Could there be a more beautiful title for a book? Life, Loss and Puffins. After you have read this book by Catherine Ryan Hyde, you’ll understand why it’s so perfect.
The Blurb
An exhilarating and emotional novel about grief, hope, friendship, and taking life one beautiful and spontaneous day at a time by New York Times bestselling author Catherine Ryan Hyde.
Freakishly smart. That’s the unwelcome box Ru Evans is put into for life. After all, she taught herself Euclidean geometry at age seven, has an eidetic memory, and is about to enter college at thirteen years old.
Boarding at a house near campus 150 miles from home, Ru meets seventeen-year-old Gabriel, an outsider himself who, like Ru, has trouble making friends—until they form a fast sibling-like bond. Finding a relatable someone in the world to talk to is a first for both of them.
But when Ru’s mother dies and the threat of living with her miserable aunt looms, Ru hatches an escape. It’s an impulsive road trip that takes Ru and Gabriel from California to Canada, where Ru can fulfill her ultimate dream: to see Atlantic puffins in the glorious wild.
Mile by mile, Ru discovers the joy of friendship, found family, dark night skies, and the aurora borealis, and she basks in going from being a smart person to just a person. Though she knows they’ll be in trouble when they’re caught, for the short time they are navigating twist by twist of an unknown road, the freedom is liberating, and she is living for what feels like the first time.
Missing out
I follow Catherine Ryan Hyde on Facebook, so know she – like me – is an enormous animal lover. Her love of animals and especially the wilderness shines in this book too. I don’t know why it has taken me so long to read one of her books, because she has written heaps and if they are all as good as this one, I have been missing out.
What I loved about this book is that it is told by Ru in hindsight to the two nieces of her old friend Gabriel. It reminded me of my favourite movie Fried Green Tomatoes, also because of the mesmerising tone. I got sucked into the stories, loved the beautiful descriptions of the wilderness and the northern lights — “Aha”, I thought to myself recognising the author’s amazing photos of starlit skies and the moon that she often posts on Facebook.
Most of all I enjoyed reading how these two young people became friends, and how their friendship improved both their lives. They are very different but form an instant and deep bond — both outsiders; I think that’s what connects them. They both felt like they were living for the first time after their escape. And even though they knew they would get caught, that doesn’t make it any less important.
What you know from the very beginning is that they would always remain close. I found that knowledge comforting throughout the story. It was an adventurous and astonishing yarn that I will revisit another winter day because its message that there is always a solution, always another person who will understand you is very comforting.
Thanks to Netgalley for giving me a copy of the book in exchange for my hilonest review. I highly recommend this book and would love to hear what you think of it.
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