Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Author Catherine Ryan Hyde has a way of putting pen to paper, of crafting her words into sentences that makes us visualize her characters and settings as we read her words. Her most celebrated novel, Pay It Forward, was first published in 2000 and resulted in not just the highly acclaimed film of the same name, but a worldwide movement that continues to grow to this day. Her newest book, Walk Me Home, has a different feeling altogether. It's not better or worse; it's another facet of the surprises of which this writer crafts so skillfully. Keeping it simple, this one is the tale of two sisters, sixteen-year-old Carly and her eleven-year-old sister Jen, who are left on their own after the sudden death of their single mother and the imminent intimidation of Child Protective Services looms over them. They begin a trek across New Mexico, northern Arizona and other areas in the Southwest's high desert, hoping to try and get back to their mother's last boyfriend, the only family they feel that they've known. The two girls make their way to a Native American reservation where they are compelled to stop. Hunger has set in, and the girls try to pilfer some food. This leads to a set of unforeseen circumstances for the sisters along with new characters encountered, and eventually older sister Carly is forced to make some painful decisions. Catherine Ryan Hyde's skill at creating highly believable characters shines through in this book, as it has in her previous offerings. She creates realistic, though often surprising situations within which the individuals function. The story is very well thought-out, with good matter-of-fact dialogue between the characters. To say more would be leaving spoilers, though that would be so easy to do. It's hard to think of one of this author's works that cannot be recommended. Last year for me it was her book When I Found You, which I found to be a stunningly moving story of honesty, faith, perseverance and the human spirit. For those who may have missed this one, it's highly recommended. Walk Me Home is a skillfully crafted tale about hope, real human emotions, and decisions that need to be made in life. Catherine Ryan Hyde offers us a story that will tug at your emotions in places, and at the same time open your eyes to the lives of others in this world. 4/14/2013