Happy Friday y’all!
You guys this book was exceptional! I was really seriously just blown away by how quietly powerful the story was, such a gem! I cannot recommend this strongly enough!
My Thoughts
Such a beautiful story! Exquisitely told, deeply moving, and thoughtfully tender. It is the summer of 1969 and 14-year-old Lucas has a lot too be concerned about. His parents are fighting nonstop, his brother is over in Vietnam, and his best friend doesn’t seem to want to leave the house. There was a lot of burden on this 14-year-old’s shoulders and so he took to running in the woods where he met Zoe and her dogs. At first Lucas would only run with the dogs and had very little interaction with Zoe, but soon they started to form a unexpected bond. Zoe is a reclusive still dealing with the consequences of an accident that happened over 20 years ago. She’s A little rough around the edges, lonely, and wise. Always lending a listening ear and offering quiet words of wisdom to Lucas. Lucas and Zoe are soon joined by Connor Lucas‘s best friend who has been going through some depression. Later when Roy comes home from Vietnam he also joins this unlikely pair turned trio and now quad. It was quite remarkable how strong the bond was between Zoe and these three young men, a bond that lasted over three decades.
This book dealt with so many tough issues including suicide, drug addiction, and grief. Catherine Ryan Hyde does this with a loving hand and pure heart. The story is told entirely from Lucas‘s perspective. He was such an exceptional character so caring, so considerate, so wise. Even when he took a girl out on a date he seemed much older than 14, but in a very innocent way. He is one of those very special characters who wormed his way into my heart. This book just hit me right in the feels, one of the best coming-of-age stories I have read in quite some time.
This book in emojis. 🏃🏼♂️ 🐶 🐶 🌲 ☮️
*** Big thanks to Lake Union for my copy of this book ***
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.
Berit Talks Books 