An Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestseller.
From New York Times bestselling author Catherine Ryan Hyde comes a gripping and emotional novel about friendship, motherhood, and the journey toward finding a place to call home.
Brooke is a divorced single mom, financially strapped, living with her mother, and holding tight to the one thing that matters most: her two-year-old daughter, Etta. … matters most: her two-year-old daughter, Etta. Then, in a matter of seconds, Brooke’s life is shattered when she’s carjacked. Helpless and terrified, all Brooke can do is watch as Etta, still strapped in her seat, disappears into the Los Angeles night.
Miles away, Etta is found by Molly, a homeless teen who is all too used to darkness. Thrown away by her parents, and with a future as stable as the wooden crate she calls home, Molly survives day to day by her wits. As unpredictable as her life is, she’s stunned to find Etta, abandoned and alone. Shielding the little girl from more than the elements, Molly must put herself in harm’s way to protect a child as lost as she is.
Out of one terrible moment, Brooke’s and Molly’s desperate paths converge and an unlikely friendship across generations and circumstances is formed. With it, Brooke and Molly will come to discover that what’s lost—and what’s found—can change in a heartbeat.
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What an amazing book! So many twists and turns and gives you SO much to think about and consider. A definite favorite from this author!
I am a fan of this author and this did not disappoint. A thriller with a lot of heart all the was through.
6 stars or higher
This is a feel good book. Loved it.
I listened on audio. Many happy hours!
Such a unique premise that kept me turning pages.
When Brooke is carjacked in LA with her 2 year old daughter Etta in the back, her life is turned upside down. The carjacker leaves Etta on the side of the road and 16 year old homeless teen Molly finds her.
What follows is a poignant, heart-rending story.
I have enjoyed reading this author, however, this one book disappointed me.
Using two perspectives, Hyde weaves this page-turning story about the relationships between mothers and daughters. Brooke is pushing forty, the mother of a toddler forced by financial needs to live with her own very negative mother. Molly is sixteen, living on the streets because her mother has cast her out. The story begins when Brooke is carjacked and the masked man drives away with toddler Etta. Excellent work describing homelessness, too.
What a powerful story! I could not put this book down. This author always has interesting insight into issues whether family or community. I felt so much heartache for Brooke and her daughter, Etta. I felt horror for the life Molly was forced to lead. This is a book that should be read by Book Clubs everywhere. Thanks for an absolutely wonderful book
Enjoyed the thoughtfulness and loving care of the young girl
A heartwarming story about a young mother, Brooke, and a homeless teenage girl, Molly, who finds Brooke’s two-year-old daughter abandoned on a city sidewalk after a traumatic car jacking. These two characters are so well developed I could feel acutely how they felt, and my emotions rose and fell with their own. The author adeptly demonstrates the prejudices against homeless people and the tragic consequences of living on the streets. But most of all the author helps the reader get to know Molly as a relatable person instead of a statistic. This is a wonderful book and I highly recommend it.
Great characters that are relatable through a story that has several twists.
Love all of Hyde’s books
realistic portrayals and situations. departure from expected stereotypes…
This is a story that you can step into each time you read and leave the world behind. It is real. The two main characters – Brooke and Molly – could be one of us, as we search for friendship in spite of family difficulties. I loved the honest conversations between this teenager and a mother. Both are hurting, both have a story, and their lives become intertwined. I didn’t want it to end! Can we have a sequel?!
Another thought-provoking novel from one of my favorite authors.
I have read several books by Catherine Ryan Hyde and loved them all. She writes stories that you can relate to. You can immerse yourself in and feel you are truly there. She has a way of drawing you into her books and not letting you out until the very last word. This is by far my favorite of her books. It’s one that will pull at your heart on every page.
Some quotes from this book that really touched me: “Well, you know how it is. We either grow up to be our mother or we make a solemn vow to the universe to be her polar opposite. Doesn’t work every minute of every day, though.”
A whole life changed in six or seven seconds.
“Brave girl,” she said. “Kite Girl.” I couldn’t believe she did that. I mean, she was, like two.
I think we all more or less know where we stand with people, whether we like to admit it to ourselves or not.
This is the story of a mother, Brooke. A mother who loses her daughter, Etta, one night and goes through the most horrible night of her life wondering if she would ever see her again. It’s the story of a young girl, Molly, also. A sixteen year old young girl living alone on the streets of LA.
Brooke loves Etta more than life. She would do anything to keep her safe. Brooke was a divorced woman who had to move back home with her mother even though she herself was a grown woman. She had Etta to think about and didn’t make enough money to have her own place. Her ex did not want children. He wanted nothing to do with Etta. Brooke’s mother is a horrible creature who I honestly despised. She did not seem to care about anyone but herself. She treated Brooke horribly and it was inexcusable in every sense of the word. Brooke was a good woman. A hard working woman and would do anything for her baby girl.
Molly was basically alone in the world. She was from Utah and living on the streets of LA because her mother put her out of their home and told her to never darken her doorstep again. All Molly had was her friend Bodhi who helped her get to LA and learn how to survive on the streets. Bodhi was a good friend but Molly didn’t always like the way he got things. She didn’t approve of stealing even though it seemed at times like the only way they could have food. She was a very smart young girl. She had a heart. She actually had a heart of gold and only wanted to be accepted for who she was.
When Brooke is carjacked on the way home from taking Etta to the movies she has no idea how her life is about to change. The things she will go through for a total stranger who needs her. Molly finds Etta and protects her from being hurt. She unselfishly gives her all the juice and snacks and herself goes without. She has a maternal feeling towards the baby she found on the sidewalk in the dark. She keeps her safe and goes through so much just trying to get her back to her mother. That is where Brooke and Molly meet. Brooke does not like Molly and thinks she should have found a way to get Etta back to her much sooner. She has no idea what Molly had to go through and what she did for the baby girl. But as time goes by Brooke learns everything about Molly. How she took care of Etta and why she is on the streets.
This book will definitely tug at your heartstrings. It will make you weep for a mother. For a teenage girl and for what happened to the both. The sweet things that Molly does will bring tears to your eyes. The way she cares for Etta even though she is homeless and has no idea what to do. This is one of the most touching stories I have read. It is a sad story and a happy story. A few things will make you laugh but overall you will wonder how can people be so cruel. Hopefully it will make you see that most homeless people are not homeless because they choose to be but because of circumstances beyond their control. If it makes you have a bit of empathy for their plight then so be it. Well done. Ms Hyde did a wonderful job of making me feel the sadness, loneliness, desperation, and love of a young girl who had no one, nothing and most especially no home.
Thank you to #NetGalley, #LakeUnion, #CatherineRyanHyde for this ARC. This is my own review.
I gave it 5 stars and would have given it many more if possible. I do highly recommend this book to anyone that loves a good heart touching book.
A beautiful portrayal of the human experience like only Catherine Ryan Hyde can capture. Broken people who find each other and mend each other. I fell in love with Molly, Etta, and Brooke.
I’ve become a huge fan of Catherine’s work, every single book I read by her makes me feel always so alive because her stories are not only so real but always brings so much to the table, making us think and even wanting to be kinder with people all around.
Brave girl, Quiet Girl is not the exception this story really made me feel all the feels, I cry, and smile and even got angry at times, it was a roller coaster of emotions but most of all it was a story full of KIndness empathy and hope.
This is the story of three beautiful characters Brooke, Molly, and Etta, they were completely lost in this world for so many reasons maybe not the same one at first but with time and the more we get to read this story, we find the many similarities Brooke and Mollie are having.
Molly lives in a very cold world, she doesn’t have a home anymore, she lives in the streets thanks to her mother who was more worried about things that really didn’t matter, rather than caring that her daughter was all alone without food and a roof to live.
Brooke is starting her life all over again until something happened that shakes her to the core making her aware of things she never even thought about now life has brought her many things including a beautiful girl who only needs love and caring.
Brave Girl, Quiet Girl is the story of a young girl trying to find her place in the world and while doing it she will finally find something that she never expected but always wanted. a real Family.
This was an amazing story, I couldn’t stop crying as it is very emotional but I’m so glad Molly got what she deserved, she was a wonderful character as well as Brooke they really made this story so more powerful with their intense love and caring.
Etta’s character was wonderful, she really melted my heart, she was so brave at such a young age, I love how aware she was and how much she cares about Molly
so many great things to say about this story, if you’re looking for something real but at the same time emotionally charged with hope and faith that this world still has great people, this is the book.
This was very worth it. I’ll keep Molly in my heart forever.
Author Catherine Ryan Hyde is beloved for her approach to storytelling and the themes she explores. Her 36 books focus on the human condition — the struggles, foibles, and lessons learned by ordinary people who face and overcome adversity, and challenges big and small. Her latest novel, Brave Girl, Quiet Girl, explores the question of whether we have a responsibility to the people we encounter and what it means to have a home. It focuses on a vulnerable teenage girl who helps not because she has to, but because it is her nature. Hyde examines the series of events that she sets in motion and the ways in which the lives of three women and one little girl are forever changed as a result.
Brooke has a job in retail that does not pay enough for her to live independently with her two-year-old daughter, Etta. Fortunately, her mother has permitted her and Etta to move in with her. Unfortunately, her mother is a bitter, judgmental woman who openly expresses her displeasure with and disappointment in Brooke, and Brooke’s decisions. Despite her crusty demeanor, she cares about Brooke and Etta, but demonstrates her feelings by nagging and cajoling. Although Brooke would never deliberately harm Etta, her mother’s attitude aggravates her and prompts her to passive-aggressively respond with rebellion. That one small act of defiance causes her to suffer severe self-recrimination and guilt.
As the story opens, Brooke is the victim of a violent, harrowing carjacking in West Los Angeles. As has happened in numerous actual instances, the carjackers do not realize that Etta is strapped into her car seat in the rear of the vehicle, and Brooke watches helplessly as her mother’s car speeds away with her little girl at the mercy of criminals. An intense search for Etta begins.
Miles away, Molly is living in a makeshift shelter with her platonic friend, Bodhi, who steals food for the two of them. At night, they snuggle close to each other to keep warm, and during the day Molly searches for anything she can cash in at the recycling center to earn money with which to buy food. Her most recent efforts have yielded enough change that she can purchase an apple and banana under the watchful eyes of the store employees who are repulsed by her filthy appearance, convinced that she intends to shoplift. As she makes her way back to the crate where she will spend another long night, she happens upon a car seat abandoned on the sidewalk. She is shocked to see that little Etta is still strapped into the seat. Molly knows how to care for Etta because Molly has two younger sisters back home in Utah. She collects Etta and the car seat, and trudges back to the improvised shelter where she and Bodhi agree she will remain while Bodhi finds a telephone to summon the police. He leaves her with a box of goldfish crackers and some apple juice . . . but never returns. Molly knows that means he has probably been arrested, and she is now on her own to Etta safe until she can be reunited with her parents. The streets of Los Angeles are dangerous, and Molly knows that, for now, only she can shield Etta from harm. As the night drags on, Molly contemplates her options. To calm Etta and keep her quiet, she rocks her and repeats, “Brave girl, quiet girl” to soothe her.
Hyde takes readers from the street where Brooke hysterically watches her mother’s car disappear to an industrial section of Los Angeles where Molly waits for an opportunity to reunite Etta with her parents, vividly describing the sights, sounds, and her characters’ inner dialogues. The carjacking is gut-wrenching, but so is Hyde’s depiction of Molly’s predicament as the sounds of the night invade her hiding place and terrify her while she lovingly comforts the frightened little girl who does not understand what is happening to her and wants her mother.
Hyde compassionately portrays Brooke’s anguish as she waits for word from the police officers who are frantically searching for her child. Her desperation and anguish are palpable, visceral, and gripping. All she can do is send a kind of prayer out into the world, attaching to it all of her hopes, asking that whomever has her child will return Etta to her unscathed.
Eventually, Brooke and Molly come face to face and Hyde probes the tentative, wary manner in which they approach each other. Hyde illustrates the distrust each feels — with good reason — and how they must overcome their own trepidation, wariness, and preconceived ideas in order to follow their better instincts and forge a relationship. They gradually learn each other’s histories and the events that set in motion the horrific event that caused their lives to intersect. Both need to forge a path forward, recognizing that the choices they make at this moment in their lives will inform and shape their futures. Etta’s innocent attachment to “Molly, Molly, Molly,” as she refers to her, along with the information provided by the police, inspire Brooke to see the teenager through her young daughter’s eyes, and enable her to acknowledge her own vulnerability, quickness to judge, and preconceived ideas about people.
As always, Hyde writes in a straight-forward manner, employing her economical style in a powerful, deeply moving manner. The compassion Hyde feels for her characters and about her subject matter is ever on display in her books, but never more so than in Brave Girl, Quiet Girl. It is evident from the way in which she describes each woman’s journey that she cares deeply about their well-being and the themes she plumbs, including the complexities of motherhood and the overwhelming sense of responsibility it engenders, as well as unconditional love and acceptance of one’s children. She also examines prejudice in various forms, from the bypassers on the Los Angeles streets who fail to see Molly, much less assist her when she begs for their help, to homophobia, to intolerance and condemnation in the name of religion. She depicts underemployment and the inability of so many Americans to earn a living wage that permits them to provide for their families, and the inadequacies of the foster care system. She deftly examines every topic by simply telling the story through the alternating first-person perspectives of Brooke and Molly in a credible, believable way. Thus, she skillfully invites readers to experience the story through the eyes of empathetic characters whose circumstances and futures readers can’t help but also care deeply about. And as in her other novels, Hyde examines what it means to be a family: how families are formed, how they can be torn apart, and the importance of having a home of one’s own — a place that is welcoming, safe, and nurturing — in order to thrive.
With Brave Girl, Quiet Girl, Hyde again demonstrates compellingly and decisively why she is one of America’s premiere storytellers. The book is a tour de force character study, as well as a thoughtful, revelatory, and restrained examination of societal issues that Hyde never lets slip into a preachy or heavy-handed tone. Rather, the book is deeply provocative, especially because the story and characters continue to resonate well after reading the last page. Hyde’s writing always shows that people are inherently resilient and capable of meaningful change, and illustrates how empowerment comes from enlightenment. Her faith in the goodness of humanity is always evident, and Brave Girl, Quiet Girl is no exception. Simply put, it is the book we all need to read right now because it is a story in which we can lose ourselves for a bit, get to know flawed, deeply human, and endearing characters, cheer for them, and feel uplifted by the experience of having read about their expedition to a place they can call home. It is indisputably one of the best books of 2020.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader’s Copy of the book.