For five years Pearl has managed to keep the past from catching up to her and her bright, frail five-year-old son. Life has given her every reason to mistrust people, but circumstances force her to trust her neighbor Mitch with watching Leonard while she goes off to work. Then one day Pearl drops her son off…and never returns. They are an unlikely pair: Mitch is a young, unattached business owner, and Leonard is a precocious, five-year-old boy. But together they must find a way to move forward in the wake of Pearl’s unexplained disappearance. Their bond as parent and child shifts and endures, even as Mitch must eventually surrender Leonard to a two-parent home. Is it possible to love the people who can’t always be there for us? The answers will surprise and move you. As their lives unfold, profound questions emerge about the nature of love and family. Ultimately, this novel’s richest reward is watching Mitch and Leonard grow up together, through the power and the magic of the human heart.
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"If you are looking for a break in your usual heavy going books, this is it! A great heart felt story about a little boy and the people in his life (or missing from his life). It was a wonderful story even if a bit on the soppy side. It is about relationships and love, not love in a relationship sense but the truest form of love, which can be found in the most peculiar places. A great read and I highly recommend it!"
— Adele (4 out of 5 stars)
" I normally get books from the library. This is one of the few books last year that I want to own. It's the story of a young man growing up without a mother and what he makes of his life. I know, I know, it sounds like a made for tv movie, but there was a twist that made it interesting. It's pretty light reading... nothing too stressful. "
— Suz, 2/16/2014" It's kinda schmaltzy... okay, REALLY schmaltzy... but I like this book in spite of myself. The characters aren't very real, but they serve more as an allegory than as real people. It's not great, but I enjoyed it anyway... almost in spite of myself. "
— Mallory, 2/5/2014" I read this at the same time I was reading HEFT, so this book suffered in comparison. I think by next month I will forget that I read this book- to me it was sort of pale and shallow. "
— Candy, 2/5/2014" Well, it was a little contrived, but something kept me reading it until the end. See for yourself if you like books that are a bit too much to believe, but have nice, warm fuzzy endings. "
— Therese, 1/30/2014" I really liked this book, especially her writing style. Each chapter was from a different character's perspective. I would highly recommend this one. "
— Alexa, 1/30/2014" i have enjoyed this book very much...its a story that touches you a lot,has quiet a sad ending but a very good story line. "
— Nadia, 1/27/2014" My favorite book so far. "
— Stephanie, 1/11/2014" Leonard calls unconditional love forever love and for how much we get to know him, he is great at giving and receiving this vast love. I liked the characters but I dont feel I got to know as deeply as I wanted to in a book about forever love "
— Debbie, 1/10/2014" I finished this almost a month ago and am still thinking about the characters. It definitely stays with you, in a good way. "
— Agb, 12/29/2013" Amazing book ! a really nice story "
— Nouf, 12/23/2013" A bit of a mystery, and a great story of love. An easy read that is enjoyable. "
— Emeshea, 12/1/2013Catherine Ryan Hyde is the award-winning author of more than forty books. Her novel Pay It Forward was adapted into a major motion picture and chosen by the American Library Association for its Best Books for Young Adults list. Becoming Chloe and Jumpstart the World were included on the ALA Rainbow List, and Jumpstart the World was a finalist for two Lambda Literary Awards. Where We Belong won two Rainbow Awards in 2013, and The Language of Hoofbeats won a Rainbow Award in 2015. Her stories have been honored by the Raymond Carver Short Story Contest and the Tobias Wolff Award and have been nominated for Best American Short Stories, the O’Henry Award, and the Pushcart Prize.