An unforgettable novel about the power of friendship and kindness by the New York Times bestselling author of Pay It Forward.
In the summer of 1969, fourteen-year-old Lucas Painter carries a huge weight on his shoulders. His brother is fighting in Vietnam. His embattled parents are locked in a never-ending war. And his best friend, Connor, is struggling with his own family issues. To find relief … own family issues. To find relief from the chaos, Lucas takes long, meandering walks, and one day he veers into the woods.
There he discovers an isolated cabin and two huge dogs. Frightened, he runs. And the dogs run with him. Lucas finds unusual peace in running with the dogs, and eventually he meets their owner, Zoe Dinsmore. Closed off and haunted by a tragic past, Zoe has given up. She doesn’t want to be saved. She wants out. But Lucas doesn’t want her to go, and he sees an opportunity to bring more than one friend back into the light. It’s either the best or worst idea he’s ever had, but Lucas isn’t giving up on Zoe or Connor.
Their unexpected connection might be the saving grace that Zoe thought she’d lost, that Connor needs, and that Lucas has been running toward.
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It’s the summer of 1969 and 14 year old Lucas Painter has lots of problems. His brother is fighting in Vietnam, his parents fight all of the time and ignore him and his best friend is acting depressed. Lucas feels like he has to fix everything and that it’s his job to make everything right with his world but he doesn’t know where to start. One day he is out walking in the woods and finds a log cabin and two huge dogs. Once he realizes that the dogs won’t hurt him, he starts to run with them and finds that running helps alleviate some of his concerns about the people in his life and brings him peace. Once he meets the owner of the log cabin, he feels that he has another person to worry about. Zoe is hiding out from the town over an accident that happened years before and isn’t sure if she wants to live or die. Once Lucas gets to know her, he realizes that she is the first person to talk to him and treat him like an adult and he begins to depend on her to help him through the maze that has become his life.
The entire book is told from Lucas’s perspective and we really see him grow up during the summer. He is a very smart and intuitive young man who doesn’t totally understand life but feels it’s his job to make everyone around him happy. This coming of age story also touches on the topics of suicide, addiction and the futility of the Vietnam war. This is a beautifully written, emotional story and Lucas is a fantastic main character who works to find his place in his world. This is a book about friendship and love and we see Lucas learning how to help other people while he is also helped by them.
I think it’s time for me to buy some older books by this author because I loved this one so much.
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
I Hope You’ll Stay. This was a solid coming of age story of a boy dealing with quite a bit in the summer of 1969 – though only one of those things is directly related to that very notable summer. Instead, we mostly see several very relatable dramas playing out through the eyes of our narrator. Very well written, all but a single chapter take place during that one eventful summer – with the final chapter providing answers to how everything turned out, from a perspective of many years afterward. Very much recommended.
“Stay” by Catherine Ryan Hyde is one spectacular novel!
If you have not read this book yet, do yourself a favor and add it to the very top of your “To Be Read” pile. I can’t say this is the happiest book or the saddest book I’ve read but, it is the most satisfying and profound book I’ve read in a long time. There are a lot of life lessons to be learned in this story.
The writing was smooth and poignant. I found myself re-reading sentences and passages because they grabbed me and I didn’t want to ever forget them. This book deals with addiction, families and many thoughts of suicide.
I woke up this morning thinking about this story and why I loved it so much when on the surface it felt so sad. This book carries with it an abundance of HOPE. What do we have in life if we don’t have hope?
I will never forget this book.
I do not read books more than one time but, I am going to make an exception for “Stay”. This book is definitely worth another read and will be read at least one more time. Thank you Catherine Ryan Hyde for such a beautiful and profound book.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
What a beautiful story of a 14-year-old boy, Lucas Painter. Between the childhood innocence and his coming of age, you will become emotionally invested in the book. You will experience a feeling of loss, grief, addiction, depression, first love, anxiety, and fear. And the author does a wonderful job of treating each emotion with respect…not trivializing each of them.
I loved the last chapter when you jump forward 50 years and a glimpse of where the characters have landed in their adulthood. You get a brief review of the lives during that time period. And, of course, you will shed a few tears as you travel through the pages!
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Catherine Ryan Hyde always pulls out all the stops and brings the emotional aspects of her books to the front and leaves you full of life affirming sweetness.
Another wonderful book with amazing characters! 14 year old Lucas has a lot on his shoulders in the summer of 1969. His brother is fighting in the war, his best friend is having a hard time, and his parents fight constantly. Lucas loves walking through the forest. There he meets 2 dogs and starts running through the forest with them. He meets their owner Zoe. Zoe is also having a hard time with life. As the summer moves on, the reader is taken on a an adventure with the characters. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.
14 year old Lucas has so much on his plate. Parents who fight constantly, a brother in Vietnam, a best friend who is severely depressed, not to mention navigating high school. One day, he wonders into woods he’s been forbidden to go into and there starts an unusual friendship with a recluse who has their own issues. Sometimes when we are trying to save someone else, we end up saving ourselves.
This was an emotionally complex book. So well written and honest about the time (1969) this book takes place. You will be so vested in the story, you will be done half the book before you notice. Depictions about mental illness, addiction and the war are raw. The ending is perfect. The characters are well written, and situations are realistic. The friendships explored will find a place in your heart, as you hope for the best.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.
This was only my second book read by Catherine Ryan Hyde, but Wow was it a great one! The story was so well written, I felt like I was there in the book with the characters. It touched me in so many ways, as the saying goes people come into your life for many reasons, some only a short time to teach you something or others for a lifetime. At only 14 Lucas already is such a caring human being, and always striving to help others. We watch him grow in this book, and learn many of lifes lessons. I would highly recommend this book to others.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the pleasure of reading this jewel of a book, this is my own personal opinion of the book.
What a book!! Loved the characters and how the author made them so believable. The story line was believable. I was riveted through the entire book. All of the authors books teach you lessons about life the good and the bad.
Do not start a CRH book unless you want to spend the rest of the day or night with it. They are impossible to put down. After every one I read I always say this one is the best, and I am saying it again. This one hit me straight in the heart for so many reasons. I would love to imagine a world where everyone was like the characters of her books. So many life lessons and so much to think about. I will be highlighting a lot in a hard copy of this amazing book. Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union for the ARC
This is a thought provoking, heart felt story that I loved! Ten stars!!
Lucas is a fourteen year old young man with a heart of gold. He longs to try to help anyone and everyone, and wishes that life would be perfect for all.
The time is the late 1960’s when the Vietnam War was in full blast. The world and life in general is in turmoil.
He is troubled by his best friend Connor, who seems to be depressed. Can he help him?
“You can’t make somebody leave and you can’t make them stay.” Can you?
Lucas saves, befriends and truly loves Zoe Dinsmore who will be just what both need as their lives intersect.
The quote: “Nothing in my life has ever been a mistake” is the perfect description for Lucas. He is in exactly the “right” place at the required time.
Zoe is my favorite character and has guts,heart and a strength that I admire!
However, Lucas is her angel at a time when desperately needed!
I am so grateful that the last piece of this story is a fast forward to present day.
It gave me the closure needed to say “ see you later” to each of these characters that I had spent a few days living with.
Definitely a book people should read! Excellent!