This novel tugged on my heartstrings from the very first pages. Brooke loves her daughter fiercely and with her whole heart. When a crime separates her from her daughter her whole world is upended. When homeless teen Molly finds baby Etta, her instinct is to protect this beautiful sweet child above all else.
As the story unfolds Brooke and Molly meet and an unlikely relationship evolves. This poignant tale looks at motherhood from multiple lenses and makes the reader wonder: What makes a good mother? Are some people just born to be mothers? Are we all destined to become a version of our own mothers? I could not put the story down until I knew how Brooke, Molly and Etta's story would be resolved.

This was my first book by Catherine Ryan Hyde and I really enjoyed Brave Girl, Quiet Girl. This turned out to be a story that gave you all the feels. Brooke is a single mom with a small child, Etta. She is not in the best place in life. Brooke is living with her mom and feeling down on herself after her divorce. One day, she is carjacked and the thief gets away with her mom's Mercedes and her daughter in the backseat. In comes Molly, a homeless teen, who finds Etta still strapped in her car seat on street in West LA. And from there is a 24 hour survival for Molly and Etta, trying not to succumb to the dangers on the LA streets. Hyde shows you the side of living on the streets and what put poor Molly there. This world needs more people like Brooke and Molly!
Overall, This book is well written and keeps you interested from page one to the end. I will be recommending this book to others and will be looking for other works by Catherine Ryan Hyde. Special thanks NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and Catherine Ryan Hyde for the advance digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

#BraveGirlQuietGirl #NetGalley

Brave Girl, Quiet Girl is a touching story about two very different, strong women. If I were to classify this novel, I would explain that it is partly a coming of age book combined with a light thriller or suspense novel. Truly though, it is much more than that. Two characters who each share their own point of view that are connected from one senseless night.

Brooke is a single mom running an errand with her cute little daughter, Etta. Her car is taken along with her child and her world will never be the same again. Molly is a teenager who also happens to be homeless and she is the one who finds Etta, abandoned on the side of the road in a bad area of town in her car seat.

The book begins with the desperation that Brooke feels and the care that Molly takes for someone's little girl but it winds up spotlighting deep issues including how we treat the homeless. There are other issues that author Catherine Ryan Hyde handles with skill and grace as we get to know Molly, Etta, and Brooke better. I will say that Hyde has a way of drawing characters that are visible to the naked eye through the words and paragraphs on the pages of Brave Girl, Quiet Girl. I was not ready for the novel to be over or to say goodbye to these lovely women (and little Etta too). Why? Because somehow I wound up drawn into their imperfect world with all their mistakes and insecurities...into the hearts deep within. Truly a touching book!! So Highly recommend!!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Catherine Ryan Hyde, and Lake Union Publishing for this temporary, digital advance review copy for me to read and enjoy. As always, my opinions are my own.

Amazing, heartwarming book! The story about the bond between a single mother who was car-jacked with her baby still in the car, and the homeless teenage girl who finds the baby and protects her until she can turn her into the police department..

Brave Girl, Quiet Girl by author Catherine Ryan Hyde is amazing! The book delivers the right amount of terror, fear, and emotional drama to keep me reading non-stop. A simple outing to the movies spins into disaster for a single mother. Brooke is savagely carjacked for her mother's Mercedes and her two-year-old daughter is taken as her car seat sits in the rear seat of the car. Brooke is terrified and the police issue an Amber Alert for baby Etta. Later that night Molly, a homeless teenager, finds a baby on the side of the street. She fears for the child's safety and hides her from three street bullies who are looking for the child to use her for a ransom because of the Amber Alert. Hidden under a flattened cardboard box, Molly tries to keep baby Etta quiet as she sings "Brave Girl, Quiet Girl" until the danger passes. The story helps the reader understand how others avoid the homeless in the streets even when they are asking for help. No one will stop and help Molly or call 911 to report finding a baby. I won't post spoilers, but there are so many depths to the emotions in this story. I love the characters of Brooke and Molly!
Publication Date: May 19, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review the ARC of Brave Girl, Quiet Girl.

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. 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 the 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.





I love Catherine Ryan Hyde's books, every one of them. A sweet, book which grabs you. She makes you feel and care for each person. LOVED it!
Thanks very much to NetGalley for the advance copy to review. It was an honor.

Wow this book was beautiful! First you get the terrible reality of losing your child, never knowing if you would seem them again. And a child finding her and taking care of her. It shows in real life what people judge others on the appearance. Not knowing who they are as a person. And then the becoming of how wrong you were. The relationship with Molly and Brooke. Just amazing! A heartwarming story!

Amazing book about Brooke, Molly and Etta and how family doesn’t mean you have to be related by blood! Beautifully written!

What would you do if you were carjacked and your child was in a carseat in the back portion of the car? This is what happens to Brooke, a divorced single mom of Etta, her two-year-old daughter in the book, Brave Girl, Quiet Girl by Catherine Ryan Hyde! What happens to Etta, who is found by Molly, a homeless teenager that survives by her wits and now tries to take good care and protect this new found child. Through these terrible circumstances, Catherine Ryan Hyde brings about an amazing story of friendship, hardship, heartfelt change, and a journey finding a place to call home. Loved every minute reading this book and I recommend the book to all readers! This is my voluntary review and honest opinion of this advanced readers copy from Netgalley!

Brave Girl, Quiet Girl by Catherine Ryan Hyde is a great book about how we can make our own families. It is filled with love, compassion, and hope. This author never fails to deliver meaningful books that can be relevant to our lives.

one of my all time favourite books is by catherine ryan hyde, but the last couple i read unfortunately fell a bit flat for me. i was a bit worried about this one going in, but i really enjoyed it. it was heartbreaking and wonderful and i was on the edge of my seat. really really liked it.

I love Catherine Ryan Hyde's books and always read her books without even reading a review or knowing what her latest book is about. Single mother, Brooke, is living with her judgmental mom and teenager, Molly, is living on the street. Through a series of circumstances, Brooke is car-jacked with her 2 year old daughter, Etta, in her car seat in the backseat. The carjacker ejects Brooke, not realizing that Etta is in the car. When he sees that Etta is in the car, he cuts the car seat out of the car, sets it and Etta on the sidewalk and takes off to find a way to detail and sell the car. Enter Molly who sees the car seat as a sale able item, then becomes aware that there is a baby is the seat. Through a series of events, Molly protects Etta at her homeless site and Brooke endeavors to find Etta. This is a compelling story of love and forgiveness, second chances, relationships. Another uplifting story by this author. I highly recommend it and give it 5 stars. Thanks NetGalley for the opportunity to review this advanced reader copy.

Brave Girl, Quiet Girl: A Novel
Catherine Ryan Hyde
300 pages
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Description:
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. 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.
📘{My thoughts}📘

This story is told from alternating points of view from the two main characters, Brooke and Molly. The author writes in such a way that you feel like you are there. It was well written with such great characters. I loved Molly and Etta. I didn't care much for Brooke. You feel every emotion of the characters as you turn the pages. All of the scenes were perfectly described. It was easy to feel as if you were right there in the middle of all of it. The one thing that did get on my nerves was the authors need to keep telling us over and over just how fat Brooke mother was. Other than that the book was pretty good and kelpt my attention for the most part . There was a few times it would drag .
I want to say Thank you to author, publisher, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this story . I truly appreciate it!

*******Disclosure*******
I received a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family.
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As always if you like the book you read please take the time to leave a review for the author in places like goodreads & Amazon. It does not have to be long. Just a few sentences saying you liked the book will do. Authors really appreciate every review they get !

BRAVE GIRL, QUIET GIRL by Catherine Ryan Hyde is a heart-wrenching and touching story of family, friendship and hope. Set in the present day in the neighborhoods of Los Angeles, it is told in the alternating points of view of the two main characters, Brooke and Molly. Divorced single mother Brooke is forced to move back to her mother’s house with her two-year-old daughter, Etta. One fateful night, Brooke’s life is shattered when she becomes the victim of a brutal carjacking. Unbeknownst to her assailant, baby Etta is asleep in her car seat in the back. Miles away, Molly, a homeless teen, finds Etta on the side of the road, still in her car seat. Although she has no money, food or a place to stay, Molly knows she must do everything she can to protect the baby and see that she is returned to safety despite the danger to herself. From that moment on, the lives of these young women become intertwined in ways neither could have imagined. I was completely immersed in the story. It is both heart-breaking and uplifting and shines a light on a number of timely and thought-provoking topics. I truly enjoyed this story of love, forgiveness and second chances and highly recommend it. Another powerful and emotional novel by Catherine Ryan Hyde. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy.

This was a fantastic story, I immediately was connected with the characters thought the development of the relationships was so well done and I loved how well the children, all of them, were portrayed. There was so much to believe and feel sad over though the ending didn't feel convenient or tied up neatly in contrast to the ugly realities lived throughout. There were no grammatical errors, the story moved well and felt accurate and truly told. I would read more from this author and would like to thank her for this story and the publisher for the opportunity to read this in advance.

Brave Girl, Quiet Girl by Catherine Ryan Hyde
After reading Stay, I couldn't wait to read Ms Hyde's newest book Brave Girl, Quiet Girl. It did not disappoint . This book is told from alternating points of view. The first from Brooke, a single mother of 2 year old Etta. She is trying to make the best life possible for herself and Etta but has been forced to move back in with her overbearing and judgmental mother. Her mother sees the world as being a cold, hard and very dangerous place to live and somehow nothing Brooke can do is ever good enough for her. The second point of view is from Molly, a 16 year old street smart girl. These two stories collide when Brooke tries to take Etta to the movies and her car is carjacked with baby Etta inside, What follows is a novel involving the issues of family relationships, throw away children, the failure of Social Services, the effect of judgmental attitudes, forgiveness and second chances. If nothing else, this book causes one to reexamine their own attitudes towards homelessness, pointing out the need for empathy and understanding and less judgement. Such a timely book will stay with me and give me much to think about. Well worth reading

Such a heart warming story! Made me cry. A story of love, friendship,and survival. Survival on the streets of LA. Catherine Ryan Hyde is a favorite author. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Brooke is a single mom out to a movie with her baby girl. Suddenly she is pulled from her car and thrown in the road. The car jacket takes off with Etta the baby. Molly is a 16 year old homeless girl who rescues Etta. Molly knows how dangerous the nights are now she has a baby to protect till she can find her moma. The hard thing for Brooke is learning to trust Molly and the friendship that develops is very touching.

I requested Brave Girl, Quiet Girl with reading only one thing...... Catherine Ryan Hyde.

I started this book yesterday and finished like 20mins ago..... yup I devoured this book as I knew I would because Catherine makes me with her storylines. The book will tug on your heart and soul more than I ever thought it would. The storyline of homeless teens was done in such a way. Molly was beautiful as a person. She was wiser beyond her years. She was truely the best part of this book. Catherine did an amazing job writing this book but the only thing I was sad about was I wanted a “2 year later epilogue” but I’m telling myself the ending is leaving the story open for a book two! 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

As always Catherine Ryan Hyde did not disappoint me . She has such a beautiful style of writing. Enjoyed really need to snuggle up with a quilt and a warm cup of cocoa