Rolling Toward Clear Skies - by Catherine Ryan Hyde (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A foster mother must contend with the emotional turmoil of her new blended family in a heartfelt novel of hope and second chances by New York Times bestselling author Catherine Ryan Hyde.

Maggie Blount, divorced mother of two and California physician, puts her private practice on hold when disaster strikes. Doctors on Wheels takes her and Alex--Maggie's professional and romantic partner--wherever they're needed. After rolling into rural Louisiana in the wake of a category five hurricane, Maggie immediately bonds with two sisters and their puppy, all orphaned by the storm. It's enough to break Maggie's heart, and she's not leaving them behind.

Feeling blessed and looking forward to their new foster home in affluent Vista del Mar--a world apart from the one they've known--Jean and Rose are polite, appreciative, and humble. Frankly, they're the polar opposite of Maggie's own self-involved teenage daughters, Willa and Gemma, who resist this intrusion by strangers into their privileged lives. Soon enough, Maggie's new blended family is in chaos.

Teaching Willa and Gemma about gratitude and empathy will be hard enough. Maggie must also admit her own role in their entitled upbringing, undo the damage, and anticipate the needs of all four girls and a puppy, all amid faraway natural disasters and those closer to home.

Review Quotes

"Prolific and popular novelist Hyde (Life, Loss, and Puffins) produces another emotional roller coaster...A complex human story told in Hyde's straightforward style, with plenty to discuss and disagree over in book groups." --Library Journal

"Hyde's writing, the dialogue, the events and the messages are powerful and engaging. She demonstrates that through kindness and compassion, we can change a small piece of the world." --Bookreporter

Praise for Catherine Ryan Hyde

"Prolific author Hyde raises thorny issues around domestic violence, examines the power of misplaced guilt, and illustrates the bonds of shared experience in her take on a ripped-from-the-headlines story. Her characteristic empathy is on full display..." --Booklist on A Different Kind of Gone

"Beautifully conceived and executed and incredibly touching." --Bookreporter on Just a Regular Boy

"Readers who want tales of love, family, and emotional strength in the face of hardship will cheer on Anton, Edith, and their efforts to create a family in the midst of pain. A great choice for fans of Hyde." --Library Journal on My Name is Anton

"So Long, Chester Wheeler will change you in ways that you can't imagine a book could...Once you read this story, there is no chance that you will ever forget it. It is a rare treasure that doesn't come along often." --Bookreporter

"A tender tale of new families born of chance and the determination to bring light into darkness." --Kirkus Reviews on Have You Seen Luis Velez?

"Fans of Catherine Ryan Hyde will adore her new novel...No one in this story is perfect. But despite our flaws, we are all worthy of love and able to share our love, just as Stewie so beautifully demonstrates." --Bookreporter on Dreaming of Flight

"Multilayered and heartwarming." --Booklist on Seven Perfect Things

"A story about good people doing their best to survive, combined with a message that will cause readers to close the book feeling a bit more hopeful about humanity." --Kirkus Reviews on Take Me with You