After thoroughly enjoying about 10 of Hyde’s books, this one was a bust for me. In all her previous books that I’ve read, the focus was on the characters and on the character development. Chester Wheeler certainly included those factors, but seemed more focused on current social issues than on the personhood of the characters. The overwhelming two issues that were prominent were the dysfunctional family and homosexuality. And of course, along with those were mistrust, distrust, lack of purpose in life, hatred, seeking fulfilment in the wrong places, etc.

Compared with her previous novels, there was no clear theme or purpose to the plot. And the problem for me in the above was that there was no uplifting and heartwarming conclusion. Yes, Lewis did seem to find his “passion” in the book, but I finished the story not sure whether his “passion” for healthcare was actually his passion or whether it was just the fact that he was passionate about getting a job where he probably wouldn’t be laid off and/or whether he was passionate about it as it was the same area of employment of his “love at first sight” boyfriend he met at the end.

I appreciate this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, Lake Union Publishing, in exchange for an honest review.

Twenty-four- year-old Lewis Madigan has had a promotion in his high tech job. He and his partner are saving like mad to enable them to move to California from their current home in Buffalo, so when he picks up his payroll he is baffled that the promised escalation in money is not there. When he asks about why the money is his usual amount and not higher, he knows straight away that it is bad news. The company are not doing well and sadly his job is no longer viable. When Lewis gets home to splash the news, his partner is packing his own belongings. Lewis knows straight away that for him the romance is dead. What he doesn’t know as he sees his boyfriend drive away is that he has taken all of their savings with him. Lewis is devastated. He had imagined them in a long-lived loving relationship. He couldn’t even afford to pay the rent with no job or anyone to help him out.
When Lewis next sees his homophobic, grumpy and obnoxious neighbour, sixty- year-old Chester Wheeler sitting outside in his wheelchair, Chester is delighted and cannot stop himself being horrible and mean. Lewis is at breaking point. He must find a job before he is made homeless. He will search for a new job and initially take anything he is offered until he can find another high wage position. Meanwhile Chester’s daughter has a dilemma. Her father has been so vile to his end of life carers that she has to do the job herself. It is a really bad time for her because her daughter is very near her baby’s birth date. She desperately wants to be there, but she certainly cannot let her father down, despite the fact that his predicament is his own fault. She asks Lewis if he could help out as a temporary carer, but he doesn’t want the hassle even though he so definitely wants the money. Eventually he reluctantly accepts the fact that it will only be for a short period and so the deal is done. Chester is horrified. He definitely doesn’t want to be looked after by some youth who bats for the wrong side. But he has no other options, and at last Lewis knows he can handle Chester.
Lewis has unwittingly made a decision that will change his life forever. He could never guess in a month of Sundays what this short time employment would see him doing or even where he was going, and certainly not how he would feel about it. Chester has a big surprise for Lewis. He waits his time and then he asks Lewis if he will honour a dying man’s last wish….
What a cracking read. I loved everything about this beautifully crafted story. I loved the skilled personalisation of the characters, all who added to this poignant, riveting story and made it so wonderfully compassionate and full of love and hope. I loved the themes: homophobia, lingering anger, relationships, respect and companionship. Catherine Ryan Hyde is a fantastic and prolific author with many accolades to her name and even more heart-warming stories. Her stories are always authentic with meticulous research and modern-day, relatable issues. This novel oozes with charisma and is definitely amongst her very best.
Thank you for my copy of this novel received through my membership of NetGalley and from publisher Lake Union Publishing, sent to me in return for an honest unbiased review. I thoroughly enjoyed it and my review reflects this. I recommend this novel as an uplifting and heart-warming read with a really lovely, satisfying ending. It is a 4.5* review from me.

I am so glad I was able to get an ARC of So Long Chester Wheeler. It is an absolutely wonderful novel relating the development and enduring relationship between Lewis and Chester. The trip they take is long and arduous. During it, Lewis learns so much about himself and his life. Truly well written and engrossing.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Another great read from Catherine Ryan Hyde. I find it quite amazing that she can write so many books with such different stories and characters.
So Long, Chester Wheeler brought me back to my nursing days and all the difficult patients I encountered, yet with all of them, snark, laughter, and honesty usually won the day.. Chester Wheeler is quite the patient, and he has a motor mouth when it comes to giving his opinion, but Lewis gradually learns how to treat him with dignity but give as good as he gets on Chester's last trip on earth - to see family and make amends for his terrible behavior in the past and to understand why others treated him so badly too.
There are lots of great one-liners and a bit of a love story, plus some great family dialogue and descriptions of everyday moments - one of Hyde's specialties.
A highly recommended read.

This was a very good book relating to opinions of others and actually spending the time to find out what makes another person tick. Although Chester appears to be a very crabby and opinionated old man, Lewis agrees to be his caretaker and take the man on a road trip. Both characters are very well portrayed and realistic. I think most people can identify with either of the main characters. While a serious subject there are many light hearted moments in the book. I received an arc of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

Lewis Madigan, is roped into, End of Life care for his horrible, homophobic neighbor, Chester Wheeler, who has run off all caretakers.
Lewis is a young man who has just lost his job and boyfriend at the same time, and is in the need of making some money, when Chester's daughter convinces him to watch Chester until she can figure something out, he finally agrees much against his better judgment.
When Chester Wheeler, says he wants Lewis to take him to Arizona, in his old Winnebago to see hi ex-wife, to have some questions answered before he dies.
With the OK from his daughter, they set out on a very interesting journey, where both of them discover things about themselves and each other.
So well told. As I have said many times, I love to read this authors books, because she always takes on a journey of self discovery for all of her characters, and always choosing relevant topics.
I would like to thanks NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for a copy of this book.

4 compassionate stars. Fresh. Honest.

“Why was I crossing the country helping somebody else find closure with his past when I barely understood my own?”

I found it refreshing that Hyde steps out of ‘tried and true’ story lines and develops nuanced characters who are ornery, mean, searching, kind, vulnerable. The book has emotional honesty. Hyde writes dialog well and So Long, Chester Wheeler is full of subtle humor and some tender moments amid the challenge of caring for dying people. The book has a light feel to it, but tackles serious topics like dying and forgiveness, which Hyde tackles with experience and grace.

“A human body is a fragile, messy undertaking. There’s a time in the middle of our lives when we tend to have it under good control, but coming into the world and going out of the world, we’re much more vulnerable. We need help. And being willing to be that help for someone is a very high calling, in my opinion. It’s really the purest definition of the word serve.”

Book Club Questions are included at the end. I think the questions would elicit excellent thoughts and discussions.

Lewis Madigan has just had the worst day of his life, the software developer is counting on receiving a promotion and pay rise. Instead he’s given a pink slip and his final pay check, and arrives home to find his boyfriend is leaving him.

His grumpy homophobic neighbor notices Tim leaving, he’s rather happy about it and makes a nasty comment. Chester Wheeler lives alone next door, he’s wheelchair bound, his daughter is desperate to find him a new health-care worker and she thinks Lewis is the perfect replacement. Lewis doesn’t need the hassle, he has no experience taking care of people and however he does require the money. All he needs to do, is make sure Chester takes his medication, be on call twenty four hours a day and how hard can it be? Chester is difficult, he pushes Lewis’s buttons, has a go at him all the time for being gay and is downright horrible.

One day Chester is nice to him, Lewis is suspicious, and he has every right to be, Chester wants him to drive him from Buffalo to Arizona and so he can see his ex-wife before he passes away. Lewis would have to drive a Winnebago two thousand miles, take care of a frail Chester and he agrees! For the unlikely pair, it’s a time of being way out of their comfort zone and self discovery. Lewis sees another side to Chester, and under the prickly exterior he’s human and has regrets.

I received a copy of So Long, Chester Wheeler from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Another uplifting, emotional and life changing story from Catherine Ryan Hyde. Lewis gives Chester the greatest gift, and receives one himself and he discovers that helping someone in their final days is the highest calling and the purest of services. Five stars from me, I’m always a blubbering mess when I read Catherine Ryan Hyde’s books, she has a way with words and tugging at my heartstrings and she’s done it once again.

Lewis is desperate after his boyfriend leaves him on the same day as he is laid off from his job. Chester is the cranky, mean old man who lives next door and has chased away every caregiver in the area. This is the powerful story of how the two of them come together and end up driving across the country to fulfill a man's dying wish. It's a journey of healing on many different levels and of how we can come to respect and understand other people even if we don't like them or agree with them.

Lewis is devastated when he loses his job, he needs to find another one quickly to pay his rent.
The daughter of his neighbour offers him a temporary job looking after her dad who is terminally ill but is so objectionable that nobody stays in the position for long. Against his better judgment Lewis takes the job until he finds something better.
I really enjoyed this story and found it hard to put down.
I’m eagerly awaking the next book by this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I wish to thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have read a lot of Catherine Ryan Hyde books and have long been a fan of hers. She usually has a message and the reader will get it through her masterful storytelling.

This novel is about Lewis, a young gay man who suddenly loses his job and two roommates and is at a loss regarding the direction his life should take. He has a neighbor that is a thorn in his side and he dislikes him on so many levels. When he fails to find a job and is getting desperate, the neighbor’s daughter approaches Lewis with the idea of him becoming an end of life aide to Chester. He firmly declines but life is always full of changes and he finally gives in and takes on the burden. Chester is old and difficult and very unpleasant and has many horrible things to say to Lewis but they try to form a friendship as Lewis agrees to drive Chester to the west coast to make amends to family and friends before he dies. It is a road trip to beat all road trips. I had a hard time putting this book down and really found it to be life changing. I highly recommend the book. When I first started it I thought I am not sure this one is for me but it was and I enjoyed it. I feel confident recommending it anyone.

Lewis Madigan has just lost his job, his boyfriend walked out on him (taking his life savings), and if he doesn’t find a job and a roommate soon, he’ll lose his apartment. His downstairs neighbor, Chester Wheeler, is a hateful man. Every caretaker he’s had in the past has quit because they can’t deal with his obnoxious behavior. When his family has run out of options, Chester’s daughter asks Lewis if he wants the job. Lewis turns her down flat. She continues to offer him more money until he finally accepts. He figures he can put up with his cranky, homophobic neighbor for a week or two because he really needs to pay the rent. How difficult could it be? Little does he know, he’s in for the ride of his life, and that short term gig ends up with Lewis taking Chester on a cross country road trip to fulfill his dying wishes.

I can’t say enough good things about this book and I think I devoured it in two days! I loved the characters, the story, and the message of loving the unloveable, accepting people’s differences, and doing for others that need our help (even when it’s not easy or pleasant sometimes). Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC of So Long, Chester Wheeler by Catherine Ryan Hyde.

Catherine Ryan Hyde never disappoints me with her heart felt stories. So Long, Chester Wheeler was no exception. I love the transformation of the characters, both Lewis and Chester and how it shows how sometimes it takes going through difficult times to help us become better people, the people we were meant to be. Chester was definitely a hard man to deal with, especially for Lewis, but what an adventure. I would definitely recommend this book.

With his life falling apart, 24-year-old Lewis takes the job to look after his terminally ill, cantankerous neighbor, Chester Wheeler. But when Chester tells Lewis his dying wish, Lewis feels a responsibility to grant that wish. What ensues is a cross-country trip that brings self-awareness to Lewis and brings closure to Chester.

So Long, Chester Wheeler is another notable novel by Catherine Ryan Hyde with meticulously developed characters who are both realistic and believable. You can’t help caring for them and cheering them on.

What do a cantankerous old man and a young gay man have in common? Not much, or so it would seem. So Long, Chester Wheeler features the title character, Chester Wheeler, as a man dying of cancer. He’s bumped heads with family and acquaintances most of his life. Now his caregiver is quitting, and his daughter is at her wits’ end. She practically begs her father’s next-door neighbor to take the job.

Lewis Madigan has just lost his job, and his boyfriend moved out the same day. He badly needs the money, but Chester is terribly homophobic and taunts him every chance he gets. Talk about a” terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day”! Lewis isn’t one for making hasty decisions, but in the end, he bites the bullet, knowing he’s in for one heckuva ride.

And it is a bumpy ride, as anticipated. Neither man likes the other. Fortunately for Chester, Lewis has a strong work ethic and a good conscience. He’s made a commitment to Chester’s daughter, Ellie, to look after her father until she can come up with a permanent replacement. The job is what you’d expect – personal cares and so on. Ellie arranged to have an intercom installed in Lewis’ home so that he can sleep in his own home next door and still be on call should anything happen to Chester. Despite their dislike of one another, the two men settle into a routine. Then one day, Chester announces that he wants to take a trip. Call it an adventure. Call it closure or mending fences. It’s not what you expect. Or maybe it is.

Chester Wheeler is a story about patience, understanding, listening, giving, and growth. About walking a mile in the other guy’s moccasins. It’s about learning what a person can achieve if one puts one’s mind to it. And it takes two to meet halfway. It will make you smile. It will make you laugh. It will make you curse. It will make you cry. It is another very fine story of an inter-generational relationship by Catherine Ryan Hyde.

I received a digital copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley in return for my honest review. My thanks also to Lake Union Publishing and the author. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5 stars rounded up

****Note to publisher**** Another person in my household has previously read and reviewed this book. Per Amazon policy, only one of us can post a review on their platform; if both of us post our reviews, BOTH will be removed. So I will be unable to post this review on Amazon. I will, however, post on Facebook and Twitter.****

So Long, Chester Wheeler by Catherine Ryan Hyde. Due out December,2022.

A cute book, based on neighbors who become more, as the older crotchety one becomes dependent on the younger neighbor.

Their adventures as Chester travels cross country with Lewis driving a beat up Winnebago. They learn many things about themselves and become confidantes, which says plenty, when both have trust issues.

One adventure leads to another as Lewis discovers a new calling in life that provides him and others satisfaction.

I really enjoyed this book . I was apprehensive because Catherine’s books tend to have the same kinds of story line, but it didn’t matter. She has a way of making the story move along and you want to read more. She has great character development. I think that’s what makes her stories so interesting. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to trade this book for an honest review.

It is a rare and extraordinary feeling to finish a book, which I was so totally engrossed in and after reading the last word to sit motionless for minutes because I just can’t find the words to explain the experience that I just had. I don’t even know a word for how I felt!

Catherine Ryan Hyde is a gifted author and this happens quite often when I read her books. After finishing each one, I think “this is the best book she has written”, and then it happens again the next time read a book of hers. She has such empathy and understanding of human existence and her characters are so expertly crafted that they are no longer characters in a book after a chapter or two. They are people that are living and breathing along with me in my life. I suppose that is why I feel at such a loss when I finish the book because they are now gone. However, they will always be in my mind and part of me from having experienced a glimpse of their life.

This book’s title tells the reader that the story will be about a man name Chester. To put it mildly, Chester is a grump. People are not born this way, but often life is difficult and some people can find ways to still persevere and maybe flourish, and others focus on the negative and think the universe is totally against them. Chester has made it is life’s work to be disgusted and share his destructive personality. During the course of the book, we see why Chester developed as he did.

I think the book is much more about Lewis (Chester’s next door neighbor and reluctant care giver). In truth it is about Lewis and his relationship with the people around him. Chester and Lewis’ relationship is the core of the book and the transformation that takes place with Lewis would not have happened without Chester.

Reading this book gives me hope for the world in the future. I hope there are young men and women like Lewis out there.

A huge thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for giving me the immense pleasure of reading the advance reader copy, with no obligation to write a review. My review is written freely as a hobby, and is totally my own opinion, not influenced by receiving the ARC.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "So Long, Chester Wheeler" and all opinions expressed are my own. I really liked this book. The storyline kept me interested throughout the entire time. I wanted to know more about these characters and where their journey would take them. A quick and easy read.

5 stars + extra credit

Oh my, yet another winner from one of my top 5 favorite authors! I am amazed by how Ms. Hyde continues to churn out these wonderful novels twice yearly, year after year after year. I discovered her rather late and have only read, I believe, 7 of her books, but all have received 5 stars from me. This newest book is outstanding in its own right but earns extra credit by breaking my 2-month book slump where I much preferred watching MSNBC, Twins baseball, or playing Worldle/Wordosis/Word Guess to reading.

So Long, Chester Wheeler checked all the boxes for me—something Ms. Hyde does every time:
-There are usually dual protagonists with an older person and a younger one, with the former teaching life lessons to the younger (though it can go both ways). Check.
-These life lessons always extend to the reader, lessons that even us oldsters can take advantage of. Check.
-There is realism, both in characters and plot. Check.
-There is humor. Check.
-There is excellent dialogue. Check.
-There is wonderful flow and pace. Check.
-There is a dynamite epilogue. Definitely a check.
-There is friendship and love (the latter usually not romantic nor central to the story). Check.
-There are plenty of feelings and there is always something about the book that will evoke a tear or three. Check.

In this novel, 24-year-old, out-of-work, out-of-cash, and recently-dumped Lewis engages in the roadshow of his life (in a creaky old Winnebago no less) with the dying, wretched, most cantankerous old man Chester Wheeler. This is probably both the most miserable and the most enlightening time of Lewis’ life. He goes in lost, broke, and clueless about his future and comes out of the experience with a jump start on the rest of his life. It was tough to put the book down and is one of my very best reads of the year. The epilogue is like icing on the cake—a real forte of Ms. Hyde’s. At the end I shed a few tears because it was over, and I’ll miss Lewis and his adventures. My game plan is to think about busting up my current reading schedule and find myself another CRH book to dig into NOW instead of next year some time. Yes, I think that would be a fine plan. Thank you, Ms. Hyde.

I would like to thank Net Galley, Lake Union Publishing, and Catherine Ryan Hyde for an advanced copy. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.