Author Catherine Ryan Hyde is beloved for her approach to storytelling and the themes she explores. Her 36 books focus on the human condition -- the struggles, foibles, and lessons learned by ordinary people who face and overcome adversity, and challenges big and small. Her latest novel, Brave Girl, Quiet Girl, explores the question of whether we have a responsibility to the people we encounter and what it means to have a home. It focuses on a vulnerable teenage girl who helps not because she has to, but because it is her nature. Hyde examines the series of events that she sets in motion and the ways in which the lives of three women and one little girl are forever changed as a result.

Brooke has a job in retail that does not pay enough for her to live independently with her two-year-old daughter, Etta. Fortunately, her mother has permitted her and Etta to move in with her. Unfortunately, her mother is a bitter, judgmental woman who openly expresses her displeasure with and disappointment in Brooke, and Brooke's decisions. Despite her crusty demeanor, she cares about Brooke and Etta, but demonstrates her feelings by nagging and cajoling. Although Brooke would never deliberately harm Etta, her mother's attitude aggravates her and prompts her to passive-aggressively respond with rebellion. That one small act of defiance causes her to suffer severe self-recrimination and guilt.

As the story opens, Brooke is the victim of a violent, harrowing carjacking in West Los Angeles. As has happened in numerous actual instances, the carjackers do not realize that Etta is strapped into her car seat in the rear of the vehicle, and Brooke watches helplessly as her mother's car speeds away with her little girl at the mercy of criminals. An intense search for Etta begins.

Miles away, Molly is living in a makeshift shelter with her platonic friend, Bodhi, who steals food for the two of them. At night, they snuggle close to each other to keep warm, and during the day Molly searches for anything she can cash in at the recycling center to earn money with which to buy food. Her most recent efforts have yielded enough change that she can purchase an apple and banana under the watchful eyes of the store employees who are repulsed by her filthy appearance, convinced that she intends to shoplift. As she makes her way back to the crate where she will spend another long night, she happens upon a car seat abandoned on the sidewalk. She is shocked to see that little Etta is still strapped into the seat. Molly knows how to care for Etta because Molly has two younger sisters back home in Utah. She collects Etta and the car seat, and trudges back to the improvised shelter where she and Bodhi agree she will remain while Bodhi finds a telephone to summon the police. He leaves her with a box of goldfish crackers and some apple juice . . . but never returns. Molly knows that means he has probably been arrested, and she is now on her own to Etta safe until she can be reunited with her parents. The streets of Los Angeles are dangerous, and Molly knows that, for now, only she can shield Etta from harm. As the night drags on, Molly contemplates her options. To calm Etta and keep her quiet, she rocks her and repeats, "Brave girl, quiet girl" to soothe her.

Hyde takes readers from the street where Brooke hysterically watches her mother's car disappear to an industrial section of Los Angeles where Molly waits for an opportunity to reunite Etta with her parents, vividly describing the sights, sounds, and her characters' inner dialogues. The carjacking is gut-wrenching, but so is Hyde's depiction of Molly's predicament as the sounds of the night invade her hiding place and terrify her while she lovingly comforts the frightened little girl who does not understand what is happening to her and wants her mother.

Hyde compassionately portrays Brooke's anguish as she waits for word from the police officers who are frantically searching for her child. Her desperation and anguish are palpable, visceral, and gripping. All she can do is send a kind of prayer out into the world, attaching to it all of her hopes, asking that whomever has her child will return Etta to her unscathed.

Eventually, Brooke and Molly come face to face and Hyde probes the tentative, wary manner in which they approach each other. Hyde illustrates the distrust each feels -- with good reason -- and how they must overcome their own trepidation, wariness, and preconceived ideas in order to follow their better instincts and forge a relationship. They gradually learn each other's histories and the events that set in motion the horrific event that caused their lives to intersect. Both need to forge a path forward, recognizing that the choices they make at this moment in their lives will inform and shape their futures. Etta's innocent attachment to "Molly, Molly, Molly," as she refers to her, along with the information provided by the police, inspire Brooke to see the teenager through her young daughter's eyes, and enable her to acknowledge her own vulnerability, quickness to judge, and preconceived ideas about people.

As always, Hyde writes in a straight-forward manner, employing her economical style in a powerful, deeply moving manner. The compassion Hyde feels for her characters and about her subject matter is ever on display in her books, but never more so than in Brave Girl, Quiet Girl. It is evident from the way in which she describes each woman's journey that she cares deeply about their well-being and the themes she plumbs, including the complexities of motherhood and the overwhelming sense of responsibility it engenders, as well as unconditional love and acceptance of one's children. She also examines prejudice in various forms, from the bypassers on the Los Angeles streets who fail to see Molly, much less assist her when she begs for their help, to homophobia, to intolerance and condemnation in the name of religion. She depicts underemployment and the inability of so many Americans to earn a living wage that permits them to provide for their families, and the inadequacies of the foster care system. She deftly examines every topic by simply telling the story through the alternating first-person perspectives of Brooke and Molly in a credible, believable way. Thus, she skillfully invites readers to experience the story through the eyes of empathetic characters whose circumstances and futures readers can't help but also care deeply about. And as in her other novels, Hyde examines what it means to be a family: how families are formed, how they can be torn apart, and the importance of having a home of one's own -- a place that is welcoming, safe, and nurturing -- in order to thrive.

With Brave Girl, Quiet Girl, Hyde again demonstrates compellingly and decisively why she is one of America's premiere storytellers. The book is a tour de force character study, as well as a thoughtful, revelatory, and restrained examination of societal issues that Hyde never lets slip into a preachy or heavy-handed tone. Rather, the book is deeply provocative, especially because the story and characters continue to resonate well after reading the last page. Hyde's writing always shows that people are inherently resilient and capable of meaningful change, and illustrates how empowerment comes from enlightenment. Her faith in the goodness of humanity is always evident, and Brave Girl, Quiet Girl is no exception. Simply put, it is the book we all need to read right now because it is a story in which we can lose ourselves for a bit, get to know flawed, deeply human, and endearing characters, cheer for them, and feel uplifted by the experience of having read about their expedition to a place they can call home. It is indisputably one of the best books of 2020.

I absolutely fell in love with this book. The main characters Brooke and Molly are so well created. You can’t help but love them both in their own way. They come together in a most horrific and heartbreaking way. Even the minor characters, Bohdi and Grace are giving and loveable. As wonderful as these people are the mothers of both Brooke and Molly are so heartless it is almost unimaginable. Thank you for the opportunity to get an AVC of this great book. It was a wonderful read.

Brooke is out to take her two year old to the movies, when she is pulled out of the car and is carjacked. The thief abandons the baby in a sketchy area, where a homeless teen named Molly finds her. Brooke is in shock, waiting to hear if her baby is found, when Molly turns up with the baby after contacting the police. The relationship that develops between Brooke and Molly is at the heart of the story, while each has a troubled relationship with their own mother. The parts of the story dealing with the homeless were dramatic and illuminating. I recommend and thank Netgalley for the ARC.

I am a huge fan of Catherine Ryan Hyde's work and I was very happy to have been given the opportunity to read this. As always Hyde touches on social issues that are relatable and makes you think. In this new book, Hyde does not disappoint.

Brooke is adjusting to living back home with her mother after her divorce. Etta is adjusting to daycare and all the changes in her little life. Then the unthinkable happens, Brooke is carjacked and Etta is stolen with the car. Will Brooke see Etta again? Then Molly, a 16 year old homeless girl, finds Etta and helps her find her way back to Brooke. Then the real story starts, because healing from a carjacking and thanking the rescuer is hard. Full of emotion and poignantly written this book will take you and put you in the situation of what would you do?!

Thank you NetGalley, Catherine Ryan Hyde and Lake Union Publishing for this edition and hearing my honest review. Looking forward to reading more with you
#partner

Catherine Ryan Howard has become an auto buy author for me and this book has cemented that. Bloody brilliant!

Brave Girl, Quiet Girl is an emotional story that will crush your heart before it's over, from the gut-wrenching scene where Brooke loses her daughter in a carjacking to the frightening life of 16 year-old Molly, living on the streets. This story will make feel all the feels.

Brooke and Molly are from different worlds. They have nothing in common, other than the love they both have for a sweet little girl, Etta. Is this love enough to overcome the divide or will it be what brings them together?

All of Catherine's books are full of interesting, memorable characters—people who have troubles. But they are also full of good and caring people. In that crazy world, somehow they find each other and discover that they have something in common and can help each other. That is the beauty of her books, people helping people.

Catherine is a must read author for me and her books are never a disappointment. They are wonderful, character driven stories that can teach us all lessons. Brave Girl, Quiet Girl is a beautiful story that will stay with me and I will be thinking about Brooke, Molly, and Etta for a long time. I loved this story and highly recommend it.

Brooke is a recently divorced single Mom living again under the roof of her cynical and hard-line mother with her most prized possession, her two year old daughter Etta.

Molly is a sixteen year old runaway living on the streets of L.A. Her life takes an incredible turn when she finds Etta, still strapped in to her car seat and abandoned on the side of the road in a rough industrial area late at night after Brooke's car is hijacked with Etta still inside.

The novel follows both women in the aftermath of the carjacking, the event that brings them unexpectedly together.

I liked this far more than I expected to. It was my first book by this author (who I later discovered wrote the novel for the basis of a movie I adore, Pay It Forward). The characters are well developed, the story alternating back and forth to each of their POV. Hyde does an excellent job of shining light into the hearts and character of each woman, unfolding their back stories, vulnerabilities, and strengths as the book progresses. Their many parallels are subtly brought to the surface in their relationship that I can best describe as serendipitous.

I loved that so much was included in this riveting novel: mother-daughter relationships, homelessness, sorrow, empathy, love, resilience, forgiveness, strength....so much was planted beautifully for the reader to savor. It was an incredible story and one that I highly recommend.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Catherine Ryan Hyde has turned into one of my favorite authors! To this day, her film adaptation of her book ‘Pay it Forward’ remains imbedded in my heart. Her human interest stories will make you feel so many emotions....fear, love, confusion, outrage. Not necessarily sunny and happy, raw and dark with excellent messages about human nature. This book is a realistic look at every mother’s fear, homelessness and judging others. I loved the character development of Brooke and the bond Etta and Molly formed, and subsequently Brooke and Molly. As someone who can jump to conclusions, I loved being on the outside looking in...seeing this story evolve from both sides due to a fierce love for Etta.

I appreciated the author not drawing out the carjacking story and heading into different territory. My heart broke for Brooke, then turned to frustration with her at her reaction to Etta. But this can only be said by someone who knew both sides of this story. My heart broke for Molly and her sad situation. I cannot imagine turning my child out into the world, although I know it happens. The mother/daughter dynamics are front and center in this book. This book show humanity at its best, and worst.

Thanks to the author, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

Brave Girl, Quiet Girl is the story of a mom who is carjacked and the homeless teenager who finds her little girl. It’s a story about mothers and daughters and complicated relationships. It’s a quick read.

I found the overall story to be entertaining. The mom, Brooke, child Etta, and teenager Molly are well developed characters that you can root for.

Brooke’s mother and Molly’s mother are not well defined and their actions are not really explained well. As someone who is familiar with the Baptist church, I can tell you the portrayal of Molly’s mother is very much an erroneous stereotype. Baptists do not speak as if they came straight out of the middle ages. There are some fake churches like Westboro Baptist Church who just use the Baptist name and are really a cult. We’ll just assume Molly’s mother came from a cult and not the real Baptist church. Real Baptists, even fundamentalists, do not act the way Molly’s mother did.

I read this through in a few hours and could not put it down as I was rooting for Molly to protect Etta, and then rooting for Brooke to find Molly. The description of the homeless situation was vivid and heartbreaking. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley. My review is voluntary.

This was the first book I had read by this author and I wasn’t disappointed. I literally could not put this book down. I found myself grabbing 5 minutes here and there to carry on. I was surprised at the direction the book took - but pleasantly so

Molly is a wonderful human being, Homeless through no fault of her own. She is constantly let down by people but is still hopeful and trusting. I saw a lot of myself in molly.

Brooke is a complex woman. I didn’t like sone of her actions but I did feel they were understandable in the circumstances. Her mother was vile.

I’m not normally a fan of books that tell the story from a few perspectives but in this case the voices were so different it was very clear.

I enjoyed some of the secondary characters very much - particularly Grace and Bodhi

I will definitely look for more of this author’s work - a nice change from the books I normally read

I read my first Catherine Ryan Hyde Book in 2019. I am working my way through her novels, This one was heartbreaking and sad, but also so engrossing that I did not want to put it down. Great read!

Brooke is a divorced single mother. she and her daughter Etta live with Brooke ‘s mother. Molly is is a sixteen-year-old homeless girl living on the streets of Los Angeles. Their lives collide and they will both be forever changed.

One night Brooke decides to take Etta
a movie. While getting into the car after the movie Brooke is hijacked. The hijackers leave Brooke standing in the street while he drives off with her mother’s car and Etta strapped in the back seat.

While Molly is out collecting recycling she discovers a car seat on the sidewalk.to her surprise, there is, still a baby in it. Molly makes a decision to take the baby with her. She knows it is unsafe for the baby on the street but it can also be unsafe with her. Molly must notify the police, which is hard to do. when you don't have a phone and you are worried about survival.


From the time Brooke gets Etta back Brooke and Molly ’s lives become intertwined. But it's difficult Brooke and Molly come from two different worlds. Molly is a homeless girl living on the streets. Brooke lives in a nice house, has a job, and enough food. Conversely, Molly does not know how she is going to get food, and shelter is a crate. Brooke is appreciative of Molly, but she is not sure she can trust her. Through the course of the book, Brooke and Molly deal with issues such as wealth, poverty, trust, homosexuality, and respect.

This story is told from the alternating point of views of both Brooke and Molly, so I knew what each character was feeling and thinking.

I could not put this book down. It was both suspenseful and heartwarming.



This was an amazing story that addresses a myriad of social issues. The characters were well developed. I did not want the story to end. I want to know now how Brooke, Molly, and Etta are doing today.

Thank you, Catherine Ryan Hyde, for writing such a heartwarming story.

If you want to read an emotional story revolving around important issues that will pull at your heartstrings may I suggest Brave Girl, Quiet Girl by Catherine Ryan Hyde.

As the story starts off Brooke is a 30 something divorced single mom living with her mother and 2 year old daughter Etta. Brooke takes Etta out one evening to the movies when she is carjacked and dragged out of the car. The carjacker proceeds to speed off with baby Etta still in her car-seat. A mother’s worst nightmare right?

Soon after this happens, a homeless 16 year old named Molly finds baby Etta abandoned in an alley still in her car-seat. Molly spends the next 24 hours or so keeping Etta safe until she is finally able to get to the police. She whispers “brave girl, quiet girl” to the baby and soothes her during this scary time. When Brooke and Molly finally meet there is much tension involved but also room for an unlikely bond to form.

This is my third time reading Catherine Ryan Hyde and she tends to move me with her emotional stories. I’ve read Pay It Forward and Chasing Windmills by this author and enjoyed both. This author has a knack for writing stories centering on important issues and featuring characters who become unlikely every day heroes. She creates well fleshed out characters who you can root for.

The plot centers around important issues such as homelessness and the importance of acceptance for LGBT teens especially. The author tackled these subjects well. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough especially towards the latter half of the book and I wanted to see how it would all turn out. There is no easy fix but another theme of the story is helping those out who need it most and how in helping others we also help better ourselves. I enjoyed this emotional and moving story and I recommend it.

This started promising when Brooke, a single mother is carjacked with her two year old daughter Etta, trapped inside. Molly, a teenage runaway finds Etta abandoned still strapped in her car seat and takes her to protect her from harm until she can get her to the police. This book jumps from the perspectives of Brooke and Molly and the bond that is created.

Unfortunately, this was predictable and dragged on.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Friendships can happen in the most least likely of places and with the most unexpected people; but when it is meant to be, it can be a beautiful thing!

The only thing that is keeping Brooke going is her little girl, two-year-old Etta. When her husband wants nothing to do with having a child, Brooke leaves and goes back to live with her mother. While not the most ideal situation, it is the only thing she can do with her little means. One night when she is out with Etta, her life changes forever when she is carjacked and watches her car speed away with Etta inside. Los Angeles is large and getting Etta back won’t be easy. Miles away, Etta is found by Molly, a homeless teenager. She takes Etta with her to the wooden crate she uses as her home and tries to keep her safe and calm. Out of the horror of losing her child and Molly finding her, the two forge a friendship that will help them both learn things about themselves they never knew before.

Each time I pick up a new Catherine Ryan Hyde story, I find myself amazed at how wonderfully she can write a novel. It doesn’t matter what the story is about, I am pulled in and fly through the pages each time. This story was one that tugged at my heart strings for both Brooke and Molly; each character is put through very trying times and fall on hard times. Both have mothers that they wouldn’t wish on their own worst enemies and are able to understand one another because of the hard times they have experienced and the lack of understanding from those who should be there to understand them the most. Building characters that are relatable can be very difficult, but it is one of the qualities that Hyde is best at doing. Each of her novels is so very different from one another and yet she still writes characters we want to see find happiness, success and love. We get to feel what they feel and live through their eyes. The combination of Brooke, Etta and Molly is so beautifully written that no matter the circumstances I wanted to see each of them find a happy ending.

Each new book by Hyde explores themes that are relevant to today’s world and this is no exception, we see the problem of acceptance, love, homelessness and LGBTQ issues. There is nothing that gets graphic or too heavy into these topics, but it does bring to light problems that can be glossed over and easy to ignore. I loved the flow of this book, I read it in just over two days and could have been quicker if I would have cut out sleep. I recommend this book to readers that enjoy a story that tackles tough topics and brings characters together in a perfect and emotional ending.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Catherine Ryan Hyde has a way of creating stories and characters that really touch my heart. They always help to restore my faith in humanity. In Brave Girl, Quiet Girl, single mother Brooke and homeless teenage Molly are brought together by a traumatic event involving Brooke's young daughter Etta. Brooke and Molly both share a love for two-year old Etta while comparing notes on who has the worst mother. Can they learn to trust each other and find a path forward? Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

EXCERPT: My plan was to put on my seat belt to drive home.

I had Etta strapped into her car seat, still snoring like a miniature soprano buzz saw. I was sitting in the driver's seat of my mom's Mercedes, trying to get my own belt done. Sounds easy enough, but I was wearing a big, long sweater, and the folds of it kept getting in the way.

I go back to this moment a lot.

It wasn't much of a struggle before I gave up. It wasn't that frustrating. Which makes it even harder to explain after the fact. To myself or anyone else.

At best I can figure after the fact, it was this: in that moment I was happy. I was out in the world with my child, enjoying one of those perfect moments made perfect by the simple fact that I had her. I was in a state of joy, which felt increasingly rare.

When that moment of slight frustration arose, I didn't want to spoil anything.

I drove away with my seat belt undone.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: Brooke is a divorced single mom, financially strapped, living with her mother, and holding tight to the one thing that matters most: her two-year-old daughter, Etta. Then, in a matter of seconds, Brooke’s life is shattered when she’s carjacked. Helpless and terrified, all Brooke can do is watch as Etta, still strapped in her seat, disappears into the Los Angeles night.

Miles away, Etta is found by Molly, a homeless teen who is all too used to darkness. Thrown away by her parents, and with a future as stable as the wooden crate she calls home, Molly survives day to day by her wits. As unpredictable as her life is, she’s stunned to find Etta, abandoned and alone. Shielding the little girl from more than the elements, Molly must put herself in harm’s way to protect a child as lost as she is.

Out of one terrible moment, Brooke’s and Molly’s desperate paths converge and an unlikely friendship across generations and circumstances is formed. With it, Brooke and Molly will come to discover that what’s lost—and what’s found—can change in a heartbeat.

MY THOUGHTS: Brave Girl, Quiet Girl is the first book I have read by author Catherine Ryan-Hyde. She has written a compassionate and realistic book about the relationships between mothers and daughters, and our prejudices against the homeless.

The story is told from the points of view of Brooke, mother of Etta, and Molly, Etta's rescuer. Brooke is struggling to make ends meet and living with her very judgemental mother since the failure of her marriage. Molly, sixteen and gay, was kicked out of home when she revealed to her very religious parents that she was gay. She was told she could come home when she got rid of the devil that possessed her.

Molly is an interesting character. She is very moral, very honest. And she falls in love with the adorable little toddler that she finds strapped into a car seat abandoned on a street corner. I far preferred her character to that of Brooke who, although she despises her mother's judgemental behaviour, initially exhibits the very same characteristics.

I liked this story. I didn't love it. There were a few things, mainly concerned with Brooke's actions, that didn't ring true for me. I liked the way the title is taken from the mantra Molly whispers to Etta to calm her. I don't like the cover. If it is meant to be Molly with Etta, she is homeless, unwashed with dirty, disheveled clothing and unbrushed, unkempt hair. A car seat containing a small child alone under a street light would have better portrayed the pathos of this story.

Would I read another book by this author? Definitely.

😊😊😊.5

#BraveGirlQuietGirl #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: I am the author of more than 30 published and forthcoming books. I'm an avid hiker, traveler, equestrian, and amateur photographer.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Lake Union Publishing via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of Brave Girl, Quiet Girl by Catherine Ryan-Hyde for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

See, THIS is why CRH is one of my top fave authors...this ability to churn out a 5 star read once every 6mo or so. Now that's talent.

I thoroughly enjoyed Brooke and Molly's journey to each other, and I love how we wrap up with them becoming the "family" that the other one needs.

I'll be here patiently awaiting the next release (which is already up for preordering, btw) I'll always be a faithful fan, I just can't help myself

Thanks Netgalley for giving me the advanced PDF so that I can share my opinions with y'all

Rating: 3.5 stars rounded reluctantly down to 3 stars

I am always excited to read anything that Catherine Ryan Hyde writes. She tackles real-life issues with pathos and charm. She brings her characters to life in relatable ways. Her latest book follows the same vein as prior her books, but sadly, it fell just a tad short of previous books for me. It was a good story, but not as emotionally impactful as some of her other works.

Brooke and Molly tell this book in alternating storylines. Brooke is in her late 30’s and is a single mother to 2-year-old Etta. Brooke is back living at her ultra-judgmental mother’s home due to financial issues. She is unhappy at home. She feels stuck. Little Etta is the bright spot in her life.

Molly is a homeless 16-year-old living on the streets in an industrial section of Los Angeles. After being kicked out of her family home in Utah, her new friend Bodhi talked her into going to LA with him. She’s been on the streets for awhile, but at least she’s not alone.

One fateful night while driving her Mom’s Mercedes, Brooke is carjacked. The car speeds off with Etta strapped in her car seat in the back. So starts Brooke’s nightmare of trying to recover Etta. Meanwhile Molly stumbles across Etta, still strapped in her car seat, on a deserted stretch of sidewalk. Molly scoops her up, and tries to figure out how to let the police know that she’s found a baby. She doesn’t have money for a phone call. She finds Bodhi, and he agrees to head out to find get someone to call the police.

Brooke is ultimately reunited with Etta. However, she cannot let go of her resentment as to how much time it took for Molly to get the little girl back to her. In the 24 hours the Molly had Etta, she kept her calm, kept her fed, kept her dry, and kept her safe. She and Etta formed a strong bond during their time together.

The rest of the book explores the following issues; homelessness, the foster care system, mother/daughter relationships, personal integrity, and what it means to be a family. I found Molly’s story to be much more compelling than Brooke’s did. While they both were stuck in situations that were uncomfortable, Molly took a more active role in day-to-day living and moving forward. Brooke seemed caught up in her own head and was unable to figure out how to get unstuck.

I think this book did a great job shining a light on the realities and inherent dangers of being a homeless person. The plight of this population is real. Staying clean, safe, and fed is a battle they wage every hour of every day. In the face of that persistent homeless struggle, Molly retained her principles and integrity. She would not eat stolen food even when she was hungry. I admired that about her, but was I was silently urging her to eat the dang food!

I liked the ending. (Nope, not giving it away here.) However, the sometime circuitous route it took to arrive there was occasionally frustrating. I am giving this book a rating of 3.5 stars, rounded down to three stars. This is a big-hearted book about what it means to be family with all its inherent pitfalls and potential joys. I would recommend this to readers who enjoy books in the Women’s Fiction genre, and those who enjoy books that tackle social issues with open eyes and compassion. I am glad that I spent some time with Brooke, Molly and Etta, the ‘Brave Girl, Quiet Girl’.

‘Thank-You’ to NetGalley; the publisher, Lake Union Publishing; and author, Catherine Ryan Hyde, for providing a free e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.