Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I got this book last evening when it dropped into my Kindle. I read it in less than a day. I couldn't not. It's the kind of story that, while you're reading it and the dogs have to go out or you have to eat dinner, it's an annoyance to have to stop to attend to those everyday events that you normally look forward to. It's the kind of book that, when you know you're getting to the end, you read a couple of pages and stop, and then go back to it and read a couple of more pages. You know the end of the story is coming, but you don't want it to get here. Catherine Ryan Hyde is a masterful story teller. She has hundreds of stories to tell and will tell them all, I believe, just as excellently as she has told this one. I have read most of her books, and I have loved them all, but this one is the best one. Full stop. Bravery and courage are two different things, and the difference is drawn so well in this story. Courage is mental. Bravery is physical. Each of the characters in this book have bravery and courage, in different amounts, for different reasons and at different times. Abuse, interracial relationships, fear of the unknown and fear of what you know is out there, are all examined here. Leave-taking and coming together are examined. Patience is examined. Love is at the root of it all. Ryan Hyde's books usually involve animals in their plots. This one is no different, but the involvement of the animals brings out the courage of the characters. With the exception of one brave act by one of the animals, the courage and bravery rests with the humans in this book - to face uncertainty, hatred, bigotry, abuse. Read every word of this book. Every word of this book is important. This book is a masterpiece.