Take Me With You
by Catherine Ryan Hyde
The premise of Take Me with You was so compelling, I knew I’d love it. While I loved most of it, there was one plot point towards the end that I thought was unnecessary. Still, taking the bad with the good, this is one of my favorite Catherine Ryan Hyde books; I’d not only recommend it, but I’d read it again myself.
A man driving a trailer is intent on making a trip to Yellowstone this summer, but he has car trouble. Stranded in the middle of nowhere, a mechanic makes a deal with him. He’ll fix the car for free, if the man will take his two young sons with him for the summer trip. They’d love to see Yellowstone, and as a single father, the mechanic doubts he’ll ever be able to take them on a vacation. Some of you might worry that this will turn out to be a terribly creepy book involving child molestation and abduction – but have no fear. There are some surprises and lies revealed along the way, but the man is perfectly nice and the children are perfectly safe.
I really loved the protagonist’s character. He’s grieving and troubled, but he doesn’t wallow. He puts the kids first and creates a balance of freedom with needed structure. There’s a particular incident when one of the children accidentally does something that could have resulted in yelling, anger, and hurtful words. Instead, the man takes a deep breath and tells a noble lie (thanks Plato!) so the child doesn’t carry a bad memory forever.
As is the style of Hyde’s novels, the focus of this heartwarming book is the kindness towards neglected children. You’ll see introverted kids who have lived through emotional abuse and are wary of other grown-ups accepting and loving them, you’ll see unconditional love of a dog, and you’ll see how a random encounter changes the entire course of someone’s life. With exception to the depressing tone of the end (no spoilers here), this is very much a feel-good book. I’m sure some will also find the end uplifting, but I wish it would have been even more so. If you believe in the healing power of nature, the importance of taking chances, and connections formed during childhood lasting the rest of your life, you’ll probably love this book. I recommend it for those who have never read one of Hyde’s novels and are looking for a summer read that doesn’t take place at the beach.
A man driving a trailer is intent on making a trip to Yellowstone this summer, but he has car trouble. Stranded in the middle of nowhere, a mechanic makes a deal with him. He’ll fix the car for free, if the man will take his two young sons with him for the summer trip. They’d love to see Yellowstone, and as a single father, the mechanic doubts he’ll ever be able to take them on a vacation. Some of you might worry that this will turn out to be a terribly creepy book involving child molestation and abduction – but have no fear. There are some surprises and lies revealed along the way, but the man is perfectly nice and the children are perfectly safe.
I really loved the protagonist’s character. He’s grieving and troubled, but he doesn’t wallow. He puts the kids first and creates a balance of freedom with needed structure. There’s a particular incident when one of the children accidentally does something that could have resulted in yelling, anger, and hurtful words. Instead, the man takes a deep breath and tells a noble lie (thanks Plato!) so the child doesn’t carry a bad memory forever.
As is the style of Hyde’s novels, the focus of this heartwarming book is the kindness towards neglected children. You’ll see introverted kids who have lived through emotional abuse and are wary of other grown-ups accepting and loving them, you’ll see unconditional love of a dog, and you’ll see how a random encounter changes the entire course of someone’s life. With exception to the depressing tone of the end (no spoilers here), this is very much a feel-good book. I’m sure some will also find the end uplifting, but I wish it would have been even more so. If you believe in the healing power of nature, the importance of taking chances, and connections formed during childhood lasting the rest of your life, you’ll probably love this book. I recommend it for those who have never read one of Hyde’s novels and are looking for a summer read that doesn’t take place at the beach.