Dreaming of Flight : A Novel by Catherine Ryan Hyde. Lake Union Publishing, 2022. 304 pages ****
Publication Date May 3, 2022.
Eleven-year-old Stewie Little prides himself on the freshness of the eggs that he sells to his neighbors. Never knowing his parents, Stewie and his brother are being raised by their older sister, Stacey, who was forced into her role when their grandmother died. Stewie is a sensitive little boy who tends to his grandmother’s chickens with loving care and gathers their eggs each morning. While selling his last dozen of the day, Stewie meets a cranky, old woman who reminds him of Gram. "Four dollars? That's a bit steep, don't you think? They're only two dollars a dozen at the market" Stewie convinces Marilyn to try a dozen and while making a sale, Stewie makes a friend. Marilyn and Stewie bond over the book Stuart Little and the secrets they keep. He knows that she isn't his grandmother, however, Stewie cares about Marilyn as if she were and he doesn't know how to stop caring.
When I start a Catherine Ryan Hyde book, I know I am in for a heart-warming story that usually includes an animal. In Dreaming of Flight, I learned about chickens and their eggs. Stewie is grieving in this story even if he doesn't know what the big words mean and his common sense, literal outlook on life is one to be emulated and admired. The characters in this story come to life through Ryan's pen and I mourned alongside of Stewie. Ryan shows us people at their best and worst, however, always giving the reader hope for a better way to be. Do not pass this one by, we all need Stewie in our lives.
Other Hyde books reviewed by me:
Seven Perfect Things
My Name is Anton
Brave Girl, Quiet Girl
Have You Seen Luis Velez?
Just After Midnight
Heaven Adjacent
The Wake Up
Allie and Bea
Say Goodbye For Now
Ask Him Why
Worthy
Catherine Ryan Hyde is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author of more than forty published and forthcoming books. An avid traveler, equestrian, and amateur photographer, she shares her astrophotography with readers on her website.
From Catherine Ryan Hyde:
"In addition to my writing, over the past few years I’ve done a lot of professional public speaking. I was privileged to speak at the National Conference on Education and at Cornell University. I even got to share a dais with Bill Clinton for three speeches. And I was invited to the White House for the movie screening of Pay It Forward."
For more information on the author, click here
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