Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC of My Name is Anton by Catherine Ryan Hyde.

I absolutely love Catherine Ryan Hyde books, and My Name is Anton was no exception. What I first thought would be an Alfred Hitchcock "Rear Window" kind of story ended up being a moving story of friendship, love, and the discovery of what it truly means to be a family.

When Anton was 18, he lost his only brother as well as his hand in a terrible way. Both Anton and his parents didn't deal with this tragedy properly, and as a result, their family suffered in irreparable ways. In fact, the first Christmas following the accident, Anton's parents selfishly decided to head to South America for a few weeks over Christmas, leaving Anton alone to care for himself. It was during this time that Anton met Edith, a woman 15 years his senior who was dealing with personal demons of her own.

I was invested in the characters in this story from the very first chapter and fell in love with most of them even more throughout the book (ugh - Anton's parents infuriated me). This heartwarming family drama will definitely top my favorites list this year...it was just the balm I needed after a crazy 2020.

3.5 ⭐️‘s
Catherine Hyde knows how to tackle tough subjects and write books that tug at our heartstrings.  In her latest book we meet 18 year old Anton as he’s traversing a very tragic year.  When he inadvertently sees a woman being abused, he’s consumed with helping her.  In the course of that help, he falls in deeply in love.  A love that in 1965 is not meant to be as Edith is 15 years older and Anton is just a boy.  From there we jump forward 15 years to an unexpected crossing of paths, and their unusual love story flourishes.  The story stretches from 1965-2020 and covers the topics of mental illness, suicide, domestic violence and adoption. The first half of the book takes place over the course of a few days in 1965, leaving the other half to cover the other 55 years!  This made the ending feel a bit rushed.  This book was a little too perfect after Anton and Edith meet again and though an emotional storyline and a good read, it just didn’t pack the punch that I’ve come to expect after reading Hyde’s previous novels.

It is 1965 and Anton Addison-Rice is eighteen years old. He's had a terrible year and is struggling to come to terms with the loss of his brother and his own life altering injury. To add the final straw his parents are going away for the Christmas holidays leaving him at home with just his new telescope for company.

Although he doesn't know it Anton is about to make a discovery which will alter his whole life and make him believe in love once again. This short period propels him through a totally different gamut of emotions to the rest of his traumatic year leaving him wiser and kinder but still emotionally alone.

This is a beautiful, heartfelt story of how to live life to the best of your abilities. At eighteen Anton is very different in many ways to the man he will become but as the story progresses his kindness and strength of character are the same. He doesn't always realise this but tries to remembers how his grandmother helped him understand when he was at his lowest ebb.

Such wonderfully written books are rare, but Catherine Ryan-Hyde is a master at producing gems. The character of Anton, his trials and his triumphs make you root for him throughout sometimes crying with him as well as cheering for him. It is a story I am so glad I have had the chance to experience.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions are my own. I highly recommend this book.

Once again I have loved Catherine Ryan Hyde’s ability to tell a story. She creates the most wonderful characters who you can’t help but be drawn to
I felt so many emotions reading this book and loved how it progressed
In it we meet troubled teenager Anton who witnesses a case of domestic abuse. We see him struggle with his own problems and those of helping Edith, the victim..
This book touches on the topics of coping with suicide, loss, mental health issues, love and hope.
Highly recommend

My Name Is Anton is exactly what I would expect from Catherine Ryan Hyde. I loved it! Five plus stars.

Involving

Anton has lost his brother and his right hand, and now his parents are going away for Christmas – but surprising things can happen when you least expect them.

Anton is 18 and things aren’t going well in his world. Whilst alone he witnesses something which changes everything for him. We then follow Anton’s life from aged 18 to 73, jumping from one meaningful part of his life to the next, and learning about obstacles in life and also the worth of special friends, trusted family and love. This wonderful story includes the full gamut of everyday life, feelings, difficult decisions in a life, the positives and some of the not so great times.

This is the 4th book that I have read by this author: Pay it Forward (a great book, read before I started writing reviews)), Ask Him Why and Heaven Adjacent, so I was well prepared for a moving book that would make me feel fully involved with the main characters and give me material for thought. I was not disappointed!
3*s from me, as though I was fully involved reading the story and enjoyed it, the book hasn’t left me thinking back on it; wish I had read it as part of a book club. So, for me a great “in the moment” read of love and hopes, plus some challenging times.

There is a “Book Club Questions” section at the end – don’t look at it before you finish the book as it contains spoilers. There is certainly plenty of material in here to bring about lively and interesting discussions.

There's a great comfort in finding an author you can rely on to deliver  a terrific reading experience time after time.    I'm happy to say I find Catherine Ryan Hyde to be exactly that sort of author. What I've liked most about her books is the way she fills her characters and stories with goodness even whilst delving into meaningful, deep and sometimes dark topics.    I also like the way they challenge me to think on whichever theme she introduces. <b>My Name Is Anton </b> was no exception and I look forward to working my way through her other titles.

In this novel I'll admit Anton went pretty close to being too good, too selfless to seem real although his parents definitely brought out the worst in him providing the balance.  I adored the way he cared for then loved Edith, the sacrifices he made to keep her in his life.  There wasn't a single thing he wouldn't have done for this woman, the true love of his life.   I very much enjoyed his relationship with his grandmother and the life lessons he learnt from her.   Similarly the support he got from extended family members when his parents were less than supportive.   

This book contained themes that ranged from domestic violence, attitudes towards mental illness, suicide and adoption.   Like I said, some heavy subject matter yet this remains in my memory as a lovely story. 

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity of reading this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review which it was my pleasure to provide.

First book by this author and honestly; I didn’t expect to be overly touched by it. I don’t know why, maybe the slow start or maybe the subject matter, but halfway through the book I was stunned to find myself tearing up. It was gut-wrenching and heartwarming. Sorrowful yet uplifting.

Anton learns, after being left alone while his parents travel, that a neighbor is being physically abused by her husband. He offers her a safe place to take refuge and they form a relationship. Then, she leaves.

Luckily for me, I had the day off, or I would’ve taken many bathroom breaks just to squeeze in a few words here and there. I love books that draw me in and compel me to finish them! That is My Name is Anton 100%!

I absolutely give it 5 stars! Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC!

Anton is an 18 year old boy when the story begins. The book follows his amazing life into his seventies.

Anton had a lot to learn about life and love when he witnessed domestic violence in an apartment across the street. He vows to help the woman and does help her get away from her bad relationship. This action shaped the rest of his life. I loved reading about his life. The book jumps ahead several years a few times and I’m so glad it did. I got to see so much more of Anton’s life and the decisions he may played out.

This is a book about everlasting love and how important it is to truly love someone.

3.5 stars. Another good book by Catherine Ryan Hyde, but not my favorite. My Name is Anton is a love story between two people who are broken, looking for friendship and love. Anton is literally the perfect human being. How wonderful it would be to find a man like Anton, sweet, charming, caring and selfless at the very young age of eighteen. Seems almost impossible. Edith, fifteen years older than Anton is a very lucky woman to have met him.

In the beginning of the book I had a hard time with the age difference between Anton and Edith. It just did not feel right. I felt that there was something a little odd and off. The way the dialogue was written they seemed like very old souls at very young ages. As I was reading I felt like the story was being told about people in their eighties when in actuality they were in their teens and thirties. I started getting more attached to the characters in the middle of the book and even got a little choked up at the end.

I do love how Catherine Ryan Hyde writes and all in all I did enjoy this light hearted read. As always I will look forward to new releases from Ms, Hyde. Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The story was a great read in fact this is one of the best books I have read in a long time...the characters were so well drawn, even the supporting ones and the ones that had passed away. It was excellently written and kept my interest for the full 282 pages. Catherine Ryan Hyde has very good insight writing from the mind of an eighteen year old young man and how he grows up, inside and out. How does she do that!? Such an intriguing story about an intriguing man.

This has everything we look for in a Catherine Ryan Hyde novel: great humanity, insight and humour in a tale of damage inflicted yet transcended by human resilience. I loved Edith and Anton's relationship with each other. It was filled with such honesty and love.

This book was very well written by an author who understands the human condition extremely well...Sensitive and highly imaginative...Such a unique story it was impossible to second guess what would happen next and I loved the surprises it had in store. All. The. Stars.

Omg! All the feels! This book follows Anton from age 18, For the next 55 yrs. Coming of age to old age and all the loves and tragedy between. All I can day is read it, you won't be sorry. I feel one of Catherine Ryan Hyde's best!

Another beautiful story by Catherine Ryan Hyde. Her characters really come to life with her writing. It started out with Anton rescuing Edith from an abusive marriage, and continued on as a lifelong love affair. Fantastic.

My Name is Anton starts in 1965. Eighteen year old Anton has had a terrible year. His beloved grandfather Anton has passed away, his brother Greg has tragically died and he is suffering from the loss of his right hand. It is Christmastime and rather than having his parents around him, they leave him alone and head out of the country on vacation. Luckily, Anton has the support and love of his grandmother and great uncle. His early Christmas present from his father is a telescope. While trying it out, he sees a woman in her apartment across the street being abused by her husband. So starts the story of Anton and Edith. What transpires is best left to discover on your own.

Author Catherine Ryan Hyde addresses some very serious topics in this book with a great deal of insight and sensitivity. At the heart of the story is the ability to express love in a completely selfless way as taught to Anton by his Grandma Marion, his main ally. This book has more heart and hopefulness than anything I’ve read in a long time. The story could be accused of being a bit sugary but sometimes we need a little overdose of sweetness versus all the negativity we’re experiencing right now. It’s the perfect time for this book.

Review to be posted on MicheleReader.com closer to the release date.

Rated 4.25 stars.

Another winner from Catherine Ryan Hyde. This one tugs at your heartstrings in a big way. Anton and Edith are great characters who show you what it means to be a good person under adverse circumstances. Their story is told in such a way that you are completely drawn in and keep reading and reading to find out how it will all turn out. Please keep writing Catherine Ryan Hyde!

I absolutely adored this book and could not put it down..

This is a story that deals with many relatable themes and spans decades.
It is a coming of age, forbidden love, and second chance love story, that deals with loss, first love, family, mental health issues and fate. All brought together by real and relatable characters that make this story so special and unique.

It begins in 1965, where we are introduced to Anton, an 18 year old boy whose life has just changed irreparably. He is struggling to come to terms with the loss of his brother, and a life changing injury that he is struggling to come to terms with. The secondary characters are such a necessary addition to this story, and the reader is immediately thrown into Anton's family dynamics, with a mother who is unlikeable, a father who is dominated by his wife, and his grandmother and great uncle whom we grow to love and admire for their wisdom and knowledge, and unconditional love for Anton.

Edith, fifteen years Anton's senior, comes into his life completely by chance, and as we are thrown into the circumstances of their chance encounter, we are taken on a epic journey of love and fate, that spans decades.

I loved everything about this story and highly recommend it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, for the chance to read an early copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

This author strikes again! Pulling you into a wonderful story. I don’t know how she hits a home run time after time. The main character goes from one tragedy to the next in his life. Such a moral and straight up person to go through what he has and not be bitter. The ending was beautiful and literally brought me to tears. I’m waiting for the next book even though this one isn’t even published as yet.

Real World Meets Frequency Meets Bicentennial Man. Long ago, there was a situation I was very tangentially linked to (I was a classmate of the survivor) where a boy witnessed his brother be murdered in front of him via a shotgun blast meant for the boy. In the movie Frequency, my singular favorite scene is near the end when the dad in the 1960s uses his shotgun to blow off the hand of the bad guy and you see the hand wither to nothing in the present day timeline. And in Bicentennial Man, you follow Robert Williams' robot character as he lives and loves over the course of two centuries. Literally this morning (as I write this), Catherine Ryan Hyde is using her telescope and camera setup to photograph the known universe, or at least the parts of it she can see from her own small slice of Earth.

This book wound up evoking the first three of these for me in that strange place that resides between my ears, and along the way we get a prototypical character-driven Catherine Ryan Hyde novel. It even included a scene that those that know Hyde even via her Facebook page could see playing out in her real life, making it all that much more "real".

This isn't an action filled book, it isn't even really a mystery filled book. This is a solid character driven moving story about two people thrown together in very unlikely circumstances at a particular point in their lives, who turn out to be very rare types of people themselves. It is a powerful yet relatively sedate story very akin to Bicentennial Man itself.

And sometimes, those are exactly the stories we need to hear. Very much recommended.

Wow! Anton is lost and heartbroken. He finds his first and only true love. This super rich novel folllows the next 60 years of his life has he repeatedly gives the people he loves the most of himself that he can. Coming from a place of pure unselfishness and love, Anton learns who he is after tragedy and heartbreak. Fantastic book, beautifully written, characters were real and honest. Incredible choice for book clubs.

3.75 ⭐️ Thank you Lake Union and NetGalley. Part coming of age (first half) as well as a life long love story, this is a quiet somewhat slow story. But I have high expectations after two of the author’s books (Take Me with You and Heaven Adjacent both 5⭐️.) The author has a gift at creating very special relationships. I especially loved Anton’s grandma and great uncle