Dreaming of Flight by Catherine Ryan Hyde introduces us to Stewie and his hens. Stewie is a young boy living with his sister and brother navigating the world. Hyde has a way of introducing you to a family and making you feel right at home. You become one with the main character and follow them along the story. Stewie collects the eggs from his late grandmother's hens and sells them to the neighbors. And that's when a chance meeting with Marilyn changes his life. Stewie was orphaned shortly after birth and only knows his small immediate family.. But it is Marilyn that opens his eyes to a while new world.
Without spoiling the story for anyone, Dreaming of Flight is a sweet story that flows beautifully on paper. Hyde never disappoints. Her stories read like a very dear friend. You are never bored and you never lose interest. Everyone needs a Stewie in their life. I will always reach for a Catherine Ryan Hyde book if given the chance and I will always recommend her to any reader. Special thanks to NetGalley, Catherine Ryan Hyde, and Lake Union Publishing for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion. 4.5 stars for me.
#DreamingofFlight #NetGalley

Ah, the skill of Catherine Ryan Hyde, illustrating complex and heartwarming relationships between unlikely individuals. Stewie Little, parentless, sensitive, and highly aware of the feelings of others, cares for his deceased grandmother’s laying hens, and sells their eggs. He meets cranky Marilyn on his egg route, and the unlikely friendship is formed.

One can’t help falling in love with Stewie. It’s a privilege to be allowed access to his thoughts, to see how he reasons out situations.

Addicted to Catherine Ryan Hyde? I admit it, but i can think of worse things than that to be addicted to. I'm afraid that i will begin to be repetitive and redundant, but still I wonder: How does this author manage to make her frequent novels so interesting, so involving and so readable? I have yet to read a book by this author that I didn't at least like, and in many cases, love.

Time after time, Ryan Hyde presents children with special difficulties, curmudgeonly adults who somehow help them (and themselves, in the process) and stories where I learn something I didn't know before. Dreaming of Flight presents new knowledge of chickens. Who knew chickens can't really fly? Not I, but now I do.

Flight is about an 11 (then 12) year old boy, an orphan whose parents died when he was a baby, whose grandmother has just died. He lives with his overworked sister Stacey and his older brother who suffers from the effects of cerebral palsy. And the boy's name is (wait for it) Stewart Little, or Stewie. And, of course, everyone he meets asks him about the book whose name he bears, almost. But Stewie has never read the book. Not until Marilyn buys him a copy and that presents him with a problem.

This Little guy, depressed and damaged by loss, takes over the care of his Gam's chickens and sells their eggs to help support the family. He is extremely literal minded and doesn't seem to understand figures of speech.
The novel begins with Stewie's new acquaintance, Marilyn (your resident curmudgeon) who reminds him of his late grandmother, Gam, because she is so short tempered.

Marilyn and Stewie become attached to one another. And Stewie meets a sensitive therapist. And there is theft and the threat of jail. Through it all, this remarkable kid simply does ordinary things that make him remarkable to others.

As with all of her books, you can't wait to see how Stewie's life changes and how he changes the people he meets. With her usual magic, this prolific author has composed yet another of her un-put-downable tales. I read it in one day

Perhaps I should join a Catherine Ryan Hyde fan club? Or just keep scouting NetGalley for her latest book. So thanks again to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a most entertaining reading experience.

Dreaming of Flight, by Catherine Ryan Hyde, is such an incredible and sweet story. It gave me all the feels. The main characters are all interesting, as well as mostly likeable. Some just take longer than others to like. Lol! I found it believable and relatable, as well.
Stewie and his brother, Theo, are being raised on the family farm by their older sister, Stacey. He takes tender care of the hens that were left by his much loved late grandmother. Stewie has also made selling their eggs his responsibility. Then one day he unexpectedly makes a new customer. Marilyn isn't exactly warm and fuzzy and that's exactly why she ends up reminding Stewie of his late Grandmother.
Marilyn has secrets and her key to survival is to place barriers between herself and others. But Stewie is determined to befriend her. As their friendship grows Stewie finds out that although there's much more to Marilyn and her past, it's a friendship worth fighting for.

A, YA story about two people who are drawn together for reasons neither of them understand fully except that there’s a hole that each other can fill.

Little Stewie has had loss that he shouldn’t have had at 12 yrs old. Thank goodness for his grandmother, sister and older brother, who despite having a disability, help round out the only security he has. Until his Gran dies and leaves a little hole of love. Stewie is a kid who is wise beyond his years: with a kind heart and gentle spirit, that breaks down the walls of an older neighbour named Marilyn who is a grumpy and stand-offish woman who has built up a wall that she wants to keep closed.

There’s something about that older generation/younger generation that I adore. The lessons they can learn from each other that warms the heart. As Stewie and Marilyn get to know each other, they find themselves tearing down the walls and creating a family of the heart.

A simple, heartwarming story that has a gem of a character named Stewie..

As usual Catherine Ryan Hyde has written a beautiful sensitive story. This book introduces us to Stewie Little a young man being raised by an older sister and disabled brother. His parents died when he was too young to have memories of them. Was close to his Gam( grandmother) but she has also passed on. Being a very sensitive child makes life harder for Stewie but he keeps on plugging along. Before Gam died he promised to care for her laying hens and takes this job very seriously. His egg route and fresh egg delivery are very important to him. While on his route he meets an older women who reminds him of his Gam. They develop an unlikely friendship which develops into the main story. I don't want to give any spoilers but highly recommend this well done story. Thank you to Net Galley,Catherine Ryan Hyde and the Publishers for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Dreaming of Flight is about the friendship between two unlikely people, eleven-year-old Stewie and Marilyn, who remind Stewie of his grandmother. I found the story a bit slow and tedious at times. This book felt more like a children's adventure book than adult fiction. Thanks to the author, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for allowing me to review this ebook.

The story
Stewie is a 10 year old boy who lives with his older sister Stacey and disabled brother Theo. His parents died in an accident when he was very young and he doesn’t remember them. His grandmother brought him up, but she has now passed away. Stewie looks after her hens and sells the fresh eggs in the neighbourhood. One day he meets an older lady Marilyn who reminds him of his grandmother. She is not particularly friendly and speaks her mind. But a bond forms between Stewie and Marilyn and it ends up changing both of their lives.

My thoughts
This is quite a story. The powerlessness of being an orphan and growing older with dementia are handled sensitively, but they permeate the story. Stewie is having some issues that stem from the loss of his parents and grandmother in particular, and I loved how this story normalises the help that he receives from his psychologist Dr Briggs, from Marilyn and the other nursing home residents that he meets. It’s not a hard to read book, as it’s written in simple language, but the concepts of grief and being an orphan are emotional to read. ❤️

Ms Hyde is one of my favorite authors. Dreaming of Flight has now become one of my favorite books. My father suffered from Alzheimer’s and the struggles that Marilyn faced were real. I loved that Stevie was able to break through to her and how she reminded him of his Gram.
I will definitely be recommending this book.

I loved everything about this book. Catherine Ryan Hyde can bring characters to life and makes the reader feel like they know them. The relationships may be unconventional, but they somehow work. Sometimes you can find family when you aren't even looking for it. It may sound like a cliche, but this truly is a page turning story that tugs at the heart strings.

Catherine Ryan Hyde’s stories are simple, honest, and truthful. All of her characters are relatable. I feel like I learn something from each story - a different way of looking at things. Stewie and the rest of the characters in DREAMING OF FLIGHT, will stay with me.

This was a simple, yet beautiful story for me. I enjoyed it very much. It’s told in two POV’s Stewie and Marilyn. Stewie is an 11 year old boy who feels things really deeply. His character was very loveable. Marilyn is a complicated woman to love, but Stewie for sure saw something in her that no one else has. She reminds him of her grandmother.

These characters and the story had me hooked from the start. Once I started, I could not put it down! This is actually my second book of hers that I have read, and it was a bit of an emotional read for me. This book touches on hard subjects. Stewie doesn’t have any parents as he lost them as a baby.

Towards the end Stewie learns a great lesson I think, and he develops so many friendships that I didn’t see coming and I know he didn’t either, but that boy deserves them so much! I will for sure think about this story for awhile.

Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy, as well as Lake Union Publishing.

#netgalley #DreamingOfFlight

This was a really enjoyable, easy read. I couldn't help liking main character, Stewie Little. For a boy his age, he has dealt with a lot of loss and heartache. He's kind, sensitive, and caring and he manages to befriend a guarded, somewhat surly older neighbor when he becomes her egg supplier. Wise beyond his years, he demonstrates commitment and dedication to those he loves (which includes his chickens). I thought the author did a great job with the storyline as well as the characters (especially Stewie).

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing a copy for review.

Another gem by Catherine Ryan Hyde. A heartwarming tale of a little boy who has lost so much yet has so much to give. I think we can see our own mothers or grands in this book, unfortunately some identifying maybe with the son, but all perhaps identifying with how Marilyn felt about her independence. But little Stevie could see something no one else saw. He connected with his “adopted Grandmother” on a different level. In the end he was richly rewarded and I cheered and was so moved by the ending. If you are a CRH fan, you won’t be disappointed in her newest venture.

This author touches your soul with this beautiful story. I truly enjoyed this book.. can’t wait to read her next book.
I enjoyed how the characters a young boy and an older woman become friends and help each other with their problems. What a beautiful, charming combination. Read this book you will not be disappointed.

This is a very sweet book, and although the promotional copy didn’t say anything about it being a book for middle schoolers, it was a simple read. Catherine Ryan Hyde always gets complex issues across in a manner that’s easy to understand, but this was easier than usual.

Stewie never knew his parents, and when his beloved grandmother dies, he misses having an adult around. He still has his older sister who works and his brother, but it feels like the other kids at school are so lucky to have parents and grandparents and cousins. He continues to take care of the hens he cared for with his grandmother, and he takes the eggs to feed his small family and sells the extra to neighbors to help financially in a small way. This is how he meets the cranky Marilyn. He doesn’t mind that she’s cantankerous because his own grandmother was the same way. Bit by bit, they get to know each other, and he tries to help her where he can. To his surprise, their relationship helps him, too.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES MAY 3, 2022.

I enjoy Catherine Ryan Hyde books so much, this is my 20+ read by her. Even though this one takes place currently her books always remind me of simpler times, they are like a hug for your soul. She also always manages to incorporate animals in a lot of her books and I love that as well. I adored Stewie as a character, he was such a sweet and innocent young man and his love for the older Marilyn shone through in unexpected ways. Ms. Ryan Hyde managed to make this such a heartwarming story even though it was sad at times. The writing was immersive as usual and I read this in a single sitting. As with all of this authors work it was filled with lots of emotions like love and acceptance, growing old and growing up but also a lot family too. I cannot wait for the next one by Catherine Ryan Hyde. All. The. Stars.

What a heartfelt and poignant novel. I'm in tears writing this review. Catherine Ryan Hyde's #DreamingofFlight artfully depicts love, loss and how trauma affects children.

When we're first introduced to Stewie Little, his world revolves around his hens and egg delivery business. Never knowing his parents and then losing his grandmother, the eleven-year-old boy unknowingly built up walls to protect himself from loss.

Stewie feels things deeply and situations that the rest of us would brush off, traumatize him. Those feelings of both highs and lows are debilitating. When an unlikely friendship is formed with a cantankerous neighbor, she's the first person Stewie lets in to be a part of his world.

Both Marilyn and Stewie are dreaming of flight in their own ways. Marilyn wants to remain free to live her life while Stewie, is unknowingly reaching for connections to expand his world. When faced with losing his 'adopted' grandmother, will Stewie have the strength to fight instead of remaining in flight mode?

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the early edition of #DreamingofFlight in exchange for an honest review. I was mesmerized by the story and felt empathy for Stewie. I cheered for his triumphs and cried during his defeats. Make sure to have a box of tissues nearby while reading 'Dreaming of Flight' but as Catherine Ryan Hyde brilliantly pens...

“People getting in touch with their emotions is good. I think people tend to bury their emotions because they don’t want to feel them. And I think we can’t heal those emotions until we let them come out in the light.” (Dreaming of Flight)

4⭐️

A US author who writes lovely engaging character driven stories.
The title of the book seems a little strange, but it fits with the story.

This is a coming of age story, a story of unconventional family relationships and dealing with bereavement.

From the outset I couldn’t help but love Stewie, he is a very sweet 11 year old boy. He loves, and takes pride in providing the best care for his hens, which were his beloved grandmothers. He takes the eggs to sell around the neighbourhood. Stewie Little’s (yes after the mouse) parents died when he was a baby, and now his grandmother has died, leaving him in the care of his sister who is studying to be a nurse.
He has a brother Theo who has cerebral palsy. They all have such a great relationship.
He doesn’t have any friends his own age, befriending a grumpy old lady who he delivers eggs too.

I found it tugged on my emotions. It had me in tears 😭 a couple of times. Marilyn isn’t really very likeable and didn’t initially deserve Stewie’s affection, but we saw the growth of them both as a result of that bond.

I feel that Stewie comes over as younger than his 11 going on 12 with some of the concepts that he struggles to understand as he is a bright boy for his age. Although some of the actions he took wouldn’t have been feasible for a younger child such as taking taking long bus journeys alone.

A fav quote ‘some things just won’t let you not do them’
This is endearing, enjoyable. The characters are really well portrayed. Stewie has won over my heart. I want to adopt him too.

Dreaming of Flight by Catherine Ryan Hyde is a story that reaches all emotions. Stewie; is a 12 year old who has lost both parents and recently suffered from the death of his gram. His older sister, Stacy, becomes the mother figure ro Stewie and his older brother. Stewie begins an egg business to help with family expenses and takes on the job of raising gram's chickenl; he is very attached to them and is very distressed when Mabel the chicken dies. When Stewie meets a neighbor, Marilyn, his life becomes very complicated. Marilyn reminds him of his gram. Stewie learns to overcome many challenges and that he can't fix everyone's problems. Can he learn to love someone even though it hurts to lose them?
I wish to thank #Net galley for allowing me permission to read Dreaming of Flight prior to its publication date for an honest review.