Stay. Catherine Ryan Hyde

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Date: December 3rd 2019
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Stay by Catherine Ryan Hyde tells the story of Lucas a fourteen year old boy with lots going on around him. His parents who yell at each other, his friend Connor next door who is morose and has family parental things going on as well. Lucas has a brother Roy, away in the war in Vietnam. And that’s not a pretty story. What is a boy to do? Out in the woods one day he meets some dogs by a cabin and runs with them daily. And so he meets the owner of the cabin – Zoe Dinsmore who has a whole tragic history he has to find out about.

Zoe is a rather prickly woman but… she knows things and does something neither Lucas’ or Connor’s parents do.  But that’s after Lucas does something for her.

The story is told by Lucas looking back at his life from the age of about sixty four. The story shows how Lucas has learned what is important in life, and throughout the story there are many places that are pithy little pointers about living a life with integrity.

The story explores friendship in many forms – same age and an older/younger person and brothers. It explores choices made, guilt and loss, people’s judgemental attitudes, and the awful effects of drugs and war.

It was  refreshing to be with Lucas  as he endeavours to understand his world around him. To experience his first girlfriend and be wise enough to see within to who she really is. To see how he cared and went the next step even when he was discouraged by others.

It is a heart warming read, with a theme of hope even in trying circumstances. Can the people Lucas comes to love stay, can he stay with what he can control and let be what he cannot. A thought provoking story.