Have You Seen Luis Velez?

By: Catherine Ryan Hyde

Narrated by: Michael Crouch

Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's Summary

From New York Times bestselling author Catherine Ryan Hyde comes a moving novel about two strangers who find that kindness is a powerful antidote to fear.

Raymond Jaffe feels like he doesn’t belong. Not with his mother’s new family. Not as a weekend guest with his father and his father’s wife. Not at school, where he’s an outcast. After his best friend moves away, Raymond has only two real connections: to the feral cat he’s tamed and to a blind ninety-two-year-old woman in his building who’s introduced herself with a curious question: Have you seen Luis Velez?

Mildred Gutermann, a German Jew who narrowly escaped the Holocaust, has been alone since her caretaker disappeared. She turns to Raymond for help, and as he tries to track Luis down, a deep and unexpected friendship blossoms between the two. 

Despondent at the loss of Luis, Mildred isolates herself further from a neighborhood devolving into bigotry and fear. Determined not to let her give up, Raymond helps her see that for every terrible act the world delivers, there is a mirror image of deep kindness, and Mildred helps Raymond see that there’s hope if you have someone to hold on to.

©2019 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)2019 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic Reviews

“A master of making a heartwarming tale feel authentic and socially urgent, Hyde (Just After Midnight, 2018, etc.) deftly sketches the plights of Raymond and Millie, weighting their friendship with worries and regrets that echo as true…A tender tale of new families born of chance and the determination to bring light into darkness.” (Kirkus Reviews)

Absolute perfection.

Its been a very long time since a book has grabbed me enough for 5 stars in every category. Each character is so human, so "real". Ive known every one at one time in my life. Add to that an actual "real" life story, no extremes, no over-the-top incidents, or stretching the imagination, and you've got a winner. Then if that's not enough, oh the narration! Micael Crouch does not just read a story, he "tells" the story. If you have ever listened to "The Moth" or "Snap Judgment" podcasts you get it. Story-telling is an art that wraps you into the telling by the method. Some may think he's too slow,long pauses, etc but no, this is exactly how this story needs to be told. It is beautiful, heartbreaking and joyous, a redemption of human nature.

A Reader's Comments

This novel taught me to keep being a nice person by helping those that need help. The story is well written and is highly recommend to those that love the work of Catherine Ryan Hyde.

The waterworks!

Now that I’m done crying I can write this short review. Beautifully done. Tear jerker. Don’t listen while driving, there’s no reason to leave your vehicle looking like a skunk around the eyes. You’re welcome.

Disappointed

I loved the narration great voices. The story setup and characters in the beginning were promising. I value diversity and was looking forward to a great story getting away from the stereotypical. However, I felt the author pushed stereotypes. The mixed race main character that feels he fits in nowhere, the wicked stepparents, the Jewish older lady, the idea that all the white characters were inherently bad and unfeeling, the white teacher who had no insight while the young hip twenty something got it. The all white jury, the 50 something female on the stand. I would have enjoyed it so much more had so many of the characters not been so one dimensional or had the author mixed it up a little. I was looking for a good story and felt immersed in a political tirade.

A good story but...

the story was okay but the author's injection of the main character's sexuality, that did not have any impact on the story, even requiring a silly injection of a kissing scene awkwardly injected in the story was annoying to me. it felt like the author was saying, "See, I am anot prejudiced

This is beautifully written story!

This was a beautifully written book! Loved every minute. Of course, I only wish there was more. I would love to here if Mrs G makes it to 100 and find out how Raymond and the other characters lives turn out!
The narrator was amazing! Thought it had to be more than one, but was only the one narrator!
Great job!

A book I will listen too more than just once..

It’s a beautiful, inspiring, sometimes sad story but every bit worth listening to from beginning to end.
There were so many times when I stopped to reflect on something Mrs. G says to Raymond because there was so much wisdom in her words.
And the quality of the narration is amazing !
For me M Crouch is the male counterpart to Juliet Stevenson who until now was the only narrator who had wowed me with the way she masters her voice to interpret any and all the characters in a book making them sound as different is there were multiple narrators instead of just she. Crouch is just like that. I’ll be listening to more books narrated by him for sure
Do not hesitate to spend your credit on this book, you’ll be happy you did!!

Extraordinary Story

The story is absolutely one of the best written by Catherine Ryan Hyde and one of the best books ever! This was a story of love, pain, and mostly tolerance of others. Beautiful story and believe my life is richer because of the shared views of others and about the world through the words of all the people in the story.

Michael Crouch - there are not enough words to say how talented he is! The whole time reading the story - believed two people were reading. One for Raymond and one for Mildred! Made the rich characters so much more!

A must read!

Wonderful Audible Listen

This is a fantastic book to listen to! The performance is so good with each character having his/her own voice. The speed seemed kind of slow at first, but it really lends itself to the tone of the story. I am not even sure I would have enjoyed the book had a read it myself because Michael Crouch does such a great job on the narration! The storyline itself is quite unique and takes you on an emotional journey with the characters. This book will not just entertain you, but everyone who hears it will learn something about ways to see the world differently. Highly recommend!

Heartwarming tale.

Another great story on humanity. Touches very pertinent subjects currently surfacing in society under this administration. To look around and see that people are okay with the status quo is frightening. It reminds us how tribalism can lead to dreadful consequences if left unchecked. For those who are willing to see how fear and hatred taint the civility of a nation, it is time to try to tilt the scales back towards decency and general good will. This atmosphere is how horrible things begin and failing to heed the lessons of our unwanted elderly is at the core . Demons lay dormant waiting for those with true knowledge to pass on, their truth buried with them. The proud and ignorant remain to repeat the cycle........or will we?

Easy listen, lovely story

Thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly rated at our book club. Ok there were some lose ends that could have been taken further and a couple of things I’d love to have been seen through to end but the story that was told was lovely.

Brilliant

Thought provoking and charming, even though unutterable sad. Loved it. Well written and well observed.