So Long, Chester Wheeler by Catherine Ryan Hyde Lewis and Chester are two unlikely travel companions. There are some amusing and laugh out loud moments during the road trip. Heartwarming and bittersweet story.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

So Long,Chester Wheeler by Catherine Ryan Hyde, is a novel that allows the reader to learn how people do not know what others are feeling, and what is happening in their lifes and need to show compassion to everyone. A neighbor who is gay is criticized by Chester who never has anything nice to say. When it is necessary for Chester to have health care, the neighbor steps in and gives Chester his last wish by driving him cross country. I remember the words of my mother who said If you can't say something nice don't say anything at all. How does Chester helps Lewis learn compassion and changes his life. Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book prior to its publication

This was a quick and easy book to read. I loved the back and forth banter between Lewis and Chester. I was actually a little sad when Chester was gone. I wish it would have lasted a little longer. This book would a good one to continue on. The struggles of Lewis and all of the different patients and his personal relationship.

What a story! Have you ever gone on a road trip? Well, if not, read this book; this heartwarming story will prepare you for what can happen. Get ready to open your heart to this book and realize how two strangers connect.

“ He wasn’t a good person. But he was a person “
Meet Chester Wheeler possibly the angriest, nastiest, harshest man on the planet .
He has run through so many caregivers that there is nobody left who will come to his house to take care of them. Chester is in a wheelchair, completely dependent on the caregiver, with not much time left on earth.

Lewis is his next door neighbor and stays far away from Chester.

When Lewis becomes desperate for money, And because he is a better person than most of us, he agrees to be caretaker for a week to help Chester’s daughter out.

This turns into Lewis driving Chester cross country to tie up lose ends

Every time I read a book by this author I want to become a better human, I don’t think I could ever do what Lewis did but he definitely Inspired me!

24 year old Lewis Madigans’ life changes drastically in the space of a few short hours. Instead of getting a raise, he is made redundant; when he gets home, he finds his partner leaving him to go to live in California and he has to contend with heckling from his obnoxious neighbour, Chester Wheeler. Chester is cantankerous, opinionated and dying. Carers never stay long but when Chesters daughter offers Lewis a job, he really isn’t sure he can handle it, but then again, he has rent to pay - especially as his ex cleared out their joint savings. And he never thought he’d being going on a road trip halfway across the country.

At the start I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to read this all the way through, as Chester really is an unpleasant character with no filters. However, the more you read, the more you realise that he’s scared, lonely and can’t get over the mistakes he made in his life. Lewis’ character is so well rounded, not perfect, - we’ve all got flaws, - but someone you’d like to know. As they travel, and begin to get to know each other a bit better, Lewis becomes aware of a change in himself, and the story is so well written and handled, it’s lovely to read, as well as thought provoking. I even empathised with Chester, who didn’t understand why his life had worked out as it did. Really good read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Ms. Hyde takes us on a journey of self-discovery with tears and laughter along the way. My only small critique is that I felt the epilogue was unneeded, or perhaps a bit too long. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know and love Lewis and Chester. Definitely a book worth reading. Four stars!

Name of Book: So Long, Chester Wheeler
Author: Catherine Ryan Hyde
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Genre: Fiction
Pub Date: December 6, 2022
My Rating: 4 Stars!

I went into this story not having a clue what it was about except it was a novel by one of my fav authors. This is my sixth Catherine Ryan Hyde novel; my first was "Brave Girl, Quiet Girl” that I read in May 2020 and I have been a fan ever since! My last read was "Dreams of Flight" which I read in December-it is a story very different from my typical read but I just loved it!!

In this story we have Lewis and Chester who are neighbors. Lewis Madigan is a twenty-four year old gay man in need of a job, and Chester Wheeler is a seventy year old grouchy homophobe dying of cancer and in need of a caregiver. Neither one of them wants to be friends or even wants to be around the other, but since Chester has run off his last caregiver and no one in the family wants to care for him, and Lewis has rent due, they find fate has thrown them together.

We follow these two on a road trip as Chester wants to settle some unfinished business.

We know that Chester is dying and you might think this story is going to be extremely sad but there actually are laugh-out loud situations.
I was concerned once I realized this situation but I did enjoy it far more than I thought I would!
But of course ~
Catherine Tyan Hyde does not disappoint!

Want to thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for December 6, 2022

Catherine Ryan Hyde does it again. I shouldn’t be surprised, as no one does unusual relationships like CRH. Crossing generations, as well as miles, this story of a dying curmudgeon and his final caregiver is beautifully crafted. I love the revelations and realizations, and the tenderness of unlikely characters.

Love!! Love!!! This was a fantastic read. This is a well told story about a young man "befriending" his grumpy old neighbor. They remark on a road trip and discover more than a destination. I laughed and cried!! Go get this book if you need some feel good vibes

This is the second book I’ve read by this author. She writes a great story which manages to be about people perceived to be a bit insignificant but is neither sentimental nor cloying.
I secretly really liked Chester, a miserable grumpy old man who goes on a journey of self discovery, dragging the browbeaten hero, Lewis along with him. The road trip ends up changing Lewis too. Really beautiful and well worth a read.

I wasnt' sure about this book but i really enjoyed it. I almost gave up on it but it turned out to be a great story.

When Lewis loses his job and comes home to find his boyfriend is leaving him the last thing he needs is for his old grumpy next door neighbour to be shouting homophobic remarks across the fence at him.
Chester is dying from cancer but that doesn't stop him alienating every carer who crosses his threshold trying to care for him. His daughter at the end of her tether asks Lewis if he will consider the job of taking care of Chester and she will pay him well.
Of course Lewis says a definite no straightaway but the more he thinks about it the more he sees if he wants to pay his rent and buy food he has no other option.
This results in Lewis driving Chester across America in Chester's Winnebago.

This is the first book I've read by this author but I'm looking forward to reading some of her other books after finishing this one.
I loved how Lewis spoke to Chester to try to explain to him that his ideas about being gay were totally wrong and the way he spoke to everyone was just not acceptable . I even started to feel sorry for Chester. Such a lovely story and I loved Lewis, what a lovely man.
This story is about past mistakes, forgiveness and finding your true calling.

Lewis felt he had everything going right in his life until it wasn’t. Instead of a promotion he is let go. The boyfriend that he has been planning is future with is packed up and leaving when he gets home with no explanation except to say they were over. Things get even worse when he realizes that the boyfriend has taken their savings with him and the curmudgeonly old man next door is making insults at him as he walks in the door.
Lewis is desperate to find a job and then comes a knock on the door. The neighbor’s daughter is there to beg Lewis to take care of her dying father. He has ran off all the other caregivers, her daughter is having a baby and she has nowhere else to turn. Lewis says no, she continues for days to ask, he continues to say no until he finally gives in and says yes.
As he starts working with Chester, he learns that Chester’s dying wish is to see his ex-wife. It just happens that she is on the other side of the country and Chester will not fly. They begin their cross country journey in Chester’s Winnebago. Along the way, they learn about themselves and each other. Lewis begins to understand that all things happen for a reason and that sometimes the end of one chapter leads to a bright and new beginning of the next chapter.
Catherine Ryan Hyde provided the perfect travel/vacation book. The character development, the scenery description and the storyline made me feel that I was sitting in the back of the Winnebago as they travelled across the country. Thank you, NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

A young gay guy takes a cantankerous dying older man on a road trip. The story is set up with the old man being super cantankerous but Lewis seemed to sort him out pretty quickly so not much of than. I did really like the banter between Lewis and Chester and the character development for Lewis.

This is an awesome book for a gentle quiet read. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

So Long, Chester Wheeler, by Catherine Ryan Hyde
adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced
4.0 ****

Lewis is a young gay man who just lost his job, his boyfriend, and their savings. Chester Wheeler is estranged from his family and has a dying wish. Lewis ends up on a road trip caring for Chester, his insufferable homophobic neighbor because he needs a job and no one else will take the job. They each discover surprising truths about themselves and one another. The relationship moves from one that is transactional to one that builds respect and understanding.

I always appreciate Catherine Ryan Hyde's relationship development between unusual pairings. She has a gift for taking ordinary people's lives and exploring what it might be like to connect them with someone who it is unlikely they would ever do more than cross paths with. Through these relationships, common humanity is revealed.

It was satisfying to experience Lewis' growth as he recognizes that when someone is unkind to him "they're just showing me the landscape on the inside of themselves as they project it out onto somebody else." And like Lewis, I never particularly liked Chester, but in understanding him better, I empathized more with why he was that way. And I also felt like it was a good reminder to consider where you want to be at the end of your life, what relationships you want to heal, and how you want to be remembered.

This is a feel-good vacation read but could also be read over a stretch of time, picking up where you left off without too much urgency but caring enough to find out what happens next.

#SoLongChesterWheeler #NetGalley

Oh Chester Wheeler...I love you to pieces. Such a grumpy and disagreeable old man. There is so much more to him, but isn't there always if you are willing to look past those prickly edges? And Lewis!! Such a refreshing and smart young man. He was so open and honest with himself . Wise beyond his years, introspective, and funny as heck. He sure could put Chester in his place. I loved everything about this and flew through the pages. It just one of those stories that grabs you right around the kneecaps and hugs you tight!!

This is the second ARC I have had the privilege of receiving from this author. A brilliant, life affirming book. Deals with the depths of despair and the heights of moral courage and kindness. I devoured this book in a day and was not disappointed. Can’t wait to read more from this author. Thanks to netgalley for an advance copy.

First time reading this author and it was a really fascinating all round book I laughed and cried it kept my attention from beginning to end.
Can highly recommend for a fascinating read.

Oh, Chester! The reader and Chester’s caretaker, Lewis, are faced with taking the old curmudgeon across the country to make amends with an ex-wife. The journey proves to be entertaining and enlightening for all involved. I felt a spark ignite in me as I devoured this lovely book. Who we are as people is entirely dependent on how we react to others and the events that happen in our lives. In the end, are we happy with who we have become? There are some poignant moments and ideas throughout this book and I feel like a better human for having read it. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. Great book.