First time reading this author and it was a really fascinating all round book I laughed and cried it kept my attention from beginning to end.
Can highly recommend for a fascinating read.

Oh, Chester! The reader and Chester’s caretaker, Lewis, are faced with taking the old curmudgeon across the country to make amends with an ex-wife. The journey proves to be entertaining and enlightening for all involved. I felt a spark ignite in me as I devoured this lovely book. Who we are as people is entirely dependent on how we react to others and the events that happen in our lives. In the end, are we happy with who we have become? There are some poignant moments and ideas throughout this book and I feel like a better human for having read it. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. Great book.

Der Klappentext klang interessant, und dank Netgalley habe ich eine ARC, eine Advanced Readers Copy, lesen dürfen, vielen Dank an dieser Stelle!

Hierum geht’s: Wir sind in einem Kaff in Buffalo. Lewis Madigan ist 24, und es läuft gerade alles nicht nach Plan: Sein Job in der IT Branche wird ihm fristlos gekündigt, obwohl ihm schon eine Gehaltserhöhung angekündigt wurde, und kaum zuhause angekommen, verlässt ihm sein Freund samt den gemeinsamen Ersparnissen. Da braucht man definitiv nicht noch die Sprüche des homophoben miesepetrigen alten Nachbarn – Chester Wheeler von nebenan ist sozusagen das i-Tüpfelchen, das Lewis gerade noch gefehlt hat. Allerdings ist Chester nicht nur alt und ewig schlecht gelaunt, sondern auch schwerkrank und hat nicht mehr allzu lange zu leben. Nachdem Chester auch noch den letzten Pfleger der Stadt vergrault hat, macht seine Tochter Ellie Lewis ein Angebot: ob er sich - gerne auch nur kurzfristig – um Chester kümmern könne? Die Bezahlung stimmt, und so übernimmt Lewis den Job. Ja, und ab hier beginnt die Reise der beiden, im übertragenem als auch im wörtlichen Sinne. Chester hat noch einen letzten Wunsch, er möchte nach Arizona und noch einmal seine Ex-Frau treffen. Lewis kann dem sterbendem Mann den Wunsch nicht abschlagen, und so machen sich die beiden in Chesters altem Wohnmobil auf einen Roadtrip, der es in sich hat. Und auf 2000 Meilen Wegstrecke lernen sich die beiden neu kennen. Und Lewis soll sich selbst kennenlernen, was eigentlich fast noch wichtiger ist, denn er erkennt, was er wirklich will im Leben…..

Die Story ist aus Lewis‘ Ich-Perspektive erzählt, und die Autorin schafft es, dass das einerseits richtig witzig ist (Lewis ist schon sehr lakonisch und ironisch, und wenn er diverse Unterhaltungen mit Chester wiedergibt, hab ich echt oft grinsen müssen), andererseits gibt’s aber auch viele ernsthafte Momente, in denen über das Leben philosophiert wird. Über das, was wirklich wichtig ist. Kleiner Spoiler: Wer zum Ende seines Lebens von netten Menschen umgeben sein will, der hat ein paar Jahrzehnte vorher Zeit, selbst nett zu seinen Mitmenschen zu sein. Oder man ist dann halt alleine… so ganz nebenbei flicht die Autorin einige grundlegende Lebensweisheiten ein, allerdings ohne erhobenen Zeigefinger, und das hat mir sehr gut gefallen.

Also, mein Fazit; das war ein Roman, der sich extrem gut weggelesen hat, sehr flüssig geschrieben, sehr witzig teils geschrieben, und ich bin hier richtig abgetaucht und habe das Buch in ein paar tagen durchgelesen gehabt. Die Charaktere fand ich allesamt glaubwürdig, und zum Schluss war mir Chester fast schon sympathisch 😊.

Hat mir sehr gut gefallen, und ich wünsche dem Buch viel Erfolg, und ich hoffe, er wird auch auf deutsch übersetzt, das wäre echt ein Buch, das ich gerne hier in DE weiterempfehlen würde!

Ach, und noch was: Lewis ist schwul, wie oben schon kurz erwähnt, aber das wurde angenehmerweise nicht zum Hauptthema stilisiert. Er ist halt schwul, Punkt. Kann man drüber diskutieren (was Chester auch tut), muss man aber nicht, Lewis ist einfach Lewis, Das grosse Thema des Buches war es jedenfalls nicht. Ein Dialog war klasse: Lewis erklärt etwas in Bezug auf die LGBT Community, und Chester dann so sinngemäss: Hä? Muss ich die Buchstaben kennen? Ich sag mal: Nein, muss man nicht, man muss generelle Toleranz zu seinen Mitmenschen haben, und dann klappt es auch mit der Lebensfreude. Das nehme ich persönlich auch aus diesem Buch mit 😉.

This book is one that most intense books fans will really enjoy.
The plot had so many twists and turns I couldn’t put the book down
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes lovely books

Cantankerous Chester Wheeler pushes everyone away that tries to help or love him. When Lewis loses his job, Chester's daughter enlists Lewis to look after him. Having steered clear of neighbor, it's the last thing Lewis wants to do but Ellis is in a difficult situation.

Taking on what was supposed to be a short assignment, Lewis realizes that Chester's actions mask a difficult life and loneliness. Coming to terms with letting Chester's words roll off his back, Lewis forms a bond with his curmudgeonly charge.

Living in Buffalo, the setting resonated with me as well as being untethered. At my own crossroads, I'm seeking an opportunity where I can make a difference. Sometimes we're so caught up in the game of life that we don't realize that we're existing rather than embracing our passion. Forced to make a break from the past, gives people a chance to determine what they want out of life.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the early edition of #SoLongChesterWheeler in exchange for an honest review. Catherine Ryan Hyde pens charismatic characters that are flawed with idiosyncrasies but create strong bonds with readers.

"I got that when a person is rude and abusive to me, it’s not about me at all. They can something terrible to me or about me but they’re revealing themselves, not me. It has nothing to do with me. They’re just showing me the landscape on the inside of themselves as they project it onto somebody else.”

Another great story by one of the finest writers of our current time! The characters and story are told in a way only Hyde can do! Highly recommend!

Loved this! The setup sounds contrived and eye-rolling, but it really worked.

Lewis is a young man hit with a double whammy of losing his job and boyfriend all in one day. On the other side of his duplex, Chester is an old, dying man and a raging homophobe. Chester’s daughter is visiting because Chester has chased away every caregiver sent by the agency. Chester’s daughter is desperate to get home for the birth of her grandchild and makes Lewis an offer he can’t refuse. She throws money at him to agree to take care of Chester. Since Lewis’ boyfriend drained their bank account, Lewis reluctantly takes the gig. Lewis deals with Chester’s verbal abuse and the drudgery of the job, then agrees to Chester’s dying wish that Lewis drive them in Chester’s Winnebago from Buffalo to Arizona to see Chester’s ex-wife.

This is the point where the novel really takes off and I loved the back and forth and the burgeoning friendship between Lewis and Chester. They grow to understand each other and their relationship is both heart-warming and laugh-out-loud funny. Highly recommended!

A very sad and disturbing book as we follow Chester Wheeler who is a grouchy old man. But considering he is old and dying, we find no one wants to take care of him. Not his family or siblings or friends. When his sister does come to help, she finds she cant do it either and asks the next door neighbor, Lewis to help out. Lewis just lost his job, so this is great....but he soon finds the Chester is grating on his nerves.

We follow the communication between these two men and their journey across the country. While sometimes sad, sometimes funny, it brings to mind our mortality and thoughts about our own last days here on earth.

A great and different read you will find mind boggling and well written. Thank you #netgalley for the chance to read a wonderful book.

The story of the beginning of life’s journey for one man and the end for another. Lewis is a 24 year old man who finds himself jobless and with no prospects. Chester is his wheelchair bound neighbor who is bitter with the hands that life has dealt him. The two find themselves on a cross country journey of discovery and reconciliation.
The book drags in the middle as you come to understand the tedium and unpleasant nature of the caretaker’s job. The author purposefully exposes the reader to the worst part of a thankless job, but redeems even the emptying of bedpans in the end. This is a must read book for anyone in or considering a profession in health care.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lewis lives next to Chester Wheeler who is a grumpy, grouchy neighbor. Chester is ready to throw insults at Lewis when he sees Lewis leave or come home. Chester has a nurse aide to take care of him Lewis observes but they do not stay long as Chester runs them off. Lewis has some unfortunate bad events happen and finds himself without his room mates and no job. On Chester's side of the neighborhood he is without a nurse aide as he has run through all the agency had to offer. Chester's daughter arrives to stay until she can find someone to help. Chester and his children are not close so the daughter is not interested in taking care of him. She enlists Lewis (as he is jobless) to take care of Chester until she can find someone. She names a ridiculous amount that Lewis can not turn down as it will pay the rent. While taking care of Chester in the early days Chester asks Lewis to go on a road trip to Arizona. Such begins the story of Chester Wheeler and Lewis road tripping and the adventures they go through. Another great story from Catherine Ryan Hyde that is a joy to read. I had a good feeling reading this book .

Written in typical Catherine Ryan Hyde style, So Long, Chester Wheeler makes one think about dying. It is a beautiful story of one young man who finds his calling in taking care of those that others have discarded.

I just reviewed So Long, Chester Wheeler by Catherine Ryan Hyde. #SoLongChesterWheeler #NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be published December 6, 2022.

The book starts with Lewis losing his job AND his boyfriend breaking up with him. To make matters worse, he lives next door to cranky, sick and homophobic Chester Wheeler. Chester has alienated every single healthcare aide and the family is desperate. Lewis needs a job so he’s desperate.

Fast forward and Lewis is now the primary caregiver. When Chester wants to closure before he dies, the two embark on a cross-country trip in a Winnebago.

This was an easy read with a predictable moral: sometime we stumble upon who we are and what we are meant to do with our lives.

Catherine Ryan Hyde has done it again, folks! So Long, Chester Wheeler is now my new favorite from her. Chet reminds me to some degree of both my grandpa and my grandma -- and really, so many older people I've known who, like my grandparents, seem to become so...contrary as they get older, as life becomes too much near the end (or who maybe were always a bit that way, like Chester...?!?). Lewis begrudgingly becomes Chester's caretaker, and the journey they take together help them both (and the reader) see each other and themselves in a better and different light. Another 5-star story from one of my favorite authors -- highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the eARC.
Lewis has had a terrible day: he's been fired, comes home to see his lover disappearing (with all their money) to California. Then there's Chester Wheeler, his homophobic neighbor, greeting him with nasty slurs.
Needing a job, Lewis is reluctantly talked into being a caregiver for Chester. Things start off dreadfully, but when Chester talks Lewis into a road trip to Colorado, he fulfills the dying man's wish and what follows is wonderful.
I loved this book, like all others by this incredible author, it's a really special, heartwarming read that I recommend highly. It restored my faith in humanity!

I could not put this one down! I was immediately drawn in as Hyde's character development is stellar in this. I could easily picture a shell-shocked, somewhat rumpled shirt Lewis staring down at a pink slip and last pay cheque... his live-in boyfriend recently left him, taking all of their savings and his all too close next-door neighbor is well horrible. Chester Wheeler is indeed horrible and opinionated, about everything, and he is dying. Soon. Exit every home health care provider sent and his daughter arrives to try to set things right.
Enter Lewis, unemployed, in need of a job and he hates Chester, he doesn't want to hate anyone but there it is. Through necessity and the desire to help his horrible neighbor's daughter, Chester agrees to providing care, what could possibly go wrong, except, Lewis finds he cannot say no to a dying man's last wish. I devoured this one, I laughed, a lot, and I cried some too and I came away knowing that Lewis would make the world a better place. I would highly recommend this one.

As Always, Many thanks to Net Galley, Lake Union Publishing and Catherine Ryan Hyde for the wonderful opportunity to read an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion

This is another heart and soul stirring story from one of my favorite authors! I loved absolutely everything about caregiver Lewis and the journey he takes to discover what he has to offer the world. There is so much truth and wisdom about dealing with difficult people, living, and dying. I feel a bit wiser myself now that I’ve finished!

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a wonderful book to read! You’ll fall in love with both characters (Lewis and Chester) , who form an unlikely bond and find themselves on this road trip. This is definitely blockbuster material!!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and the Author for providing me with an advanced copy of this poignant book.

I did not expect to like this book as much as I did. Lewis is a software developer who has just been laid off due to cutbacks. As he is trying to figure out what to do for money now, his partner leaves him and takes off for California. How much worse can it get? Well, Chester Wheeler, his next door neighbor, gives him grief about his gay lifestyle to make things worse. Lewis finds out that Chester is dying and reluctantly agrees, at Chester’s daughter’s pleading, to be his caretaker since he has run everyone else off. After all, he needs the money.

Chester asks Lewis to take him on a cross country trip in an RV to see his ex-wife. Along the way, Lewis learns a lot about Chester and himself and his own future. You may need a handkerchief before you finish this one.

I always love reading Catherine Ryan Hyde's books. This was a good read with a variety of characters. I always love a good grumpy old man that has much more to his grumpiness than meets the eye. The story is one that is easy to get involved in and just like a good Hallmark story, there are ups and downs to the lives of the characters. Just like any of the author's other books they are always good books to recommend to my patrons in the library.

I think this book was well written with a compelling storyline and well developed charcaters that were real - some brutally so and that made them more relatable. A heartfelt story that I enjoyed reading.