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Take Me With You Kindle Edition
New York Times bestselling author Catherine Ryan Hyde tells the emotional story of an alcoholic reeling from the loss of his son on the journey to finally facing his pain—and forging a path to redemption.
August Shroeder, a burned-out teacher, has been sober since his nineteen-year-old son died. Every year he’s spent the summer on the road, but making it to Yellowstone this year means everything. The plan had been to travel there with his son, but now August is making the trip with Philip’s ashes instead. An unexpected twist of fate lands August with two extra passengers for his journey, two half-orphans with nowhere else to go.
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.
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherLake Union Publishing
- Publication dateJuly 22, 2014
- File size4.3 MB
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Editorial Reviews
From Kirkus Reviews
Hyde’s followers, who love the warmth and inspiration they draw from her work (Walk Me Home, 2013, etc.), won’t be disappointed by this latest effort.
August is on his way to Yellowstone to go camping, but his RV has broken down, leaving him and his small part–Jack Russell terrier, Woody, stranded in a one-horse desert town. While the mechanic, Wes, works on the vehicle, the science teacher frets that he won’t have enough money to make it to the park. He’s not going for pleasure, although that was the original purpose of the trip; instead, he’s transporting some of his son’s ashes so he can sprinkle them around the park. He and Phillip, who was killed in the car accident that led to the breakup of August’s marriage, had planned the trip together. Now it seems as though the RV’s engine repairs will eat up most of his cash. Then Wes makes August an offer he can’t refuse: Finish your trip, but! take my two boys with you, and I won’t charge you anything. The boys, 12-year-old Seth, and Henry, 7, will go into the foster system if Wes, who's scheduled to serve 90 days in jail, can’t find an alternative. August refuses but finally relents, and what follows is a lifelong bond among a recovering alcoholic, a wise young boy who's been forced to play the grown-up since his mom walked out, and sweet but silent Henry. Hyde’s books can be almost relentlessly uplifting, but in her case, that’s not a bad thing. She does it well and manages to avoid bringing religion, schmaltz, or improbable outcomes into the mix, instead relying on crisp, clean prose and a straightforward method of storytelling that has its own unique appeal.
A story about good people doing their best to survive, combined with a message that will cause readers to close the book feeling a bit more hopeful about humanity.
Review
“Bestseller Hyde’s (Pay it Forward) 24th 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
About the Author
Catherine Ryan Hyde is the author of thirty-three published books. Her bestselling 1999 novel, Pay It Forward, adapted into a major Warner Bros. motion picture, made the American Library Association’s Best Books for Young Adults list and was translated into more than two dozen languages for distribution in more than thirty countries. Her novels Becoming Chloe and Jumpstart the World were included on the ALA’s Rainbow List; Jumpstart the World was also a finalist for two Lambda Literary Awards and won Rainbow Awards in two categories. The Language of Hoofbeats won a Rainbow Award. More than fifty of her short stories have been published in many journals, including the Antioch Review, Michigan Quarterly Review, the Virginia Quarterly Review, Ploughshares, Glimmer Train, and the Sun, and in the anthologies Santa Barbara Stories and California Shorts, as well as the bestselling anthology Dog Is My Co-Pilot. Her short fiction received honorable mention in the Raymond Carver Short Story Contest, a second-place win for the Tobias Wolff Award, and nominations for Best American Short Stories, the O. Henry Award, and the Pushcart Prize. Three have also been cited in Best American Short Stories.
Hyde is the founder and former president of the Pay It Forward Foundation. As a professional public speaker, she has addressed the National Conference on Education, twice spoken at Cornell University, met with AmeriCorps members at the White House, and shared a dais with Bill Clinton. An avid equestrian, photographer, and traveler, she lives in California.
Product details
- ASIN : B00GP0JWMQ
- Publisher : Lake Union Publishing (July 22, 2014)
- Publication date : July 22, 2014
- Language : English
- File size : 4.3 MB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 363 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #34,866 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #52 in Contemporary American Fiction
- #276 in Contemporary Literary Fiction
- #296 in Coming of Age Fiction (Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Catherine Ryan Hyde is the author of more than 40 published and forthcoming books.
An avid hiker, traveler, equestrian, and amateur photographer and astrophotographer, she has a published book of photos, 365 DAYS OF GRATITUDE: PHOTOS FROM A BEAUTIFUL WORLD.
She is co-author, with fellow author and publishing industry blogger Anne R. Allen, of HOW TO BE A WRITER IN THE E-AGE: A SELF-HELP GUIDE.
Her novel PAY IT FORWARD was adapted into a major motion picture, chosen by the American Library Association for its Best Books for Young Adults list, and translated into more than 23 languages for distribution in over 30 countries. The paperback was released in October 2000 by Pocket Books and quickly became a national bestseller. Simon & Schuster released PAY IT FORWARD: YOUNG READERS' EDITION in August of '14. It is suitable for kids as young as eight. A special Fifteenth Anniversary Edition of the original PAY IT FORWARD was released in December of '14
LOVE IN THE PRESENT TENSE enjoyed bestseller status in the UK, where it broke the top ten, spent five weeks on the bestseller lists, was reviewed on a major TV book club, and shortlisted for a Best Read of the Year award at the British Book Awards. Both BECOMING CHLOE and JUMPSTART THE WORLD were included on the ALA's Rainbow List, and JUMPSTART THE WORLD was a finalist for two Lambda Literary Awards. WHERE WE BELONG won two Rainbow Awards in 2013 and THE LANGUAGE OF HOOFBEATS won a Rainbow Award in 2015.
New Kindle editions of her backlist titles FUNERALS FOR HORSES, EARTHQUAKE WEATHER AND OTHER STORIES, ELECTRIC GOD, and WALTER'S PURPLE HEART are now available. Also available is THE LONG, STEEP PATH: EVERYDAY INSPIRATION FROM THE AUTHOR OF PAY IT FORWARD, her first book-length creative nonfiction.
More than 50 of her short stories have been published in The Antioch Review, Michigan Quarterly Review, The Virginia Quarterly Review, Ploughshares, Glimmer Train and many other journals, and in the anthologies Santa Barbara Stories and California Shorts and the bestselling anthology Dog is my Co-Pilot. Her stories have been honored in the Raymond Carver Short Story Contest and the Tobias Wolff Award and nominated for Best American Short Stories, the O'Henry Award, and the Pushcart Prize. Three have been cited in Best American Short Stories.
She is founder and former president (2000-2009) of the Pay It Forward Foundation, and served on its board of directors for over 20 years. As a professional public speaker she has addressed the National Conference on Education, twice spoken at Cornell University, met with Americorps members at the White House and shared a dais with Bill Clinton.
For more information and book club questions for most backlist titles, please visit the author at catherineryanhyde.com (Note: The newer titles have book club questions included at the back of the book.)
Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers enjoyed the heartwarming story and found it touching. They appreciated the writing quality as adequate, believable, and easy to read. The characters were described as thoughtful, well-developed, and relatable. The message about dealing with addiction was appreciated by readers. Overall, the book held their attention from beginning to end.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers enjoy the story. They find it engaging and inspiring. The book takes readers on a memorable journey and makes them appreciate the simple things in life.
"...The book was well written, well edited and was a whopper of an emotional story. It is a book that would be an excellent read for YA and up...." Read more
"...Not only that, but Seth is just so earnestly eager to please, even to the point of sometimes (unintentionally) being a bit of a pest about it, that..." Read more
"...Great character development that let the story flow. Couldn't put it down." Read more
"...The book’s beauty is its honesty, its refusal to tidy up the edges of life...." Read more
Customers find the story heartwarming and touching. It's an amazing book about love and loss, and the impact one person can have on others. Readers appreciate the thought-provoking story that allows grief and joy to coexist. The book explores the path of life through conversations and struggles to care enough.
"...threesome, no make that foursome 'cause Woody counts too, have an awesome time together. No, it is not a perfect journey, but it is awesome...." Read more
"...So it's a perfect ending, right? Not for me. To my great dismay, I didn't find Seth to be nearly as lovable, or even likeable, as I did before...." Read more
"...It resonated because it allowed space for grief and joy to coexist, for love to be imperfect but no less real...." Read more
"...Plus it has much philosophy comments. Some of the places the four go to is worrisome. This is the first book I have read by this author." Read more
Customers praise the writing quality of the book. They find it well-written and easy to read, with believable dialogue and simple storytelling. Readers appreciate the descriptions of the Grand Canyon and national parks, which make them want to visit them.
"...The book was well written, well edited and was a whopper of an emotional story. It is a book that would be an excellent read for YA and up...." Read more
"Wonderful story. Includes compassion and understanding...." Read more
"...I enjoyed reading about the trails, the RV trip, everything concerning the parks. The book covers quite a number of parks...." Read more
"...This was a thoughtful, poignant story, and I enjoyed the descriptions of the national parks as well." Read more
Customers appreciate the well-developed characters. They find the characters relatable, dynamic, and three-dimensional. The author writes about children in a realistic way that grabs their attention.
"...Woody is a very lovable dog boy that is a constant companion when August travels...." Read more
"...Great character development that let the story flow. Couldn't put it down." Read more
"...But Wes won't give up drinking, feels left out by his boys. Seth is outgoing, loves rock climb, very intelligent and always asking questions about..." Read more
"I didn’t want this book to end. The characters were so well written so you feel as if you were there with them." Read more
Customers find the book provides an honest and uplifting account of alcoholism from three perspectives. It explores addiction and its effects on the family in an enticing yet realistic way. The story is described as a journey of self-discovery for the boys and their families.
"...of raising his younger brother, you just marvel at how considerate and thoughtful he is...." Read more
"This book gets deep into alcoholism, the effect alcohol abuse has scarred members of the alcoholic's family. The book is sad, yet uplifting...." Read more
"...As usual, Catherine Ryan Hyde really makes you think and put things in perspective. Live in the moment always!" Read more
"...He is kind, caring, smart, and nothing like their father. The 3 months pass quickly but another kink is thrown into the plans...." Read more
Customers find the book engaging and entertaining. They say it grabs their attention and doesn't let go. The descriptions of emotions and events keep them enthralled. The book captures them from the beginning and never lets go. Readers appreciate the thought-provoking dialogue and characters that get them into their heads. The stories have humor and depth all wrapped together.
"...No, it is not a Sunday School kind of book. However, it is entertaining, even educational in a human nature kind of way, and if you do not like it..." Read more
"...Hyde is a great clear writer who can write flawed characters that are engaging, people that you feel for and can end up loving, people who..." Read more
"...the way the author captures the essence of the characters - gets you into their heads and has you figuring things out with them...." Read more
"...To me, they distracted from the story, and anything that does that to a work of fiction is a negative factor. Overall, I very much enjoyed the..." Read more
Customers find the book uplifting. They appreciate the message of compassion, kindness, and support for one another. The relationships encourage growth in honesty and kindness for others. Readers describe the book as heartwarming and heartbreaking, with themes like gratitude and love.
"Wonderful story. Includes compassion and understanding...." Read more
"A story of compassion heartache strength truth lies and. Resolve. An adventure to inspire one to just go and be!!!!" Read more
"...This story was such a pleasure to read and re-confirms how a random act of kindness (even one as huge as August commits to) can change so many lives...." Read more
"...Seth, while talkative, is thoughtful and courteous, and Henry just doesn't talk...." Read more
Customers have different views on the pacing of the book. Some find it engaging and moving, with an unpredictable plot and lots of ups and downs. Others find the premise unrealistic and predictable. Overall, opinions vary on whether the story is realistic or not.
"...No, it is not a perfect journey, but it is awesome. They have lots of ups and downs, sprinkle Phillips ashes in a number of places with some..." Read more
"...The prose generally is adequate, but not inspired. THe dialogue- predictable and a little tiresome as previously noted...." Read more
"...their summer road trip, is interesting overall and in some parts deeply moving. In particular, Seth really wormed his way into my heart...." Read more
"...The stories were way, way too unrealistic and the children as well as the adults in each book were just difficult to identify with...." Read more
Reviews with images
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A great read.
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2014I did not want to like this cotton-pickin' book. I did not want to become all wet-faced and drippy nosed while reading about a bereaved father taking his son's ashes to Yellowstone. I did not want my throat to hurt because I was trying not to shed tears when a young boy reached up his hand and took the hand of the adult man. I did not want to just blubber when the same small boy took the ashes of a young person that he had never known and carefully placed them in a lake in Yellowstone. I did not want to read how two little boys whose father is in jail.....for the umpteenth time on a DUI charge.....would touch the life of the bereaved father, and they his and then get misty eyed. I just don't do that! Well, guess what. I did all of the above, really enjoyed reading the book, and had no problem giving it 5*s.
The book was well written, well edited and was a whopper of an emotional story. It is a book that would be an excellent read for YA and up. Well, those big Tarzan type guys or gang bangers would probably not like it, but I am pretty sure there are bunches of people on this planet that would read it once, maybe twice and give it 5*s. I don't give many books this rating, but I couldn't see not doing so.
August Schroeder is a somewhat burned out high school science teacher. He always travels in his motor home in the summertime. He used to travel with his wife and son Phillip, but one day his world was smashed to smithereens. His son and wife went shopping and his son never returned. The two were in a traffic accident and the son was killed. August and his wife divorced, and now he is alone except for his faithful friend, Woody. Woody is a very lovable dog boy that is a constant companion when August travels. August is on his way to Yellowstone to sprinkle some of his son's ashes in the park when the motor home breaks down. His few days in a small town talking with and waiting for a mechanic to finish the repairs on his coach change his life forever. The mechanic, a father who is an alcoholic on his way to jail and his two young boys really change August's life, and theirs too, forever.
Long story short. Along the way to Yellowstone, August suddenly finds himself with the two young boys as his traveling companions. The threesome, no make that foursome 'cause Woody counts too, have an awesome time together. No, it is not a perfect journey, but it is awesome. They have lots of ups and downs, sprinkle Phillips ashes in a number of places with some powerful heart wrenching moments. Try it, you'll like it. No, it is not a Sunday School kind of book. However, it is entertaining, even educational in a human nature kind of way, and if you do not like it....well, phooey on you! I did, and I almost quit reading after the first chapter because I thought it did not have mystery, suspense and was not a thriller.....my usual kind of reading. Well, I was wrong. It had all of the above; however, not the kind that one usually thinks of. The mystery of what path August would take concerning taking on the sole responsibility of two young boys that he did not know.....the suspense of what would happen at the end of the summer when it was time for the father to get out of jail and resume his responsibility......and the suspense of what the ending would be. Would it be joyous or would it be sad.
A lot happens in the course of 8+ years. The boys grow into manhood, August is faced with his own personal demons, and you will just have to read the book to find out what transpires.
- Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2019The first part of this story, when Seth and Henry unexpectedly join August and they embark on their summer road trip, is interesting overall and in some parts deeply moving. In particular, Seth really wormed his way into my heart. Sure, he doesn't really sound like an authentic 12-year-old. (The way he talked would have been better suited to someone two or three years older.) But with all that he's got on his shoulders, with a mother who abandoned him and a father who neglects him and the responsibility of raising his younger brother, you just marvel at how considerate and thoughtful he is. The little speech he gave when they put some of Phillip's ashes in the fire, it honestly moved me to tears.
Not only that, but Seth is just so earnestly eager to please, even to the point of sometimes (unintentionally) being a bit of a pest about it, that you can't help but shake your head and smile. As one passage so wonderfully described it, "It almost made August laugh. Or cry again. It was hard to know which one fit. It was just so perfectly Seth. Always tripping over his own feet, trying to do what you wanted of him, before you even had time to say what that was." I rarely get this invested in fictional characters, but with Seth, I just wanted to wrap him in a big hug and tell him just how wonderful he is and how much I love him.
Unfortunately, though, the rest of the book didn't quite work the way I had come to hope it would. I would have wanted to more fully experience the mutual bonding of these three wounded souls over the course of their summer together. But instead, after the first couple of weeks of the trip, the story suddenly jumps ahead almost to the end of the summer. You're barely halfway through the book, and suddenly you find yourself saying, "is it over already?"
And then, it jumps again, 8 years into the future. Seth is now a young adult and Henry is a teenager, while August's health is declining. I was gratified to see that they all still love each other, after all this time. The boys show their devotion to August in ways that would honestly be more than what one could reasonably expect. So it's a perfect ending, right? Not for me. To my great dismay, I didn't find Seth to be nearly as lovable, or even likeable, as I did before. Sure, he still cares deeply for August and for Henry. But his single-minded pursuit of rock climbing just seemed so . . . I don't know, selfish, somehow. Some readers might rejoice that he has been able to expand from his other-focused childhood to be able to enjoy things for his own sake. But it made me feel a bit disappointed.
This book would have worked better if it had been longer; if it had covered in much more depth their summer together. Though I was glad to see that they were still bonded 8 years later, honestly I wish that Seth could have kept more of the traits that I found so endearing about him. It would have also been nice to have some more detail about what went on during that 8-year interlude. To compensate, the scene where August's ex-wife paid him a visit could have been deleted; I didn't get how it fit in with the rest of the story.
- Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2025Wonderful story. Includes compassion and understanding. Taking care of each other is a predominants of love although those words were never said, just implied. Great character development that let the story flow. Couldn't put it down.
Top reviews from other countries
- Carol MellonReviewed in Canada on April 10, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Take Me With aYou.
This was a beautiful read . Hyde’s writing Is very perceptive and almost prose like In some cases. She has a very good knowledge of boys at 10 or 7 as I perceived Seth and Henry were at the beginning of her book I would recommend this book to anyone who just needs a well written story to give you. Hope and compassion for our world as it is now. Carol Mellon
- GillReviewed in the United Kingdom on April 6, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars AMAZNG
What a refreshing read that was. Beautifully written and full of adventure whilst touching on loss, friendship, illness, alcoholism and the ups and downs of life. Descriptions of places visited caused me to stop reading and Google them in order to enter into experience of the characters. Altogether, a great read.
- Monica AulfesReviewed in Germany on May 28, 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars Take me with you
An extraordinary book. It still lingers on.
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Patricia BeresfordReviewed in Brazil on October 2, 2018
5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente
Livro muito interessante, uma história de tirar o fôlego.
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ANANReviewed in Italy on July 12, 2018
5.0 out of 5 stars Mi è piaciuto moltissimo
Ho scoperto questa autrice di cui cercherò altri libri. Mi è piaciuto molto la storia raccontata in modo semplice ed emozionante, con risvolti introspettivi molto reali e interessanti per il modo semplice e profondo con cui vengono affrontati.