friendship and kindness by the New York Times bestselling author of Pay It Forward.
In the summer of 1969, fourteen-year-old Lucas Painter carries a huge weight on his shoulders. His brother is fighting in Vietnam. His embattled parents are locked in a never-ending war. And his best friend, Connor, is struggling with his own family issues. To find relief from the chaos, Lucas takes long, meandering walks, and one day he veers into the woods.
There he discovers an isolated cabin and two huge dogs. Frightened, he runs. And the dogs run with him. Lucas finds unusual peace in running with the dogs, and eventually, he meets their owner, Zoe Dinsmore. Closed off and haunted by a tragic past, Zoe has given up. She doesn’t want to be saved. She wants out. But Lucas doesn’t want her to go, and he sees an opportunity to bring more than one friend back into the light. It’s either the best or worst idea he’s ever had, but Lucas isn’t giving up on Zoe or Connor.
Their unexpected connection might be the saving grace that Zoe thought she’d lost, that Connor needs, and that Lucas has been running toward.
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About the Author:
Catherine Ryan Hyde is the author of more than thirty published and forthcoming books. An avid hiker, traveler, equestrian, and amateur photographer, she has released her first book of photos, 365 Days of Gratitude: Photos from a Beautiful World.
Her novel Pay It Forward was adapted into a major motion picture, chosen by the American Library Association (ALA) for its Best Book for Young Adults list, and translated into more than twenty-three languages for distribution in over thirty countries. Both Becoming Chloe and Jumpstart the World were included on the ALA’s Rainbow List, and Jumpstart the World was a finalist for two Lambda Literary Awards. Where We Belong won two Rainbow Awards in 2013, and The Language of Hoofbeats won a Rainbow Award in 2015.
More than fifty of her short stories have been published in the Antioch Review, Michigan Quarterly Review, Virginia Quarterly Review, Ploughshares, Glimmer Train, and many other journals, and in the anthologies Santa Barbara Stories and California Shorts and the bestselling anthology Dog Is My Co-Pilot. Her stories have been honored in the Raymond Carver Short Story Contest and the Tobias Wolff Award and nominated for the O. Henry Award and the Pushcart Prize. Three have been cited in The Best American Short Stories.
She is founder and former president (2000–2009) of the Pay It Forward Foundation and still serves on its board of directors. As a professional public speaker, she has addressed the National Conference on Education, twice spoken at Cornell University, met with AmeriCorps members at the White House, and shared a dais with Bill Clinton.
Connect with Catherine
Instagram tour:
Review tour:
Giveaway:
Enter for a chance to win one (1) copy of Catherine Ryan Hyde's STAY
Open to those with a US mailing address
Must be 18 or older.
Runs December 9 - 15, 2019.
Winner must respond with US Postal Address within 48 hours or an alternate will be selected.
The address will be forwarded to the tour coordinator so that your book can be mailed to you.
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