This was an enjoyable look at people and the relationships they form. Bea has gotten herself into some trouble and decides to take off in her husband’s van. Allie is running from something herself. The two end up together. What they learn from the people they meet along the way will change both of them as they travel on their journey.

Two vagabonds escape from unpleasant circumstances and have a grand adventure on the California and NW coast, traveling on an old bus turned camper. They are Allie, age 15, and Bea, age 70 plus. Delightful.

Note: clearing old books from before 2019

Did not have time to read this book - still on my TBR. Thank you for the opportunity and my apologies for not getting to it.

Catherine Ryan Hyde knows how to weave a compelling story of friendship. Two unlikely friends, Allie and Bea are thrown together in the strangest of circumstances. Bea is having a hard time making ends meet since her husband died. So she does what makes sense only to her. She takes to the road, determined to survive by living in her van. Allie's comfortable world is shook to the core when her parents are jailed for tax fraud. As a minor, she’s sent to live in a group home. That turns out to be worse than living on her own could ever be, so she makes her escape. When their paths cross, their friendship is slow to develop but is vital to their survival.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I tried to read this book a few times but was not able to really get into it enough to move on.

Sappy? A bit. Predictable? Eh maybe a bit. A true feel good read that had me enchanted? Most definitely. The sap in me couldn't get enough of Allie and Bea. Two such different characters, both down on their luck. So much to learn from each other, and the world around them.

Although there are definitely a few dark and serious moments. And I suppose the whole homeless and on the run is pretty dark in itself. Yet on the whole this was just such an uplifting read, I couldn't get enough of it.

Loved this book! Catherine Ryan Hyde always writes a story that pulls me in and tugs at my heart. So much to love and learn in this book.

What a charming and unexpected book! I feel like I read so many cookie-cutter books and this one was a breath of fresh air. The characters and situations were so unique and compelling. This is my second book by this author and will not be my last!

This is my first book by this author. Story was very unusual; a 70 year old Bea loses all her life savings by a telephone scammer. After her husband's death, life has been a struggle for her, so this was the last straw, so she takes off on the road. Allie's parents are jailed for tax evasion; to escape a dangerous situation, Allie runs away. And kismet plays a hand, throws these 2 unlikely characters together and they go on a road trip, where they teach each other some lessons of life
The author, Catherine Ryan Hyde has written well. The story is heart warming, plot line is good and different. It's difficult to imagine how a 70 year old and a 14 year old would get along, without anything in common, but surprisingly Catherine makes the story work and as the pages turn, both Allie and Bea, grow, mature, and learn from each other.
The core of the book deals with a hard hitting social problem of homelessness in the elderly, especially when life should be comfortable. Catherine makes us think in this novel. At the same time, she has shown us that friendships can arise between two people whatever be the age and lessons can be learnt from each other, if we are ready to listen.
There are some niggles.. I wanted to connect more with the characters, I needed a bit of depth in them, just to make them more real.
The book went a bit slow for me, as the writing style was a little different.
But in saying this, I did like the story on the whole, the kindness and helpfulness of humans made me feel positive through and through.
A road trip which was a great book reading trip by Catherine Ryan Hyde.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and Catherine Ryan Hyde for the copy of "Allie and Bea" by Catherine Ryan Hyde. A story of two strangers, Bea- an old woman, which has lost her husband and her home, travelling in a van with her cat, and constantly worried about her next meal and gas money. Allie- a privileged teenager, her parents suddenly are arrested for tax fraud, finding herself in the foster system, with no means, and very dangerous circumstances. The two making their way in a new scary world, and eventually saving each other. A beautiful and gripping tale, I really enjoyed this book.

Allie and Bea was a beautiful heartwarming story! Loved it!

What a wonderful story! Catherine Ryan Hyde has hit another emotional home run with this "run-away" tale of a new widow and an unexpected tag-along. Bea hits the road in a cramped camper after she's scammed out of all her savings. Allie hits the road after her parents are arrested for embezzling, which puts an end to her upscale life. How these two come together is quite a tale, and their adventures are nothing short of amazing. Through it all, two generations come to understand one another as they learn to take the road less traveled. Thank you, Catherine Ryan Hyde, for another hit novel!

Discover the goodness of humanity and the thoughtfulness of people in this journey of self-discovery and understanding. That's the easiest way I could find to sum up, in entirety, the plot and story.

Written in the author's unique style, we are once again treated to a story completely different from the others by the author. It's amazing, as Ive mentioned countless times before, how the author can adapt her writing to suit the plot line, thus making every book of hers different. The differences in themes, in character creation, their personalities and even her form of expression changes, making her books pleasing and wonderful.

This story will make you cry, it will make you laugh and the author brings out the wonders of the world and life in general. She also emphasizes on companionship and how everyone, no matter their age, seek out the same. Allie and Bea are two completely different people, both in age as well as personality. For Bea, having lived her life wholly until now with her husband by her side, her choice to go on a road trip and live in her van come out of necessity. For Allie, watching her parents get arrested and then being placed into the foster system force her to seek out life on her own, to run away. A chance encounter of these two ultimately sets them on a path of healing, self-discovery and a weird kinship develops. The lives they have lived so far are so far apart, that it takes time for them to understand each other. All of this is explained in chapters separated into their respective points of view. The journey they take not only opens up their eyes to a newer world, but to an alternate way of thinking. The same is true about the effects of the story on the readers.

Beautifully written and crafted, there is a lot for the readers to learn out of this book and is something that will stay with you long after reading it. The book is gripping and though slow at times, the pace is understandable. A refreshing new novel from Catherine Ryan Hyde, this will only seek to inspire the readers to pick up more of her books!

I have previously read, enjoyed and reviewed a couple of books by Catherine Ryan Hyde, the first was Say Goodbye for Now back in December of 2015 (see review HERE) and the second was Ask Him Why back in January of 2016 (see review HERE). Since I liked both of her other books, when I saw this one, Allie and Bea, I was eager to read it.

Allie and Bea begins with Bea, being fleeced of her remaining money by a con man.  Bea is a tough woman in her seventies, and she's left with limited options.  She decides that she and her old cat, Phyllis, are going to live in her deceased husband's bakery van and head up the coast of California so she can try and find a place to put down roots.

And then there's Allie, a "strong-willed" 15-year old teenager who is in the Child Protective Services program in California because her wealthy parents have recently been arrested for tax fraud.  Allie's placement in a group home proves to be dangerous and Allie has to escape from multiple potential predators - one of them wants to physically harm her, and the other intends to sell her into the sex trade. As she is able to get away, she and Bea encounter each other and ultimately decide to team up and take an adventure up the Pacific Coast.

This is a story about two homeless souls and their discoveries in life. The story also reminds us that families are not always those people who are related to each other but instead can be individuals who encounter each other along the path of life and connect with each other.  Allie and Bea’s relationship is the perfect example of the latter.  This is a story of love, friendship and loss, of two strangers that ordinarily wouldn't have been together, just trying to reach a destination while avoiding the pitfalls along the way. The characters are well written, the story is believable, and it's warm, funny and sad, and I loved it!

I received an advanced readers digital copy of this book from NetGalley and Little Bird Publicity in exchange for my honest review and unbiased opinion. Thanks NetGalley and Little Bird Publicity!

This book is an outstanding read. The two main characters are very believable and I really enjoyed that one is a senior and one a teenager. They nave a split narrative so you get the story from both points of view which I enjoyed immensely. The author shows that age is not a barrier when it comes to friendship. The setting for the story is the Pacific coast highway and the authors description of the beaches and the entire area are really spectacular. I have read this author before and I certainly will again.

Allie and Bea is a wonderful story written by author Catherine Ryan Hyde.
Bea is a widow in her 70's who is homeless and lives in her van because of a phone scam that drained her bank account.
Allie is 15 and is placed with Child Protective Services when her parents are jailed for tax fraud.
They meet when Allie is running from a dangerous situation and go on a road trip with Bea's 18 year old cat.
I enjoyed this book tremendously.
Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the advance copy.

"Allie and Bea" by Catherine Ryan Hyde


What an interesting concept for a novel. A seventy something year old woman, named Bea, gets caught in a scam, losing what little money she had left in her bank account. So she sets out on a journey up the coast with 3/4 of a tank of gas and a few possessions in the back of her van.

A few days on her way, 15 year old Allie stops Bea by standing in the middle of the road and jumping into her car and telling her to drive. Bea is freaked out, thinking she is up to no good and does not believe that Allie has recently been thrown into foster care, had her life threatened, and almost sold into prostitution and she is now running for her life.

The two don't get along so well at the beginning. Bea has found an easy way to get money and gas prior to picking up Allie. Honest to the core Allie is not too keen on Bea's methods. Eventually, Allie has a plan and they begin their trip all the way of the west cost to the very tip of the US before Canada.

Along the way an unlikely friendship arises, they both grow and change individually and together. They begin to relate more as granddaughter and grandchild. They learn from one another, but also through the many different experiences they encounter, both scenic and personally.

Catherine Ryan Hide has written a moving and heartwarming novel of two women at very different stages in their life, having hit a traumatic change in their life circumstances and come together in a very unusual way. Their bizarre meeting to their growing fondness of one another is realistic and relatable, as are the characters, themselves. The reader will fall in love with Bea and Allie quickly and easily. The storyline is authentic and one that draws the reader in and keeps them engaged through Allie and Bea's interactions, the places and things they encounter, or just the journey itself.

The descriptions of the many places they stop or hear about from others and their experiences are vivid and detailed, so the reader feels they are seeing and experiencing what the characters are.

"Allie and Bea" is a truly wonderful and enjoyable novel, as are so many by this author. It will not disappoint new readers or those familiar with the author's previous novels.


Rating: 4.3
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Buy Link: http://amzn.to/2tIdAfs

**i voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this novel. All thoughts are my own.

(Any links in this post may affiliate links that may result in a small commission to me at no cost to you.)

WOW!! This was absolutely one of the best books I have ever read.
Take a teen from her home and throw her in a group home and things go wrong quick. Allie was a typical teenager who's parents were taken and she was left for the system to care for. When she gets in over her head she leaves.

Bea, she's a hoot for sure. But also so serious. She gets a phone call that changes her life as she has always known it. Then she loads up her van, cat and all, and heads for the road. Without much money, at all, and only her van to live in she worries more than ever how she will survive. She has major trust issues and has to become someone she never thought she would.

Then Allie runs into Bea, or I should say Bea runs into Allie. Almost figuratively. They are on the road together and most of the time Bea is looking for a way to rid herself of the teen. But Allie proves to be the change Bea needs in her life after a while. At first Allie is full of anger at her parents, mom especially. But over time she tends to forgive a bit.

Allie and Bea go through a lot of ups and downs and adventures. Love almost enters the story, but it was not meant to be so... But it was a good thing for this book.

I so enjoyed this story. It had a wonderful beginning, middle and the end was wonderful. I highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to read one of the best sweetest stories ever.

I got a copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and I honestly have to give it 5 stars. LOVED IT!

Over the last few years I have read many novels from Catherine Ryan Hyde and "Allie and Bea," has many similarities; the plot is simple, the cast of characters small and the relationship formed between unlikely friends is strong.

When Bea, a woman in her seventies is conned and loses everything in her bank account, she decides to head out in her husband's old bakery van with just the petrol in the tank and her cat as a companion. Allie also finds herself alone when both her parents are arrested for tax fraud and she runs away from a dangerous group home into an even more dangerous situation. Bea happens to be in the right place at the right time and the two begin to form an unlikely friendship.

Although initially both characters seemed like caricatures (grumpy old woman, privileged vegan teen), as the story develops they become more well rounded as they journey up the West Coast of America. I would recommend this to Ryan Hyde's many fans.

Another enjoyable read by Catherine Ryan Hyde. I have become a huge fan of this author due to one major fact: the roles that children play in her books. I love looking at world through the eyes of children because they really give a fresher perspective coming from their innocence and not so programmed mind. Here you have two characters Bea, (elderly and homeless due to being a victim of a scam) and Allie (15 and homeless due to the parents going to jail for tax fraud). The universe is drawing them together to embark on one of the best road trips imaginable. So many life lessons to be learned on this roller coaster journey and I would highly recommend you get on this ride. You won't regret it!!