So Long, Chester Wheeler, Catherine Ryan Hyde
So Long, Chester Wheeler, Catherine Ryan Hyde
List: $35.99 | Sale: $25.20
Club: $17.99

So Long, Chester Wheeler

Author: Catherine Ryan Hyde

Narrator: Michael Crouch

Unabridged: 9 hr 10 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 12/06/2022


Synopsis

Unlikely road trip companions form an unexpected bond in an uplifting novel about the past—lost and found—by the New York Times and #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author.Lewis Madigan is young, gay, out of work, and getting antsy when he’s roped into providing end-of-life care for his insufferable homophobic neighbor, Chester Wheeler. Lewis doesn’t need the aggravation, just the money. The only requirements: run errands, be on call, and put up with a miserable old churl no one else in Buffalo can bear. After exchanging barbs, bickering, baiting, and pushing buttons, Chester hits Lewis with the big ask.Lewis can’t say no to a dying wish: drive Chester to Arizona in his rust bucket of a Winnebago to see his ex-wife for the first time in thirty-two years—for the last time. One week, two thousand miles. To Lewis, it becomes an illuminating journey into the life and secrets of a vulnerable man he’s finally beginning to understand. A neighbor, a stranger, and a surprising new friend whose closure on a conflicted past is also just beginning.So Long, Chester Wheeler is an uplifting novel about looking deeper into the heart and soul to form bonds with the last people we’d expect—only to discover that they’re the ones who need it most.

About Catherine Ryan Hyde

Catherine Ryan Hyde is the #1 Amazon Charts and New York Times bestselling author of over forty published and forthcoming books. An avid traveler, equestrian, and amateur photographer, she shares her astrophotography with readers on her website.Her novel Pay It Forward was adapted into a major motion picture, chosen by the American Library Association (ALA) for its Best Books for Young Adults list, and translated into more than twenty-three languages for distribution in over thirty countries. Both Becoming Chloe and Jumpstart the World were included on the ALA’s Rainbow list, and Jumpstart the World was a finalist for two Lambda Literary Awards. Where We Belong won two Rainbow Awards in 2013, and The Language of Hoofbeats won a Rainbow Award in 2015.More than fifty of her short stories have been published in the Antioch Review, Michigan Quarterly Review, Virginia Quarterly Review, Ploughshares, Glimmer Train, and many other journals; in the anthologies Santa Barbara Stories and California Shorts; and in the bestselling anthology Dog Is My Co-pilot. Her stories have been honored by the Raymond Carver Short Story Contest and the Tobias Wolff Award and have been nominated for Best American Short Stories, the O. Henry Award, and the Pushcart Prize. Three have been cited in the annual Best American Short Stories anthology.She is founder and former president (2000–2009) of the Pay It Forward Foundation and served for more than twenty years on its board of directors. As a professional public speaker, she has addressed the National Conference on Education, twice spoken at Cornell University, met with AmeriCorps members at the White House, and shared a dais with Bill Clinton.For more information, please visit the author at www.catherineryanhyde.com.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Rosh on December 04, 2022

In a Nutshell: The book was decent. But I didn’t connect with it as much as I had wanted to. Contained no surprises. Mostly predictable. Repetitive ending/epilogue. Not the author’s best work, by far. Story Synopsis: Twenty-four-year-old Lewis lives next door to the ‘most irritating man in the world’......more

Goodreads review by Christine on August 21, 2022

5 stars + extra credit Oh my, yet another winner from one of my top 5 favorite authors! I am amazed by how Ms. Hyde continues to churn out these wonderful novels twice yearly, year after year after year. I discovered her rather late and have only read, I believe, 7 of her books, but all have received......more

Goodreads review by Marilyn (not getting notifications) on January 19, 2023

I always get excited when Catherine Ryan Hyde writes a new book. In her newest book, So Long, Chester Wheeler, she chose to pair two of the most unlikely people to ever get along together. Lewis Madigan and Chester Wheeler were neighbors in Buffalo. Chester Wheeler was an older man of 70. Everyone t......more


Quotes

“Michael Crouch delivers a heartwarming—and heartbreaking—performance in this exploration of generational differences and death.… While Crouch expertly anchors listeners with the steady beat of Lewis's narration, his skill shines as he brings a tragic undertone to Chester's curmudgeonly nature. Underscoring the complexities of all people, Crouch will make listeners laugh and cry in equal turns.” AudioFile Magazine“Fans of Erica Bauermeister and Jan Karon will appreciate Hyde’s deft handling of the contrast between Chester’s vulnerability and Lewis’s emerging talents as a caretaker. So Long, Chester Wheeler is a testament to unlikely friendships and the power of hidden strengths.” BooklistSo 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