Spotlight: Don't Let Me Go by Catherine Ryan Hyde

 

 

 

Synopsis:

 

GRACE

Ten-year-old Grace knows that her mum loves her, but her mum loves drugs too. And there's only so long Grace can fend off the 'woman from the county' who is threatening to put her into care. Her only hope is...

                                                 BILLY

Grown-man Billy Shine hasn't been out of his apartment for years. People scare him, and the outside world scares him even more. Day in, day out, he lives a perfectly orchestrated silent life within his four walls. Until now. . .

                                            THE PLAN

Grace bursts into Billy's life with a loud voice and a brave plan to get her mum clean. And it won't be easy, because they will have to confiscate the one thing her mum holds most dear . . . they will have to kidnap Grace.

 

My thoughts:

 

Each day this week I am spotlighting a different book by Catherine Ryan Hyde. I'm a little ashamed to admit that for years the only book by her that I had read was Pay It Forward. While it is a fabulous book that I think everyone should read, PLEASE don't stop there! Don't Let Me Go was the first book of hers besides Pay It Forward that I read, and I immediately questioned why I had taken so long to read it. Seriously, the second I finished it I went and bought 5 other of her books. I love her stories of real life. Life isn't perfect and isn't always pretty, and while sometimes it's nice to read about a perfect life, it always does the heart good reading about everyday people that find a way to work around the ugly and find the good in life. Her books remind you that there is good to balance the bad, beauty can be found everywhere, and the most remarkable people are usually right in front of you. You just have to look.

 

Don't Let Me Go is one of my favorites. It had me thinking of it not only days later, but months later.

 

I love little 9 year old Grace; her tenacity and compassion is remarkable for a child, and even through all the turmoil in her life she remains determined to learn and help others along the way.

Agoraphobic Billy Shine hasn't been out of his house in almost 10 years, but the words "If I remain inside, then nobody will help me" coming from Grace sitting on the outside stoop, forever changes his life.

The journey is not easy for either of them. It's full of heart wrenching ups and downs for them both. While this is a story of over coming obstacles thrown your way, it's also a story of how putting other peoples problems above your own, can benefit you in so many ways. All the tenants in the apartment building have their own worries and stresses, but they come together to help one little girl and wind up making their own lives so much richer.

One of my favorite lines: "...Can we go home now? I'm running out of brave."

Definitely a 5 star read!

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Tomorrows spotlight: Becoming Chloe by Catherine Ryan Hyde