Take Me With You
Catherine Ryan Hyde, 2014
Amazon Publishing
362 pp.
ISBN-13: 9781477820018
Summary
Seth and his little brother Henry haven't had the most stable of upbringings. Their fathcer has been in and out of jail; their mother took off years ago and hasn't been seen since. Life is constantly uncertain—but a twist of fate could be just what they need.
August stopped drinking the day his son died. While on a journey that's very close to his heart, a breakdown leaves him stranded in a small town and at the mercy of the local mechanic—Seth and Henry's father.
But then August is presented with an offer he doesn't expect: take the two boys with him for the summer, and pay no charge for the repairs.
As the unlikely trio set out on their road trip, the most unlikely, unforgettable friendship begins to take shape.
What none of them could have known was how transformative both the trip—and the bonds that develop between them—would prove, driving each to create a new destiny together. (From Random House-New Zealand.)
Author Bio
• Birth—1955
• Where—Buffalo, New York, USA
• Education—High School
• Currently—lives in Cambria, California
Catherine was born into a family of writers, and lived during her early life in the Buffalo, New York. (She points to a favorite teacher, Lenny Horowitz, for helping her change from being "the last kid picked" for a team to finally becoming a writer.) After an accelerated graduation from high school at 17, she headed to New York City planning to do something other than writing—anything that might provide a steadier paycheck. Over the years, she worked as a baker, pastry chef, auto mechanic, dog trainer, and tour guide.
Then, in the early 1980s Hyde decided to dedicate herself to becoming a full-time writer. By the mid-'80s, she had moved to a small town on California’s Central Coast, where she decided to come to terms with her alcohol and drug addiction. Twenty-five years on, Hyde is clean and sober—and now the author of nearly 25 novels, as well as numerous short stories.
She has won literary accolades throughout the world. Her bestselling novel Pay it Forward was adapted into a major motion picture starring Kevin Spacey and Helen Hunt, and translated into 23 languages for distribution in over 30 countries.
When not writing, Hyde hikes, kayaks, and visits national parks. The research for Take Me With You was all done from her own little twenty-two-foot motorhome. (Adapted from the publisher and Wikipedia. Retrieved 4/10/2016.)
Book Reviews
Hyde's book digs deeply into the ties of love, between both family and strangers.... Hyde gives her characters great internal depth, and the book’s scope gives readers time to savor this memorable, moving journey.
Publishers Weekly
Discussion Questions
We'll add specific questions if and when they're made available by the publisher. In the meantime, use these LitLovers talking points to help start a discussion for Take Me With You...then take off on your own:
1. A journey in literature is a classic metaphor for an inward journey (think The Odyssey). In what way is August's trip in Take Me With You an emotional or psychological one? Describe August Schroeder's state of mind at the beginning of the novel and how he changes by the end of the trip.
2. What kind of father is Wes and what is his relationship with his sons?
3. Why does August initially decline to take Seth and Henry with him to Yellowstone? What causes him to change his mind? Is it simply a matter of money?
4. How would you describe the two boys, Seth and Henry, and their relationship as brothers. Why doesn't Henry talk?
5. Then there's Woody—can't forget him. How does he fit into the mix?
6.Talk about the budding relationship among August and the Seth and Henry. Trace its development as they open up to one another. What did you find most affecting?
7. What role does the natural world play in this book in terms of healing? If you are a hiker or spend time outdoors, how well does Catherine Ryan Hyde epict the wonders of Yellowstone National Park? Does the fact that the author herself is a lover of the outdoors—as a kyaker, hiker, and dog lover—come through in her writing?
8. Addiction plays a large part in this novel: both August and Wes suffer from it. How does August work through his own problems with alcohol, and how does he help the boys understand their father's addition?
9. How does the trip eight years later repeat similar themes of the first trip? What has changed—or who has changed—and in what ways?
10. The book asks an important question about what consititues family. Is family what you are born into, or can you create your own? If so, how?
11. Were you satisfied with the novel's conclusion?
(Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online of off, with attribution. Thanks.)