Falling Apart and Other Gifts from the Universe

A Novel

De: Catherine Ryan Hyde

Narrado por: Michael Crouch, Coleen Marlo

Two disparate people—lost in their own way—find an unexpected healing connection in a poignant novel about redemption and chosen family by New York Times bestselling author Catherine Ryan Hyde.

An army veteran with a career as a beat cop behind her, security guard Addie Finch is tough—on the outside. Internally, she’s in crisis mode. She’s lonely, introverted, struggling through AA, estranged from her son, and, at sixty-two years old, questioning her role as a protector. She also has a soft spot for the underdog that’s about to change her life.

Addie finds Jonathan, a homeless teenager abandoned by his mother, holed up in a warehouse and vulnerable to the elements and to predators. Touched by the boy’s gentle nature and a wisdom beyond his years, Addie offers him temporary shelter in her garden shed in exchange for maintaining the sprawling property. It’s an act of kindness and purpose that means the world to Jonathan. But when Addie faces a situation that sends her internal world tumbling, the emotional connection with Jonathan, once the unlikeliest of strangers, becomes her lifeline as well.

As both process past traumas, Addie and Jonathan forge a surrogate grandmother-grandson bond—a chosen family that could restore trust and heal hearts they thought were broken forever.

©2025 by Catherine Ryan Hyde, Trustee, or Successor Trustee, of the Catherine Ryan Hyde Revocable Trust created under that certain declaration dated September 27, 1999. (P)2025 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Like all of [Hyde’s] books, this one is touching, heartwarming and thought-provoking. It is everything we have come to expect from a Catherine Ryan Hyde novel, and we don’t want the story to end.”—Bookreporter

loves the story, characters, and acting

dealt with real issues that affect all of us in a useful and meaningful wonderful way. leaves you with hope.

Kindness

Once again…a beautiful story about the kindness and goodness in people! Great character development! I loved them and the story!

The caring

Would recommend this book for anyone young to older had to gab a tissue a few times

Another wonderful story

This is another beautiful story with wonderfully developed characters. The narrators are fantastic as well.

Magnifico

Falling Apart and Other Gifts from the universe was one of those stories that gives you hope in humanity and makes you believe in the gift of service and help.

Addie didn't have a job that she liked; she was in constant anxiety and stress, not living the best time of her life, but life and circumstances gave her a reason to continue working on herself.

Jonathan was left out. He was abandoned by his own mother, and he had to fend for himself to survive on the streets and also from the homeless people who were constantly harassing him.

Addie was a great character. I love how she helped Jonathan in the worst time of his life, how she gave him shelter, food, and a reason to love and fight for what he wanted in life.

I'm glad Jonathan was able to value the help and did everything he had on him to appreciate and make the most out of it.

One of the reasons I enjoy Catherine Ryan Hyde's books is that there is always hope that things will get good

This was a very moving story. I love how, with each chapter, we see both of them growing and evolving to a better version of themselves.

I really enjoy this book so much

The narrations by Michael Crouch, Coleen Marlo were amazing; they always bring so much to the characters and the story.