Goodreads Synopsis:
Sometimes a child knows better...
GRACE
Ten-year-old Grace knows that her mum loves her, but her mum loves drugs too. And there’s only so long Grace can fend off the ‘woman from the county’ who is threatening to put her into care. Her only hope is...
BILLY
Grown-man Billy Shine hasn’t been out of his apartment for years. People scare him, and the outside world scares him even more. Day in, day out, he lives a perfectly orchestrated silent life within his four walls. Until now. . .
THE PLAN
Grace bursts into Billy’s life with a loud voice and a brave plan to get her mum clean. And it won’t be easy, because they will have to confiscate the one thing her mum holds most dear . . . they will have to kidnap Grace.
5-Stars
HIGHLY Recommended!
Who wouldn't love little Grace? Oh, my! This little eight year old girl is spunky, happy, and tries not to let anyone know how sad she is about her junkie Mother. What's Grace to do? She is not happy when she is around her Mom at all as she retreats into herself, and her mother doesn't do much at all to help Grace feel good about herself, as she doesn't even allow Grace to do the things that make her happy, such as see the people she loves the most which happens to be their neighbors.
The neighbors. These are the people in Grace's life that make her life with all of them, even with her mother, possible. These are the people in her life who are most important to her for reasons beyond what little Grace can even conceive. They are not only saving Grace from her mother's bad habits, but most importantly are saving her from Child Protective Services. They go above and beyond to do anything it takes to guard her and keep her out of the 'not-so-great' Foster Care System we have. Through all that they do for Grace, she ends up touching all of their own lives as well, which they are all very well aware of. Grace is an amazing little girl! I dare you not to fall in love with her!
One of the most important neighbors who impacts Grace the most is Billy Shine, previously a Broadway star, now Agoraphobic. He teaches her how to tap dance. She loves it so much that another neighbor whom they thought didn't like anyone buys her a piece of plywood so she can tap dance on it in Billy's living room when he takes care of her. Grace turns out to be a natural and enters a school talent show, which she banks on everyone coming to watch her dance in, including her mother. Can this happen? Will everyone come together, including agoraphobic Billy, to see her dance? This is the BIG question!
This story digs itself into your heart and never goes away. It's permanently embedded in mine. Catherine Ryan Hyde writes stories that make a huge difference in this world. All of her books are written for the greater good of people. Take her book, "Pay It Forward", for instance. Yes! This is the author who wrote that book which was turned into a wonderful box office hit and is also rerun on TV now all the time! "Pay It Forward" is a common household name! This book changed the world. We all think of other people and try to do good for them. Yes, this author is STILL writing and making a huge difference in the lives of people who read them, and can warm any one's hearts.This is how this author writes all of her books, including this one. God Bless Catherine Ryan Hyde for writing such heart warming, life changing stories, one by one.
I received this book for FREE from the Author 'just because'! It was specifically for 'this book', which I really WANTED to read, so I could read her book for free, NOT EVEN in exchange to write a review about it! I happened to bump into her at another blog one day and she is such a very generous person she just gifted me the book, not even asking for a review! Pay It Forward! Yes, she wrote that! She DOES IT! I took it upon myself to write a review as I loved this book so much I wanted to share it with everyone in the form of a review.
You can click on the TITLE of this book, or click on the photo and it will take you directly there! OR, you could even 'gift it' to a friend! Enjoy!
Print Copy: $14.99
Ebook $ 3.99
Just finished this book and I too was taken in my Grace. Your review is spot on.
ReplyDeleteHi Vicki!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by and leaving a comment! Oh yes! Wasn't little Grace a sweetheart?! So young and cute, yet SO WISE and much older with all that she has been through! NO 'little' character has EVER grabbed my heart like little Grace did! I LOVED her! Such a little but WISE sweetheart!
I'm glad you liked the review and thought it was 'spot on', as you said! I just ADORED this book! I LOVE this author, Catherine Ryan Hyde, too! Like I mentioned in the review, she has made the phrase 'pay it forward' a household phrase! Everyone I know has at least said it once or twice, and has followed through on doing what they said they were with it!
Thanks SO MUCH for stopping by and for leaving a comment! If YOU happen to write a review on this book, I would LOVE to read it! Please let me know if you do!
Have a GREEAT Sunday!
Laurie
I'm glad you enjoyed the book as much as I did, too! It was wonderful, wasn't it!
I never knew this author wrote so MANY books until I found this one! Wow! I'd LOVE to read ALL of her books! I AM going to try and go bacck and get as MANY as I can! Every book I've reead from her it always about people doing what is best