In her first work of contemporary women’s fiction, bestselling author Kay Bratt draws on her own life experiences to create a raw, yet inescapably warm, novel about friendship and a wary heart’s unexpected capacity to love.A hungry, stray dog is the last thing Cara Butter needs. Stranded in Georgia with only her backpack and a few dwindling dollars, she already has too much baggage. Like her twin … baggage. Like her twin sister, Hana, who has broken Cara’s heart one too many times. After a lifetime of family troubles, and bouncing from one foster home to another, Cara decides to leave it all behind and strike out alone—on foot.
Cara sets off to Florida to see the home of her literary hero, Ernest Hemingway, accompanied only by Hemi, the stray dog who proves to be the perfect travel companion. But the harrowing trip takes unexpected turns as strangers become friends who make her question everything, and Cara finds that as the journey unfolds, so does her life—in ways she could never imagine.
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A heartwarming tale of twins who see life differently. Each has their own challenges, but it is Cara Butter who ultimately breaks away and starts her journey to Key West. It is a journey that will pair her with a homeless dog and together they will restore Cara’s belief in trust and kindness. In this book, Bratt address issues of depression and dependability in a sensitive yet very real manner. Highly recommended.
I loved this book and being a dog lover and rescuer, I loved that the dog rescued the girl just as much as she rescued him. But it’s more than that, it’s about redemption and honesty and the ties that bind a family, blood or no.
Wish Me Home checks off all the boxes: a heartwarming story, beloved characters, and a plot that kept me turning pages. Without shying away from the harshness of life, Bratt has managed to create a world in which kindness and goodness prevail. All that and an adorable dog makes this novel the perfect vacation read.
Wish Me Home is the story of Cara and her faithful companion, a dog named Hemi. “Hemi was her little guardian angel, his name alone linking her to Key West.” The bond between Cara and Hemi is unbreakable. The story had my emotions going. So much about it and how Kay Bratt portrayed difficult issues in life was very sensitive. How Cara coped to find happiness after hardships and struggles growing up with her twin sister, Hana. It’s a book that deals with real life issues that can be difficult to address. Kay Bratt approaches these issues compassionately and with heart. One line in the book was this, “depression is hard to describe, but think of it like this; sometimes, I am a gnat curled up in the palm of a huge monster, begging for mercy. And sometimes I am the monster.” I ached for the pain that Hana was going through but Cara’s love was so strong for her. Thank you, Kay Bratt, for a wonderful story and for the honor of reading it.
A traveling girl and a dog companion. Perfect combination.
Talk about overcoming a terrible childhood! I liked the way the twins showed how 2 identical people can go through the same things but react to them very differently. I loved watching the things that happened to the one twin that slowly gave her hope and trust. Plus, there is always room in a dark book for a hurt dog who is so loyal. What an inspiration to the twin who is trying to learn life-changing these lessons.
Overcoming adversity, an uplifting story. Have a tissue box handy!
Characters in this book are so easy to fall in love with. They could be you or me, ordinary but not really ordinary. Cara’s life is an odyssey, a journey through life’s difficulties when you don’t quite fit into expectations of who you should be and how you should live.
The quality of people Cara meets as she travels across states opens her eyes to generosity from strangers, the depths of bonding with her canine traveling companion, attackers who care for nothing and nobody but their own cruelty, to landing in a safe place and with people who care, where there’s a possibility of a better future. Does she take the chance, or will she return to the drudgery she’s always known, and the catastrophe she believes she left behind? I loved everything about this story, especially Hemi, her loyal companion.
3.5 stars
Cara and her twin sister, Hana, grew up in the foster care system. The experience was less than ideal so when they were offered the opportunity to stay in the system if they went to college, their adamant refusal released them into the world. Cara is now nearing thirty and homeless; she’s hiding something and she’s on the run. She trusts no one and she’s cautious about everyone. Cara thinks about her sister frequently, but where she is and why they haven’t spoken or seen each other in such a long time is unknown to the reader at this point.
Along her trek to Key West, the destination Cara has chosen because of her love of Hemingway, she encounters a stray dog that refuses to depart from her and names him Hemi. Continuing on her way to Key West with Hemi in tow, Cara unintentionally becomes acquainted with several people who are eager and willing to help her. Even though she’d rather keep to herself, she accepts the much needed help. As she does she learns that there are indeed kind people in the world, and that despite her prior experiences in life, she can be happy.
I enjoyed this book…. sorta. I liked how Cara’s distrust of people, because of her experiences in the foster care system, began to dissipate as she met genuinely kind individuals who helped her. Hemi, and the other animals in the book were a joy to read about. The mystery of what happened to Cara’s sister, Hana, kept me interested. However, after the mystery was revealed about three quarters of the way through the book, my interest began to wane. Finally, the ending was abrupt and I was left feeling underwhelmed.
Overall, the book is well written and I could see why people would like it, but once it lost steam during the second half I was eager for it to be over. I just wasn’t particularly inspired by it.
This review is for the audio version.
I loved the parallels between animal rescue and the human foster system / child services. I cheered at the wonderful people who helped Kara along her way. But once we reached the point where we learn why Kara is on the run, it all seems to get anti-climatic and forced. Awesome story up until the point where Hannah becomes involved, with a predictable ending.
The warm chararcters drew me into the story. They seemed like people I would like to know. The plot was believeable.
This was such a sweet and sad story. Not all is what it seems, but home can be found where the heart is. I really felt for the main character and just wanted to fix everything for her as she was really down on her luck. I loved the relationship she formed with the lost dog and the people who helped her along the way. I would recommend this book.
If you love dogs, this is a good read. I’ve given up reading coming of age stories, but here is another one in a 29 year old. The complex twist of being a twin pulls it together.
Excellent story of Cara’s journey to find peace love and a forever home
This was real. I could imagine this happening. The best I’ve read from kindle free
Great storyline! I read this book in 2 days. It was so hard to put down. Loved the story, the characters, & the message!
This was not your typical romance by any means. It was a bit gritty in some ways and very realistic. I bet it really is someone’s life, in and out of the foster program. Not your predictable story. A good read!
This was a very interesting and captivating book about a woman aged out of the foster system who is running from a bad situation and traveling under her own power from Georgia to Florida after her car breaks down. Throughout her journey, she discovers the unconditional love of a dog and she discovers that not all people are bad and that love is possible…even for her, if she could just accept it.
Wish Me Home was both heartwarming and gut wrenching in turn. I cheered Cara on and nearly cried when things went bad for her. The twists in the story kept me turning the pages, just hoping that good things were coming her way.
Enthralling!
Great read and addresses issues of mental illness which I found compelling in the way the story was told.
Hits close to home right now.
I’m a sucker for anything involving a dog, so there’s that…but the story here is about closure and reawakening. Decent read without being too heavy .