This novel follows the unlikely relationship between neighbors with wisdom, laughter and compassion. The characters, Stewie and Marilyn, are so well developed you’ll picture them in your own neighborhood. Dreaming of Flight is a heartwarming story that doesn’t focus on romance or patriarchal relationships but instead allows you to see what truly brings people together when differences are put aside and caring for others takes over.
I enjoyed this book. Though not my favorite of Catherine Ryan Hyde’s novels it had many of the same elements that make her stories shine.

Thank you to Netgalley, Catherine Ryan Hyde and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC

Heartwarming is the word that kept coming to mind while I was reading Dreaming of Flight by Catherine Ryan Hyde. I loved this book. It didn’t give me all the warm fuzzies like some books do, it just made my heart warm. Stewie was a boy that reminded me a little of myself and I totally understood all that he was facing and just wanted to wrap him in my arms and give him a big hug.

Stewie lost his parents when he was a baby and he doesn’t have any memories of them. His grandmother died just before the book started. He has had a lot of loss in his young life. I love Stewie because he values family even though he never had a large family. Now, his older sister takes care of him and his older brother. Stewie is just 11 years old when the book starts. He is a character I can identify with. I didn’t lose my parents but, I didn’t have siblings and we didn’t live near family. I was always a bit jealous when kids came to school and spoke of family gatherings. I wanted that.

I usually don’t read reviews before I read a book and write my own review. I happened to see a review online about this book and that reviewer said the book was too YA for her. I’m glad that I put that out of my mind and read the book with an open heart. There were many older characters in this book although, it was told through the eyes of Stewie. I loved his values. He didn’t tell lies and he always tried to do what he said he would. 

The heart of this book is opening our own heart to someone who is different from us, older than us and seeing what opportunities that are right in front of us to make our lives better and other peoples lives at the same time. There are a lot of lessons to be learned in Dreaming of Flight.

I absolutely fell in love with Stewie! This amazing eleven-year-old has an overabundance of compassion and love in his soul. He takes everything to heart and cares so much for everyone in his young life—everyone and everything from his dead grandmother's chickens to the crotchety old woman he meets on one of his egg runs.

When Stewie meets Marilyn, he feels like he has gotten a little piece of his Gam back. Both are a bit brusque and crabby, but he loved his Gam so much and misses her everyday. And there is something about Stewie that grabs Marilyn's heart and she can't help but open up to him. They are so good for each other. As their relationship grows, both of their worlds spin out of control.

Dreaming of Flight is another masterpiece by the fabulous Catherine Ryan Hyde. She continues to write beautiful, heartwarming stories with caring characters that will touch your soul and make you want to be a better person. I highly recommend this one. I know it's a story that I will not soon forget.

How could you not love Stewie?
Catherine Ryan Hyde entertains us with a slow moving story about a lovable preteen who has undying respect and love for his late grandma and her egg producing hens.  In the selling of his eggs he meets elderly Marilyn and the novel is based on his quirky relationship with her.  

Although it is slow moving this heart tugging novel was a pleasure to consume.  Hyde entertains us with her contemporary prose as we experience the growing, although unwanted on Marilyn's part, relationship between these two main characters.  There's an underlying mystery that is hinted at early in the book and it slowly comes to light as the story progresses. 

Thoroughly enjoyed Hyde's writing style and character development.  Be sure to put this one on your TBR list!

Thanks to #NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and the author for the ARC. This review is my own opinion.

Dreaming of Flight is the story of Stewie Little. He didn't know his parents because they passed away when he was really young. He had his grandmother, an older sister, and an older brother, who had a disability. His grandmother had hens, and he helped her gather the eggs, helped take care of them, and talked to them. He praised them, encouraged them and when his grandmother passed away, his sister wanted to sell the hens but Stewie convinced her to let him keep them. He would go door to door every day and sell his eggs.
One day he had a carton of eggs left, so he went further to the last house and met Marilyn. Marilyn had secrets and wanted to be left alone, but Stewie had a way of reaching her heart. They became friends, and she became Stewie's adopted grandmother. They learned some things about each other, that could have ended the relationship they had. It didn't, they helped each other, and made a difference in each other's life.
The story of the little boy and the lady who became his adopted grandmother, is a story of loss, a connection that teaches, heals, and life wasn't the way they wanted it to be, but they helped each other have a good life, even if it was for a short time.
Stewie got a lot of surprises at the end of the story, and when his brother was talking to him, he told his brother that the surprises wasn't just for himself, they were for him too. Many kinds of love in this story.
I received an ARC from Lake Union Publishing through NetGalley.

WOW! Another amazing, heart-warming book from this Author. I loved it as I have all her other books. Stewie is an 11 year old boy who lives with his sister and brother. He tends his late grandmother’s hens and chickens and sells the eggs door to door to help support the family. He meets a woman Marilyn and they develop a most unique, caring relationship. This Author’s books make me a better person and I cannot more highly recommend them to you. Many thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and the Author for allowing me to read and review this book.

I have posted my review on Barnes and Noble.

A story about a boy, the chickens he tends because they remind him of a grandmother he lost, and his efforts to take care of others all the while grieving his own losses. While this book has loss in it, it is not a hard or draining read. But rather a gentle, insightful, humorous story of the imperfect connections that can sustain us if we let them.

I am a big fan of Catherine Ryan Hyde. I can count on her for heartfelt stories and she did not disappoint. The story is told from the point of view of Stewie (an 11 year old with a lot of feelings he doesn’t know how to handle and that he doesn’t want to talk about) and Marilyn (a cranky forgetful senior citizen with secrets of her own). Their odd friendship develops and Stewie learns a great deal about friendship, love and loss. This was a great coming of age story that I would think is appropriate for middle school and up.

Stewie has suffered great loss in his life, never knowing his parents and now losing his beloved grandmother, he vows to keep her hens alive. Being a fixer, he wants to help everyone in need. When out selling his eggs, he meets a woman that reminds him of his grandmother, he immediately wants to help her out. Marjorie isn’t a warm and fuzzy person, but neither was his grandmother, she also has a secret she hopes to keep hidden. When she realizes Stewie is also harboring a secret, soon the two are helping each other. When Stewie finally realizes that there are some problems he just can’t fix, it’s a big learning curve. When tragedy strikes once again and Stewie can’t fix things, it’s others that step up to help fix Stewie! Catherine Hyde just has a way with bringing heart touching stories to life and Stewie and Marjorie are two characters that won’t be forgotten anytime soon!

DREAMING OF FLIGHT by Catherine Ryan Hyde is a heartwarming and poignant story of loss, love and second chances that engaged me from beginning to end. It is full of all the things I love about this author’s books – compelling and imperfect characters, unlikely inter-generational relationships and warmth between humans and animals. Eleven-year-old Stewie Little never knew his parents because they died when he was very young. He and his brother have been raised by his older sister who struggles to makes ends meet for this unconventional little family. After losing his beloved grandmother, Stewie tirelessly tends to his Gam’s chickens and sells their eggs to the neighbors to help offset costs. One day on his route, Stewie meets Marilyn, an older woman who is prickly and sometimes unkind, just like his Gam was. He doesn’t know that Marilyn has secrets of her own. The unlikely pair form an unexpected and complicated bond that change them both forever. They both learn important life lessons from each other and pass that wisdom on to those around them. I truly enjoyed this heartfelt and uplifting story and highly recommend it. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy.

A gentle read about the growing friendship between a crotchety woman and a young boy. Stewie sells eggs door to door, and Marilyn becomes one of his valued customers. Slowly they become friends, as they look out for each other and try to help the other overcome difficulties.
A story of kindness and hope.

In a Nutshell: I kept swivelling across 4 and 4.25 and 4.5 for this book. The ending made sure it was a 4.5. Loveable characters, beautiful story, soothing writing.

Story:
Eleven year old Stewart Little (Like the mouse, but not like the mouse) has never known his parents. He lives on the farm with his elder sister Stacey (a nurse in training) and his elder brother Theo (student, suffers from cerebral palsy). Stewie spends his free time taking care of his late grandma’s hens and selling their “fresh eggs” at a premium price in his village.
Marilyn is a crotchety old lady living at the far end of the village. She has a secret and to keep it, she maintains a firm distance from everyone.
When the paths of those two individuals intersect, Stewie sees in Marilyn a version of his beloved grandmother and he is determined to win her over. Marilyn is equally determined not to connect with his boy who doesn’t seem to leave her alone.
How will the relationship between these two dissimilar people move ahead?
The book is written in a limited third person narration from the points of view of Stewie and Marilyn.


Where the book worked for me:
😍 It's a story set in the contemporary timeline yet it has such a beautiful old-world feel to it. I loved those “good old days” vibes coming from every page.
😍 The characters are so wonderfully etched. The story is clearly that of Stewie and Marilyn and both of these are quite complex individuals. On the surface level, Stewie seems like any ordinary eleven year old but as he has grown up only with his grandma, there is a maturity in his thinking that isn’t common to his age group. His underlying insecurity, his firm need to help everyone, his passion for his hens, and every other quality of his will ensure that Stewie will go down as one of the sweetest boys in modern fiction.
😍 I loved the sibling bond across Stacey, Theo and Stewie. While there is only a little page space dedicated to the two elder siblings, it is enough to make them shine. I would have loved to know more about the two of them, of course, but this was Stewie’s story and any shift in focus would have diluted the impact of the main plot.
😍 Though it has a child protagonist, the book deals with loss and grief beautifully. There are quite a few lines that just made me want to stop reading and mull over them in my head. It was a very wise book in a way.
😍 It is such an unusual story of friendship that transcends age barriers.
😍 Special points for the way Theo’s cerebral palsy was incorporated in the story. Many books that have physically-disabled characters go out of the way to show the “limitations” of the person and somehow end up treating the character with gloved hands. But Theo is written almost like any other character. Yes, there is a bullying situation but it was written in a very realistic way. I loved how the author treated Theo exactly as she treated her other characters. When Theo comes in the story, you don’t think “cerebral palsy” or “physically disabled’; you only think “Theo”. That’s the power of the writing.
😍 The relevance of the title, and how it was incorporated throughout the story, either directly through the flight-restricted hens, or indirectly through so many characters who are ‘dreaming of flight” but caught by the limitations of their situations.
😍 The ending. Nuff said.
😍 I completed this 300 pager in a day. Always a plus point for me if this happens.

Where the book still worked for me but might not work for others:
⚠ The book is tagged as “general fiction” or “women’s fiction”. But I received strong vibes of middle-grade fiction from it, and not just because of its main protagonist being an eleven year old. The simplistic writing style, the rambling tone, the situations, the characters, the emotions – all points to a children’s book. Luckily for me, I adore children’s fiction so this difference in genre didn’t make any dent in my enjoyment. But it may not work for those looking a complex adult fiction.

Sometimes, you feel like picking up a book not for thrills or prose or complexities. You just need a soothing book, a calming book, a touching book, an emotional treat. That's the time you pick this book up. It is a beautiful coming-of-age story with minor flaws that you will be happy to overlook because of the sheer warmth contained within its pages. Definitely recommended when you are tired of the real world and want to lose yourself in a satisfying fictional story with loveable and memorable characters.
This wasn’t my first Catherine Ryan Hyde novel, and it certainly won’t be my last one.

4.5 stars.

My thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC of “Dreaming of Flight”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Stewart (Stewie) Little is being raised by his older sister and his disabled brother after their parents are killed in a car crash when he was a baby. Their Gram raised them after their parents died but she too passed away last year. When she was alive Stewie used to help her with the chores and his favorite was tending to the hens and collecting their eggs. After she passes he continues to care for them, with even more care as he realizes how fragile life is. He is a peculiar and serious boy who sells the fresh eggs to the neighbors. On one day he goes to a new house out of his usual routine and meets Marilyn, an older lady, and they form an unlikely friendship that benefits both of their lives as well as the lives of those around them.
This story was sweet and uplifting and kind and really makes you appreciate all the blessings that you have.
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

I will leave a review on Amazon and B&N on May 3rd.

Wow what an emotional read this one was, I was captured from the first couple pages and found it hard to put this book down. How could one little boy endure so much heartbreak, and yet look for the positivity in this world. I have read several of this authors books, but I have to say I think this maybe my favorite of them all. I definitely would recommend this book to others.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, I am under no obligation to leave a favorable review the opinion expressed here are my own.

Catherine Ryan Hyde does it again! Her books are always full of emotion and this one is as well.

Stewart Little (not Stuart Little the mouse, although the book does play a part in this story) is a boy who is a bit lost after his grandmother dies. She wasn't always the nicest woman, but she was his. Stewie has had a lot of loss in his life and he feels things very deeply.

Stewie is a hard worker and cares for his late grandmother's chickens and sells the eggs out of his wagon. One day Stewie meets Marylin a somewhat grumpy older woman who reminds him a little of his grandmother. They form an unusual bond. To say any more would spoil the book.

I just loved Stewie and his brother Theo. I felt for his sister Stacey trying to raise two boys and work full time as well to make ends meet. Stewie helps out the family too with his egg money.

Buckle up for another heartfelt tale by Ms. Hyde.

Many thanks to netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the arc.

I always look forward to reading a new book by Catherine Ryan Hyde. Dreaming of Flight did not disappoint. Stevie Little, a young boy, has had too many losses but he stays true to the way he has been raised and learns to develop new relationships. This is a heartwarming tale.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.

Curling up with the latest novel from Catherine Ryan Hyde is like receiving a hug from your favorite person. Once I started this novel about the reluctant friendship between 12 year old Stewie Little( yes, like the mouse but he's never read the book or watched the movie) and an elderly woman named Marilyn. Still reeling from the loss of his beloved Gam, Stewie is instantly drawn to the woman that reminds him of his only grandparent. But Marilyn has a secret and she is afraid that if Stewie gets too close, the police will soon be knocking on her door and take away her freedom. It's a heartwarming and wholesome story that had me in tears( but there's nothing new about that)!

Goodreads review published 28/04/22
Expected Publication Date 03/05/22

Stewie Little, age-11, is not afraid of a little hard work. Stewie raises chickens and sells the eggs to locals to help his sister Stacey support the family. It is on Stewie's egg delivery route that he has a chance encounter with an older woman named Marilyn. Marilyn reminds Stewie of his recently deceased grandmother. He is still grieving her loss and misses her daily. Marilyn likes young Stewie but maintains a gruff exterior to keep people away. Marilyn is afraid someone will find out a secret she desperately needs to stay private.

I am an immense Catherine Ryan Hyde fan. Her books never fail to grab my heart. I searched the internet to find out the approved age range for this book. Dreaming Of Flight reads like a YA. The plot is lovely and perfect for sharing with older children\grandchildren.

Caution: Subject matter includes death and grieving.

Dreaming of Flight is available on May 3rd.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to review this beautiful book. I appreciate your kindness. Thank you to Catherine Ryan Hyde for all the wonderful hours of reading pleasure you have given me as a fan of your incredible work.

This book is about Stuart Little. Not the mouse but the other Stuart Little. This 11 year old boy goes by Stewie and he sells eggs (very fresh eggs) that his chickens have laid. Stevie is a very pragmatic little boy, he's an old soul in a little boy's body.

Stewie has recently lost his grandmother and is feeling that loss deeply. During his egg deliveries, he meets Marilyn. She is an older lady who reminds Stewie of his grandmother. They forge a strange relationship. But, Marilyn is holding back many secrets. And Stewie has a couple of his own. The book touches on subjects such as grief, friendship, and trust.

The story evolves and the relationship between Stewie and Marilyn develops. Each fills a need in the other. They learn life lessons from each other. In fact, the reader can pick up some good life philosophies by reading the book. They learn caring and compassion. Stewie is a little boy whom I would love to meet and hug. Marilyn is a crusty old lady on the surface but Stewie manages to chip away at the outer crust. I love the compassion Stewie shows towards Marilyn, I love how he relates to her.

There are other characters in the book but, to me, they are incidental. Stewie and Marilyn are the core of the story.

I'm afraid that some may read this book and find it on the saccharine side. But, I love a book that makes me feel good after I read it. This one certainly does. With the horrible stuff going on in the world, this book was just what I needed!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an Advance Readers

4.5 Stars

One Liner: Heartwarming!

Stewie is an adorable and hard-working eleven-year-old living with his older sister, Stacy, and brother, Theo. He sells farm-fresh eggs and prides himself on the quality of freshness of his eggs. During one such selling trip, he meets Marilyn, an elusive, rude old lady. She reminds Stewie of his dead Gam (grandmother), and he forms an instant attachment to her.
Marilyn isn’t looking for friends or family. She has secrets of her own. But how can she resist a young boy with soulful sad eyes and an honest face? Stewie feels everything deeply while Marilyn tries not to feel anything.
Their bond grows over the days, but the secrets are revealed. It can tear them apart or bring them even closer.

What I Like:
• Stewie is a cutie pie. I loved that kid. He is highly sensitive and feels everything a bit too much. But his heart is pure and innocent.
• It’s easy to connect to Stewie’s vulnerability, helplessness, fear, and pain. He may seem like a sort of perfect kid, but he is a work in progress (I’ve been using this term a lot).
• Marilyn does remind me a little of Ove, but she is her own person. The resemblance ends with them being grumpy yet kind.
• The book picks up pace after 45%. It goes even fast after 80%. Some of it seems more like it’s written for middle graders (in fact, I would recommend this book to MG readers) and uses an easy solution. But it doesn’t dilute the emotions.
• Oh, boy, I got teary-eyed and almost cried towards the end. Stewie’s vulnerability was heartbreaking and healing. Strange but true.
• Stewie and Theo have such clarity of thought and approach to their lives. Sometimes they appear older than their age. Yet, I kept thinking of Stewie as a nine-year-old. This is the second book where I picturized a pre-teen as an eight or nine-year-old, so guess my estimation is a little off.
• I relate quite a lot to Stewie’s thought process in certain aspects. Though he is a confused and sad little boy, he has great clarity about other issues. His concepts are specific and detailed (even if he goes a little overboard at times).
• The book has some touching quotes (though I didn’t mark them). It also tends to ramble, but the rambling suits the characters.

What Could Have Been Better:
• The book takes its own time to get going. It’s character-driven and makes sense that the initial focus would be on establishing the characters and the setting. That said, I finished it in 2.5 days (appx. 3 hours).
• There isn’t much detail about how Stewie took care of his hens. We know he loves them, but love doesn’t clean the coop or feed the birds. There are a couple of scenes, but I wanted a little more. (This is mostly because I happened to be researching chicken feed and found it rather funny. Do you know we can feed chicken pasta and scrambled eggs to chicken?)
• The book’s primary focus is on Stewie and Marilyn. That means Stacey and Theo pop in and out of the story. I wished there was more about them. They were just as beautiful, and getting to know them would have been a lovely experience.

To sum up, Dreaming of Flight is a heartwarming and sweet book with an adorable little boy. It’s not perfect but is a great choice if you want to read something that touches the heart. This is my first book by the author, and I intend to read most of her other works.
Thank you, NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

*****
PS: The blurb needs trimming and rewriting. A fellow reviewer mentioned it, and I agree.
*****
PPS: I debated rating it 4 or 5 stars but went with 5 because the book did make me teary-eyed. I’m partial to books that move me. It doesn’t happen often.