Love in the Present Tense - (Vintage Contemporaries) by Catherine Ryan Hyde (Paperback)

About the Book

For five years Pearl has managed to keep the past from catching up to her and her bright, frail five-year-old son. Then one day Pearl drops her son off with a neighbor--and never returns. As their lives unfold, profound questions emerge about the nature of love and family.

Book Synopsis

From the New York Times bestselling author of Seven Perfect Things comes a moving novel about the bond between a five-year-old abandoned by his mother and the man who raises him.

"This novel will envelop you like a fuzzy blanket." --USA Today

After accidentally killing a police office five years ago, Pearl has managed to protect her bright, frail young son Leonard from her violent past. Then one day, Pearl drops him off with their neighbor Mitch, and never returns. Mitch is far from the ideal caretaker--he's having an affair with a client's wife--but he and Leonard must find a way to bridge the gap between them as they bond as parent and child.

Gritty but big-hearted, Love in the Present Tense is an inspiring story of love and the surprising forms it can take.

Review Quotes

"A beautifully rendered tale about the power of love." --St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"If you love Pay It Forward, The Notebook and The Five People You'll Meet in Heaven, this novel will envelop you like a fuzzy blanket." --USA Today

"Using spare, simple prose, Hyde explores the nuances of love.... Arresting." --The Charlotte Observer

"An enthralling take on the enduring bonds of family." --Life

About the Author

CATHERINE RYAN HYDE is a critically acclaimed novelist and award-winning short story writer. She is the author of more than forty published stories, the story collection Earthquake Weather and the novels Funerals for Horses, Pay it Forward, Electric God, and the new Walter's Purple Heart. The national bestseller Pay It Forward was adapted into a major Warner Brothers feature film starring Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt, and Haley Joel Osment ("The Sixth Sense"). Electric God and Walter's Purple Heart are also optioned for film and in development.