A DIFFERENT KIND OF GONE
Catherine Ryan Hyde
Lake Union Publishing
December 5, 2023
300 pages
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I wasn’t far into this book before I knew that it would be hard to write a review for it. It is hard to say something significant about it without spoilers. But, I will try.
Like every book that I have read by this author, I was drawn in very quickly and kept turning pages until I was finished.
Ethical and moral dilemmas are at the centre of the plot. A couple of clichéd questions come to mind. What would you do? How far will a mother go to protect her child? Then there are the old adages: “oh what a tangled web we weave…..” and “if you tell the truth, you don’t need a good memory.”
The central character is Norma, a middle-aged lady who works in a bar but as needed, she also works as a volunteer for Search and Rescue, combing the mountainside on horseback for missing hikers. Ms Hyde is very good at creating characters that are strong, yet vulnerable. And, definitely unforgettable. Norma appears crusty and abrupt but she has a big heart. She is wise beyond words. She has to make decisions in this book that really make the reader search their own mind.
I love that the author often includes animals in her books. As an animal lover, their inclusion always gives me a warm fuzzy feeling.
Norma has 2 hound dogs and a horse called Saint Fred. They are very important to her.
The ending was not what I expected, but it wasn’t a surprise. It was a good ending.
This is a book that really makes the reader think.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
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