3.75 stars rounded up to 4

I pounced on this due to author recognition. One of my favorite books of 2019 was her beautiful story Stay. This offering isn't quite as good as that 5 Star read, but was enjoyable nonetheless.

The book takes place in Los Angeles. A divorcee named Brooke has a sweet, intelligent and adorable two year-old daughter named Etta. They are currently living at Brooke's mother's house due to lack of funds in the wake of her divorce. Sadly, Brooke's mother has few redeeming qualities. She's very pointed and judgemental, and if Brooke wasn't so desperate for shelter at this crisis point in her life, she certainly would find other lodgings. One evening as Brooke is playing with Etta in the bedroom that they share, once again suffering the strain of the blaring TV from the living room, her mother criticizes her for not taking Etta outside enough. It's now evening (so Etta won't benefit from sunshine anyway), but Brooke decides to take Etta to a movie. If it wasn't for Brooke's Mom's badgering, she wouldn't have gone out and therefore would have avoided a nightmare scenario for any parent.

Immediately following the movie, an incident occurs which separates Etta from her mother. Unbeknownst to Brooke, Etta was discovered by a sixteen year old homeless girl from Utah named Molly. It's nighttime and there are some serious scary characters around, but Molly guards Etta with her life. She has some experience with younger siblings, so employs these skills to keep Etta entertained, and most of all, unafraid. This part of the book was a nail-biter and absolutely riveting. The title of the book is something Molly whispered to little Etta during this time: "Brave girl, Quiet girl". She only knew this little girl for less than 24 hours and found herself in love with her. And it was mutual.

The book was narrated in alternating chapters between Brooke and Molly, which provided deep insights into each character. However, I would sometimes forget who was narrating the chapter and although the dialogue had quotations, they were only identifiable by "I said" and "she said". This caused me intermittent confusion. Otherwise, the writing style was comfortable and free flowing, which I love.

I don't really want to spell out any more details, although the official blurb advertising the book goes farther than I am. I want future readers to enjoy the unraveling of this story. This author seems to have a secret sauce in her books of underdog characters, living difficult lives but imbued with inner strength to tackle life's challenges. You find your heart expanding, fighting tears with the hope of triumph over adversity.

This book was a great read and was character driven.  Etta is taken in her mother, Brooke's, car after it is carjacked. Brooke fears for her daughter's safety.  Molly is living on the streets after being thrown out of her home by her parents.  She finds Etta, but all  Brooke sees is that she is a street person, not the kindness shown to her daughter.  I loved how the author developed the relationships between this characters, as they all have flaws and are good people

I have enjoyed so many books by this author and this one did not disappoint me.  Two women with very unhappy live, trying to make it on their own but needing help.  Their lives come together after a heart stopping event involving  Molly's daughter.  I got to know each and their story's touched on so many issues such as trust, trying to make it through each day, poverty, and respect.  The story has you asking yourself what and how would you have reacted to the circumstances.  I want to thank Net Galley for allowing me to acquire a copy and the review here is my own.

Another amazing book by one of my new favorite authors!!  I seriously loved this one - I loved the characters  Brooke, Molly & Etta and disliked Brooke's mom (even though she came through a little at he end) and Molly's mom!!  The car jacking and abduction of Etta grabbed me from the very beginning!  My heart raced as Molly tried to keep Etta safe and get her back to her Mama and then it grew while witnessing the relationship and trust grow between Brooke and Molly.  I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone!  It's a thriller in a sense and a family drama at he same time <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 
With many thanks to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for a digital ARC to read

Catherine Ryan Hyde has written many books (35+) but manages to keep her topics and characters fresh.

This emotional story begins when a car carrying mother and child is hijacked. Brooke, the mother, is thrown out and the car speeds away with Brooke’s toddler Etta still in the back seat. A homeless girl named Molly finds Etta out on the street late the same night still strapped into her car seat. Molly shelters Etta in a makeshift cardboard home which happens to be in the same neighborhood in which the carjacker lives. She makes several futile attempts to get help from strangers in finding Etta’s mother but a number of them turn away, seeing Molly as just a dirty homeless person not worthy of their attention. Three sets of relationships begin to unfold, highlighting family challenges, finding healing strength and transformation.

Wow!! What a great read!!! Molly and Brooke were both so incredibly well written! An amazing view of homelessness and how tragic and hard it must be! 
Emotions were everywhere and I blew through this book in two days! Well done!!

Brave Girl, Quiet Girl is a touching story about two very different, strong women. If I were to classify this novel, I would explain that it is partly a coming of age book combined with a light thriller or suspense novel. Truly though, it is much more than that. Two characters who each share their own point of view that are connected from one senseless night.

Brooke is a single mom running an errand with her cute little daughter, Etta. Her car is taken along with her child and her world will never be the same again. Molly is a teenager who also happens to be homeless and she is the one who finds Etta, abandoned on the side of the road in a bad area of town in her car seat.

The book begins with the desperation that Brooke feels and the care that Molly takes for someone's little girl but it winds up spotlighting deep issues including how we treat the homeless. There are other issues that author Catherine Ryan Hyde handles with skill and grace as we get to know Molly, Etta, and Brooke better. I will say that Hyde has a way of drawing characters that are visible to the naked eye through the words and paragraphs on the pages of Brave Girl, Quiet Girl. I was not ready for the novel to be over or to say goodbye to these lovely women (and little Etta too). Why? Because somehow I wound up drawn into their imperfect world with all their mistakes and insecurities...into the hearts deep within. Truly a touching book!! So Highly recommend!!!

BRAVE GIRL, QUIET GIRL by Catherine Ryan Hyde is a book you will pick up and not put down, or even move, until you finish it. In this novel, Ryan Hyde has created two characters that are real, flawed, and relatable. She also focuses on relationships, family, homelessness, prejudices, and carjacking. The two main characters are strong females that haven’t had the best of luck at this point in their lives, but their paths would never have crossed if not for a tragic incident that brings them together.
I enjoyed how Ryan Hyde developed the characters and the story. The situations and emotions around them are realistic and more common than most people realize.  This novel will warm your heart and keep you thinking well beyond the last word.
Thanks to the Publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.

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!