Catherine Ryan Hyde's When I Found You is a an emotional (there will be tears) book that digs into the challenges of relationships, resilience, and the power of love.  The book follows the lives of Nathan McCann and Nat, a newborn abandoned in the woods, as they form a relationship that changes both of their lives.

Nathan McCann finds an abandoned newborn (Nat) while duck hunting in the woods.  Nathan wants to adopt the baby (against his wife’s wishes), but his maternal grandmother comes forward and the baby goes to live with her.  Nat has a lot of anger issues because his grandmother will not answer questions about his parents and how he came to live with her.   At the age of 15, Nat is arrested for shoplifting and his grandmother reluctantly decides to relinquish her custody of him. But, before she takes him away, she fulfills a promise to Nathan and takes Nat to meet the man who found him in the woods. Nat’s grandmother shares with Nathan why she has decided to give up custody of Nat and Nathan immediately extends an offer for Nat to live with him (his wife is now deceased).  Nathan and Nat are given the opportunity to start fresh and fix their past mistakes. Through their journey together, they both confront their past and find healing, trust, and support in each other's company.

When I Found You is a good read for anyone seeking a story of resilience, compassion, and love. Throughout the book, we see the importance of second chances and forgiveness. I like the book a lot and have since read several other titles by the author. They also tug at the heartstrings ☹. 

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When I Found You by Catherine Ryan Hyde
ISBN: 9781611099799
Publication Date: 2013-04-23
Fifteen years after discovering an abandoned baby boy in the woods, widower Nathan McCann finds him abandoned once again--this time at his doorstep--in this emotional tale from New York Times bestselling author Catherine Ryan Hyde. While duck hunting one morning, childless, middle-aged Nathan McCann finds a newborn abandoned in the woods. To his shock, the child--wrapped in a sweater and wearing a tiny knitted hat--is still alive. To his wife's shock, Nathan wants to adopt the boy...but the child's grandmother steps in. Nathan makes her promise, however, that one day she'll bring the boy to meet him so he can reveal that he was the one who rescued him. Fifteen years later, the widowered Nathan discovers the child abandoned once again--this time at his doorstep. Named Nat, the teenager has grown into a sullen delinquent whose grandmother can no longer tolerate him. Nathan agrees to care for Nat, and the two engage in a battle of wills that spans years. Still, the older man repeatedly assures the youngster that, unlike the rest of the world, he will never abandon him--not even when Nat suffers a trauma that changes both of their lives forever. From the bestselling author of Pay It Forward comes When I Found You, an exquisite, emotional tale of the unexpected bonds that nothing in life can break. Revised edition: This edition of When I Found You includes editorial revisions.

 

Cover ArtTake Me with You by Catherine Ryan Hyde
ISBN: 9781477820018
Publication Date: 2014-07-22
New York Times bestselling author Catherine Ryan Hyde tells the emotional story of an alcoholic reeling from the loss of his son on the journey to finally facing his pain--and forging a path to redemption. August Shroeder, a burned-out teacher, has been sober since his nineteen-year-old son died. Every year he's spent the summer on the road, but making it to Yellowstone this year means everything. The plan had been to travel there with his son, but now August is making the trip with Philip's ashes instead. An unexpected twist of fate lands August with two extra passengers for his journey, two half-orphans with nowhere else to go. What none of them could have known was how transformative both the trip--and the bonds that develop between them--would prove, driving each to create a new destiny together.