A beautifully written story of a young man who has just lost his job and his partner, and an old man with a terminal cancer diagnosis. Lewis finds himself working as Chester’s care aid – no easy job with this cantankerous old man. Determined to stick to the job for at least a few weeks, he finds himself agreeing to drive Chester across the country in a Winnebago so that Chester can make peace with his ex-wife. Great characters, and a really lovely story, make this one of my favourite reads this year!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest novel by Catherine Ryan Hyde - 5 stars!

Lewis just lost his job, his boyfriend, and roommate and is desperate for money when he is talked into providing end-of-life care for his homophobic, grumpy old neighbor, Chester - a situation that neither is happy about. But the two slowly come together and when Chester asks Lewis for his dying wish, the two set out on a road trip in Chester's old Winnebago.

You know exactly what you will get when you read one of Catherine Ryan Hyde's novels - a book that will make you think, touch all your emotions, and hopefully come out a little better person. This one was definitely no exception - the characters were amazing and as I am currently caring for my elderly mom, I found myself highlighting passages to keep in mind. Highly recommended!

What an incredibly moving book! You’ll fall in love with these characters and just want more and more
You’ll laugh and you’ll cry

Catherine Ryan Hyde never ceases to amaze me. Her ability to weave together such poignant, realistic, and relatable stories always has me in awe of her talent.

So Long, Chester Wheeler takes place in my hometown of Buffalo, NY (known as “the city of good neighbors”), but Lewis and Chester are far from neighborly toward one another. Chester is an old curmudgeon, often making snide remarks about Lewis’s sexuality, and his less than friendly attitude has caused every one of his nurses to quit. But when Lewis is out of a job and Chester is in need of end-of-life care, this unlikely pair is grudgingly thrown together. Chester is not an easy man to deal with, but Lewis has a way of putting Chester in his place and making it work. It isn’t until Chester asks Lewis to help fulfill a dying wish that Lewis begins to show some empathy toward him. Their eye-opening journey across the country offers closure for one and new beginnings for the other, but above all, they learned that the even the unlikeliest pair can form a bond if they just let their guard down.

Highly recommend this book!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing a copy of this book to review.*

Every once in a while, a Catherine Ryan Hyde book can give a personal outlook course correct, or reinforce how you might want to approach the world. That was true here. They can read very simply, and that is part of the charm.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

So Long, Chester Wheeler is another outstanding novel by Catherine Ryan Hyde. I'm a devoted fan and keep her books for moments when I need a good literary hug. This time, her story has a bit more humor in it. Chester is a hoot - a great curmudgeon. As always, CRH digs into the soul of each character, exploring and healing their brokenness.

The ending of this book wasn't as tight as her other books - it's almost like there is one ending, then a more extended epilogue with a second ending. It didn't distract from my enjoyment of the story.

Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read an electronic ARC in exchange for a review,

Wow another emotionally charge book for this author. It was a beautiful story, even though it didn't seem like it would be. I did not like Chester Wheeler at all, he appears to be a smally-minded man set in his ways. Lewis is having a bad day, he loses his job he loses his live in partner just what else could go wrong in his life. Desperate for a job, he takes a temporary one being a care-giver to Chester. This book proves there is some redemption in everyone. I definitely would recommend this book to others.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my fair and honest review the opinion expressed here my own.

Catherine Ryan Hyde has once again done a masterful job in creating a bond between two unlikely characters. Her stories never cease to amaze me. I'm pretty sure that almost everyone has encountered a person like Chester Wheeler during their lifetime. My husband was even a part-time caretaker for an elderly man who was very much like Chester, so this story was totally relatable. Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the advance copy to read and review.

I want to say that So Long, Chester Wheeler by Catherine Ryan Hyde was a fabulous book but, for many reasons I find it hard to say that. It’s kind of like saying you had a fabulous time at a funeral. It is something that does not ever come out of your mouth. But…I really have to say it. So Long, Chester Wheeler was a fabulous book. I even found myself chuckling in places. There were parts that were hard to read and parts that made me really sad. This book pulled out all the feels.

Lewis is the main character and becomes the caretaker of the old man next door who is dying of lung cancer. Lewis, the main character, agrees to take him cross country to see his ex-wife. Because it is his dying wish, Lewis can’t seem to say no. This becomes a trip that is both funny, sad, poignant.

We read about the indignity of end of life, the honor of helping someone through it, coming to terms with death. Lets put it this way, there is a lot to think about and this book will actually make you stop in your tracks and think about your future and the future of your loved ones. I volunteered with Hospice for a while. It was an honor I won’t soon forget and this book brought back the memory of those folks to me.

This is a worthwhile book and one I would recommend for everyone to read. I think if we live long enough, it is something we will all experience. Chester was a sad man and lived a hard life. Although, it was one he brought on himself, it should make us concious of how we treat people and who we choose to keep in our lives. Pick up your copy today. It was one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. I’ve read a lot of good books this year and since I started reviewing. I choose what I read wisely. This book is in a class by itself. Until next time…Happy Reading!

Don’t forget to support the authors you read by leaving a review!

I received a copy of this book from #LakeUnionPublishing, #Netgalley and the author. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

So Long, Chester Wheeler is a heartwarming read, a welcome palette cleanser about how unlikely road trip companions form an unexpected bond while dealing with life and growing with grace.

Chester Wheeler is a grouchy old man who is suffering from lung cancer and only has three months to live. When his daughter can find no one to take care of him, she asks his next door neighbour Lewis to help out. Lewis has just lost his job and though he despises Chester he does agree to take care of him at least so he can pay his bills.

Chester and Lewis journey across the country to fulfill one of Chester's last wish. The story moves on as they learn things about themselves and each other. Sometimes sad, sometimes funny there are subtle life lessons woven through this story narrated from Lewis' PoV.

Catherine Ryan Hyde's writing is beautiful and she has etched meticulously developed characters who are both realistic and believable. This is my first book of the author and I will be checking out some of her earlier works.

4.5 stars

Catherine Ryan Hyde is one of my go-to authors when I’m in the mood for a wholesome, human story that’s big on characters and heart. And if there’s an intergenerational friendship involved — a trope she does so well — I’m a very happy bunny. This latest novel ticked all these boxes, and more.

Pass me the carrots!

Meet 24 year-old Lewis Madigan. He’s just lost his IT job and been dumped by his long-term boyfriend. His whole life is suddenly in flux and he needs to reassess where to go from here.

Meet Lewis’ neighbor, 70 year-old Chester Wheeler, an irascible, bitter, curmudgeon of a man with terminal cancer. And a vociferous homophobe to boot. Needless to say, the two men don’t get along.

When Lewis, persuaded by a hefty payment, agrees to step in temporarily as Chester’s carer, he finds himself unable to deny Chester his dying wish: to visit his ex-wife in Arizona. And so the pair set out in an ancient Winnebago on a 2000-mile road trip across America.

If you’ve read Ryan Hyde, you’ll know that her stories are all about the characters — what has shaped them, what drives them, what troubles them, the choices and decisions they’ve made. And this is no exception.

Ryan Hyde works the intergenerational trope like a pro, with both men learning things about themselves and each other during their enforced companionship. Theirs is an unlikely friendship, with moments of frustration and intolerance on both sides. But, slowly, they develop a mutual understanding and growing affection that flies in the face of their personalities.

Yes, there are plentiful clichés, but rather than being corny, these serve to make both the characters and their adventures more relatable. I especially loved the dialogue, which is in turn hilarious and deeply poignant.

And, as always with this author, there are delicately conveyed messages hidden in the pages: about being quick to judge, about taking chances and about the symbiosis between old age and youth.

A sad but ultimately uplifting story that warmed the cockles of my heart.

I absolutely loved this book! The two main characters are so different, and yet they form a bond that not even death will break.

Lewis is a young gay man who loses his job on the same day his boyfriend walks out on him. Chester is a grumpy old man who is dying of cancer. Oh, and he's homophobic. When Chester's daughter begs Lewis to be his carer, he has no idea what he's going to be taking on.

This is a road trip that will pull at your heartstrings. It brings poignant, tearful moments, and wonderful, happy occasions, as the two discover things about themselves that they've tried to hide away for many years. I read it in a day, I just couldn't put it down.

Beautiful, heartwarming, sad, emotional, it's a story that will stay with me for a long time. Highly recommend.

Catherine Ryan Hyde helps us see the world through a different lense, from a different angle, makes us feel. I love the way I feel after reading her books, and I've read many. I have recommended every one of her books to my friends and gifted them to several.

In So Long, Chester Wheeler, the two leading characters could not be less alike. Their differences have built a visible wall between them. When circumstances push the two of them together, they will discover that differences can be bridged and friendships grow in the strangest of manners. Along the way, an emotional connection is formed between these two misfits and the reader. The ending is very SIGH worthy. After all, this is the author of PAY IT FORWARD.

Lewis is a 24 yr old gay man who lives in Buffalo, NY.. he just lost his job and his partner left him at around the same time.
Lewis has a very mean spirited and homophobic neighbor named Chester, who is 69yrs old, with terminal cancer..and he can’t keep a caretaker to watch over him because of his demeanor.
Well.. in spite of his feelings about Chester.. Lewis ends up taking on the caretaker job after Chester’s daughter practically begs him to and also offers him a large wage to do so!
The rest of the story is both funny and heartwarming and involves a road trip with Chester.

I’ve never read this author before and I enjoyed this book!


Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC!

It takes a special person to take care of a person that is so cruel, discriminating, and and down right rude. Lewis is that special person. His life is looking up and then completely falls out from under him with no warning at all. His neighbor, Chester is a force to be reckoned with, but yet it's like the universe was forcing them together to show Lewis a new path in life, a new calling. He tries with all his might to say no and refuses to even think about it, until that final moment that changes his entire perspective.
This was a great book showing that difficult people, hateful people, degrading people, at the end of the day they're a person to and despite their tendencies to inflict pain and hateful words on those around them they still deserve kindness, love, patience. It's truly hard to be kind and love people that otherwise don't deserve it, but if more people could spread that kindness around the world would be a little better place.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Lewis lost the neighbor lottery. Chester Wheeler is an intolerant, homophobic curmudgeon. In poor health, Chester needs in home health care, but his cantankerous attitude has chased away every caregiver in town. When Lewis loses his job and with no prospects in sight, Lewis reluctantly agrees to take care of Chester until his daughter can find a permanent caregiver.

Chester gets on Lewis' every last nerve. Only, Chester talks in his sleep. It's at those times Lewis starts to see lonely, unhappy man Chester tries to hide. When Chester asks Lewis to drive him to Arizona to see the ex-wife he hasn't seen in the years since the divorce, Lewis wants to say no, but his conscience won't let him.

So Lewis and Chester set off on their cross country trip in Chester's old Winnebago. While, at times, Lewis questions his sanity in making the trip., the tenuous friendship that develop, leads Lewis on his own journey of self discovery.

So Long Chester Wheeler is both heartwarming and bittersweet. Reminiscent of Mitch Albom's Tuesdays With Morrie, Chester and Lewis' friendship, while unlikely and shaky, is very real and changes both men. You'll want to wrap both Lewis and Chester in a warm hug. Make sure you keep your box of tissues close.

In a Nutshell: The book was decent. But I didn’t connect with it as much as I had wanted to. Contained no surprises. Mostly predictable. Repetitive ending/epilogue. Not the author’s best work, by far.

Story Synopsis:
Twenty-four-year-old Lewis lives next door to the ‘most irritating man in the world’, Chester Wheeler. Chester is a senior citizen battling terminal cancer, but this doesn’t make him likeable. However, when Lewis loses his job and the only offer available to him is to provide end-of-life care to Chester, Lewis has no choice but to accept it. Chester’s final wish is to drive to Arizona (they live in Buffalo) to meet his ex-wife after thirty-two years. Thus begins a road trip that will prove life-changing to both of them in myriad ways.
The story comes to us in the first person perspective of Lewis.

Where the story worked for me:
✔ Very fast-paced despite a relaxed plot.
✔ Quite a few thought-provoking quotes.
✔ Some funny scenes, especially in the conversations between Lewis and Chester.
✔ The parts about a caregiver’s role in a dying patient’s life were beautifully written.
✔ Covers nice themes such as forgiveness, relationships, heartbreaks, and emotional connections.
✔ As a coming-of-age story, the book works pretty well. Though Chester is almost seventy, the coming-of-age aspect is applicable as much to him as to Lewis. I love how the author didn’t turn Chester goody-goody just for the sake of it. He remains a grump, though to a toned-down degree.


Where the book could have worked better for me:
❌ Flat characters despite the potential. Lewis is a software programmer who doesn’t even try searching any job once he is roped in to take care of Chester. If he were so unhappy, he surely would have at least looked for options online, no matter how bad the economy. Similarly, Chester’s daughter Ellie complained to Lewis that she doesn’t have funds for a fulltime caregiver. But the way she spends during the rest of the story contradicts her original claim.
❌ For some reason, I just didn’t feel emotionally connected neither to the plot nor to the characters. Chester was anyway tough to like because of his brashness and extreme homophobia, but Lewis should have generated a greater empathy. His change in thinking was too easy to be believable. He was like a football who rolled wherever life kicked him – no will of his own.
❌ I know such books are clichéd but this one took the cake. Not a single surprise throughout the 300 pages.
❌ The epilogue is needlessly extended and gives off déjà vu vibes. You’ll know why if you read it.
❌ Chester is a homophobe, so there are some triggering sentences in his dialogues against Lewis, who is gay. The homophobic elements feel way over the top, though this could be attributed to Chester, who is vehement in his hatred.
❌ The writing is somewhat repetitive. A part of this could be because of the first person narration of Lewis, who seems overly fond of adverbs and redundancies.

Overall, it is a decent story about the coming-of-age of a gay man in his early twenties and a dying curmudgeonly homophobe in his late sixties. But there was nothing memorable in the book. I read it, I liked it enough, I will forget it soon.

I love this author but this isn’t her best work, at least for me. I know she is capable of delivering much better.

At the same time, do note that this is a somewhat outlier review. Most of my friends here have adored this book. So if you do give it a try, I hope you love it far more than I did.


3.25 stars.

My thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC of “So Long, Chester Wheeler”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Oh, Chester and Lewis! What great characters! I was completely swept up in this story of a cantankerous old man with no filter and his young caretaker. Throw in a final road trip in a beast of a Winnebago and you have a winning novel. The writing was excellent, the plot was immersive. I loved it!

I really enjoyed So Long, Chester Wheeler. Lewis is such a kind young man, and Chester is the old guy you love to hate. Lewis first agrees to look after Chester in his dying days, and then for some unknown reason (well, you can't deny a man his dying wish!) agrees to take him on a road trip. Lewis and Chester butt heads most of the tine, but deep down there seems to be a great affection for each other. The relationship they developed was sweet. I also really enjoyed Ellie, Chester's daughter. Both Lewis and Chester learned from each other and grew as people. And the epilogue was a great way for the story to end. Highly recommend.

This was an enjoyable read with some uplifting moments and lots of humour. Chester and Lewis each came to some realizations about themselves during the trip. I shuddered to imagine Lewis driving that "boat" through many different States and held my breath every time he had to get Chester out of the RV or help him take care of business (bodily functions!) as Chester is in a wheelchair and unable to stand or walk on his own. I had to laugh when Lewis described making a "thousand-point turn" trying to get out of a neighbourhood. The book is well written, the characters are believable and the chapters are a good length.

My thanks to Lake Union Publishing via Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: December 6, 2022