Do you remember 'Pay It Forward'? If you live under a rock or somehow never got to see it, I'm about to give a spoiler. Skip to the next paragraph where I will strictly talk about this book. The author, Catherine Ryan Hyde, wrote that book which became the most up-lifting and crash ending movie. I bought the movie because I loved that concept so much. But the ending of the movie, when the main character was killed, keeps me from watching it ever again. Ms. Hyde, though set up the foundation of Pay It Forward which is a marvelous way for folks to live. Maybe I will buck up and give it another try for the meat of the movie (or read the book). I would have loved to know that about the author before I began reading this book. But unfortunately, that information was in the back of the book after the book club questions.

A series of events in the 1950s gives the reader so many character-lines to follow that one wonders where this is leading. A wolf-dog hit by a car. An abused but wiser-than-his-age boy tries to find help for this poor creature. Seem to make it look like a simple book, a boy and his dog, kind of thing. But the story gets deeper and deeper. Some surprises happen as opposed to how the reader may think they would. The story was well-written and draws one in. The characters are deeper than some books offer. Sometimes I wanted more. But I think the author knew how to pull us through.

Yes, there is a bit a romance but it isn't the leading subject. But neither is the dog. Have I made this vague enough to incite interest? Don't come into the book thinking, like I did that it was going to be a sweet book about a boy and his dog. This book is worth the read. I wish there was a book two as I already miss these character and wonder what happens next.

By the way, I received this book free of charge from NetGalley. Thank you!

Very gripping story. Couldn't put it down. The way unrelated people form a family bond is inspiring.

"Say Goodbye For Now," follows a similar vein to Catherine Ryan Hyde's previous books such as Take Me With You, Leaving Blythe River and Worthy, with a simple plot and a small cast of characters but a whole lot of feeling.

When 12-year old Pete finds an injured wolf-dog it leads him to a new friend, Justin, an African-American boy who is new to the area and a solitary woman doctor who rescues animals. The story tackles issues surrounding race, love, loss and family.

Although the story isn't ground-breaking and offers no twists along the way, the relationships and the unique voice of each character keep the reader hooked. I would recommend this to Ryan Hyde's many fans.

Say Goodbye for Now by Catherine Ryan Hyde is an emotional, heartfelt read. From the very start, I wanted to crawl into the book and give hugs to Pete, Dr. Lucy, Calvin, and Justin. They were just good people and you couldn't help but want the best for them. This incredible story, with its interwoven plots, stands an excellent chance of being my favorite book of 2017.

The setting of 1959 in a Texas town provides the backdrop for an emotionally charged book. Dr. Lucy lives outside of town with animals she has rescued. She lives on her own and has a wall built up against others. When Pete, a neglected 12 year old boy, shows up at her door wanting help for a wolf-dog hybrid he found hurt along the side of the road, she can't turn him away.

Pete has such a kind heart and sees so much good in the world. On the day he finds the hurt animal, he meets Justin, an African American boy who is new in town. He walks with him down the street for a bit, not understanding the repercussions this will have. In 1959, things are still very much segregated. Justin ends up needing Dr. Lucy's care. When his father, Calvin, rushes to Dr. Lucy's house, a spark is ignited that just won't dim.

I felt so many emotions while reading this book. My heart ached for these four wonderful characters when they were hurting, and rejoiced when their hearts were happy. I loved being swept up in this story. Though this was the first book I've read by this author, it won't be the last.

Say Goodbye for Now by Catherine Ryan Hyde is at turns heart-breaking and fulfilling. This poignant tale proves that in these situations, love can prevail.

This is a story about redemption, racial bias, child abuse. At times, it was difficult for me to read due to some violence, but the violence wasn't as graphic as it could have been. . Pete crawls into your heart and stays there well after the book is finished. Justin, and his dad, Calvin, tears down the reclusive wall Dr. Lucy has built around herself. I would recommend this book to anyone.

When I pick up a novel by Catherine Ryan Hyde, I know what to expect. I know it will be emotional, thought-provoking and will require a handful of tissues. "Say Goodbye for Now" gave me just what I expected, complete with a colorful cast struggling to get past the present and plan for the future.

Dr. Lucy prefers animals over people. When a young boy, Pete, brings a wolf to her door, she agrees to tend to the wounded animal, but finds herself drawn to the emotionally wounded boy, too.

Pete finds a new, and only, friend in a young black boy, Justin, and soon they find themselves alone in a town that's not ready to allow mixed-race friendships, much less the romance that grows between Dr. Lucy and Calvin, Justin's dad.

As always, Hyde draws out the story to show the pain - and the hope - that comes from close relationships. Her characters struggle to keep their relationship alive, yet secret. Horrible truths come out, such as who really beat up Justin, and time cannot be stopped. However, in this novel, time is worth the wait.

Here is a review by Jennifer: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1866692891

This is a sweet predictable book suitable for young adults.
I've read all of the author's publications, this is not a favorite.

Catherine Ryan Hyde, where have you been hiding? This story has such a lyrical, melancholy feel to it. The writing is so descriptive, every moment I felt I was there with Dr. Lucy as she took care of the gunshot wound of a thief, I was there as Pete's father berated him, and when Pete finds Justin after he gets beaten within an inch of his life, and for the tender, budding relationship between Calvin and Lucy. The writing had the feel of Kent Haruf, who has written so many great stories taking place in the west.

As a reader and dog lover, the cover seeks to be read. The eyes of the dog, that we come to know as Prince in the story, half dog, half wolf, you want to know the story behind those eyes.

The story starts in 1959, in a small Texas town. It's not often that adult fiction has a main character who is twelve years old, but Ms. Hyde has captured the voice of Pete, who is a respectful kid, but whose father doesn't appreciate him and is even cruel to Pete. Dr. Lucy is a loner and the only female doctor in town, but she prefers to take care of sick and injured animals, especially after the town's people don't take a female doctor seriously. Her farm is filled with horses, dogs, a pig, and even an owl. Pete meets Dr. Lucy when he finds the wolf/dog injured on the side of the road. Pete and Justin become unlikely friends in this unforgiving town, while Justin's father Calvin and Dr. Lucy, share a bond of loneliness, which like a flower in the dry Texas field blossoms after a summer shower.

The story takes place in a simpler time, but the relationships between the characters are more difficult in some ways. Male and female, black and white, human and animal, adult and child. While there is a feeling of melancholy, the story is a beautifully moving one and is in no way sad. You will find yourself rooting for Lucy, Pete, Calvin and Justin Bell. Say Goodbye for now is a powerful story that will tug at your heartstrings.

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Catherine Ryan Hyde always delivers. This is a wonderful story about an interracial friendship between two boys growing up in the rural South during the 1960s. Hyde captures the ways this friendship disrupts the boys' lives and that of their parents with compassion and honesty. Like all of Hyde's books, SAY GOODBYE FOR NOW shines a light on a difficult subject by making the characters completely believable and the story compelling.

Catherine Ryan Hyde writes books that move you to your core and stay with you long after you close their covers. I find myself choosing her books as gifts and giving them to friends and neighbors when I need a beautiful gift. This will be the next add in that beautiful gift box!

I read this novel on the plane trip home from Mexico. (Well, I read most of it on the plane. I finished it at home because our flight was only 2 1/2 hours long), and it kept me so absorbed that when I took a break to refill my drink, I was amazed that we were already on our descent path. It’s been a long time since I’ve fallen so deeply into a book, and I credit Catherine Ryan Hyde’s easy writing style and the subject of the book itself.

As someone who works in rescue (my longest-term foster – an American Staffordshire Terrier who had been in my care for three years finally found her forever home over Christmas) and has also taken in stray humans from time to time, Doc Lucy and her collection of animals and people was something I really connected with. The twist of her being licensed to practice human medicine, something that comes up more than once in this novel, just made it more interesting, and made her character more vivid.

The kids in the story, Pete who rescues a wolf-dog hybrid he names Prince, and Justin, a newcomer to town who is also black, and the friendship they fall into felt very real to me. I’m lucky to have a fairly diverse group of friends, but this novel was from a time just before the civil rights movement, when such a friendship was risky to all involved. Still, I think Hyde managed to catch the mood of innocent youth edging into self-awareness really well, and I thought both boys’ arcs were interesting and plausible.

Calvin, Justin’s father, was harder for me to get a ‘read’ on, with his old-fashioned propriety (sleeping on the couch because he was too close to Lucy’s room, for example) but I came to find him quite likeable, one of the best fictional fathers I’ve seen in a long while. His relationship with his son – one where, as Pete observes, there is talking not whipping, is lovely, and I loved the way his relationship with Lucy evolved as they got to know each other and started to chip away at each other’s walls.

And oh! Lucy has walls. We learn about her much more slowly than we do the others, but be also see her from their perspectives, and what we see is telling. Pete notices that she’s pretty, that she isn’t overly ‘nice,’ but that her manner changes as familiarity is established, etc. I liked that she didn’t melt into sweetness and light all at once, and that even when she was facing complete unknowns, she remained very much who she was: a woman who keeps people and animals at arm’s length to protect her injured heart, but who can’t help but do good where she can.

Overall, this was a richly detailed, compelling story, and one I really enjoyed.

Review:
Say Goodbye for Now is a compelling and at times heart wrenching story. Initially set in 1959, it's the story of 4 people who find each other during unstable times and form strong bonds that sustain them through the ups and downs of the turbulent 60s.

I found this book to be hard to read at times. Don't get me wrong, it was well written and the story is beautiful. What I found hard to read was how Calvin and Justin were treated just because of the color of their skin. Because of the time and town they lived in, there was no way Lucy and Calvin could be together. That was so heartbreaking. I'm not going to give away too much of the plot. This is a book you really need to experience for yourself. All through the book, I kept thinking of the saying: If you love something set it free, if it comes back it was meant to be. I just found that so relevant to this book. I'm a sucker for happy endings, so I was rooting for this little family of the heart. The ending was sweet and just what I was waiting for. -Kari

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. What a sweet, beautiful and touching story. I loved Pete. He was such a tender hearted boy. I just wanted to hug him. He has the biggest heart. To me, this book touches on several facets of love. We see the love Pete has for the dog. The love Dr. Lucy shows him. Then there is the remarkable love between Dr. Lucy and Calvin. Their story takes place in the late fifties when racism and laws prevented them for being a couple. However, they didn't give up. Everyone should read this story. Besides being beautiful, it teaches us many things that we all need today.