Where We Belong

De: Catherine Ryan Hyde

Narrado por: Vanessa Johansson

Fourteen-year-old Angie and her mom are poised at the edge of homelessness...again. The problem is her little sister, Sophie. Sophie has an autism-like disorder and a tendency to shriek. No matter where they live, home never seems to last long. Until they move in with Aunt Vi, across the fence from a huge, black Great Dane who changes everything.

Sophie falls in love immediately and begins to imitate the "inside of the dog", which, fortunately, is a calm place. The shrieking stops. Everybody begins to breathe again. Until Paul Inverness, the dog's grumpy, socially isolated owner, moves to the mountains, and it all begins again. Much to Angie's humiliation, when they're thrown out of Aunt Vi's house, Angie's mom moves the family to the mountains after Paul and his dog. There, despite a 50-year difference in their ages, Angie and Paul form a deep friendship - the only close friendship either has known. Angie is able to talk to him about growing up gay, and Paul trusts Angie with his greatest secret, his one dream.

When the opportunity arrives, Angie decides to risk everything to help Paul's dream come true, even their friendship and her one chance at a real home - the only thing she's dreamed of since her father was killed. A place she can never be thrown out of. A place where she can feel she belongs. By the best-selling author of Don't Let Me Go, When I Found You, and Walk Me Home, Where We Belong is a poignant, heartfelt, and uplifting story about finding your place in the world no matter how impossible it seems.

©2013 Catherine Ryan Hyde (P)2015 Audible Inc.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Hyde has a sure touch with affairs of the heart." ( Publishers Weekly)

"Hyde is a remarkable, insightful storyteller, creating full-bodied characters whose dialogue rings true, with not a word to spare." ( Library Journal)

Interesting book

I have read several of Ms. Hyde's books now. I find a recurring theme of poor or absent parenting skills runs through them. I find her topics thought provoking, but am disappointed in her recurring view that poor parenting builds character.
I really enjoyed the relationship in this book between the main character and the "lonely neighbor. Overall I would recommend this book.

A story a little too hard to get into

It took me a long time to finish this listen. I felt somewhat invested and had hoped I would connect somehow with these odd characters. In this story a teenager is running the family and pretty much holding them hostage to what she thinks is right but is so clearly wrong. The narration is wordy and the end oh so predictable. I finished this one just kind of shaking my head and thinking glad I got through it.

Drags on.

I wanted to like this story and the main girl character but as time went on I liked her less and less. She never has any sympathy or appreciation for what her mom is going through. She is self centered, and selfish not willing to do anything to help her mom accept spend some time with her sister. We are made to feel like she has this high moral stance that all adults in her life are impressed with and that her mom is uncaring and lets her make all the hard decisions. She judges her mom more harshly than anyone else in her life and she seeks to know others better than she does her own mom and sister. The sister is just a prop in this play that neither the mom or her older sister care to treat her like anything more than a noisy pet. Surely there is more to autistic children even severely autistic than what is portrayed in this book. I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone. Although some people might really like it.

Wonderful Story

Loved listening to this book. It was heartwarming. It is well written and the narration is excellent.

Pleasantly surprised!

I have to say I don’t do audiobooks very much and now I’m hooked thank you Catherine Ryan Hyde.

I could’ve get to another story fast enough I like him especially for my long ride to and from work I find it very relaxing

On every level a pleasure

Great story, unexpected heroes, flaws revealed and forgiven - a pleasure to read. I like the way this author manages to address human weaknesses and challenges and in so doing to sustain my hope for recovery and redemption.

Good read

I loved Angie. She's a prime example of someone who just keeps trying even when things just keep going wrong. I really got involved in them all, right to the end. The ending was not predictable, but satisfactory. It's worth reading.

Wasted Angst

I liked the idea of this book so much and I was half-way through the book before I realized it was not going to deliver. First, I was really hoping for a good story about dogs in service to humans; it's such a hot field of study and interest right now and I don't understand why the author didn't dive into it... it all the right elements!

Next, the whole teenage coming out piece was just so-so. There was really no relateable relationships or angst. That would have been a great way to add some layers to this story.

There should have been more fighting with the mom, instead of the lame drama between Paul and Angie. Angie's mom should have been crying and screaming and desperate for understanding. She was a homeless mother of an autistic child and a teenage girl... her "listen up kido!" speeches were not real for a person in her circumstances.

Paul was not admirable in my opinion. He learned lessons at the heels of a teenager and didn't really come to life for me until the very end of the book. What's the use of being old if all you have to teach someone is how to fish?

The narrator did a good job with the main character, but all the characters sounded the same.

I expected a lot from this book and it just didn't deliver the way I anticipated. I didn't even cry when the dog died. It just lacked the depth and layers and complexities it was capable of.

Wonderful

I loved this book, even the narration!! It was really great! One of those books that will stay with you. Even though it was long it kept me captivated and held my interest. It was down to earth and honest. The author brought these characters to life and had an understanding and empathy that was portrayed beautifully. Her understanding of a child with special needs and their care was thoroughly thought out and it was accurate and always included in such a way that it may help people understand or at least think twice about situations they do not understand. I'm looking forward to reading another one of her books.

Story offered nice escape

There were very few characters in the story, but it was a sweet story, and offered a pleasant distraction from all the news about he Coronavirus