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Life, Loss, and Puffins

By: Catherine Ryan Hyde
Narrated by: Jess Nahikian
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Publisher's summary

An exhilarating and emotional novel about grief, hope, friendship, and taking life one beautiful and spontaneous day at a time by New York Times bestselling author Catherine Ryan Hyde.

Freakishly smart. That’s the unwelcome box Ru Evans is put into for life. After all, she taught herself Euclidean geometry at age seven, has an eidetic memory, and is about to enter college at thirteen years old.

Boarding at a house near campus 150 miles from home, Ru meets seventeen-year-old Gabriel, an outsider himself who, like Ru, has trouble making friends—until they form a fast sibling-like bond. Finding a relatable someone in the world to talk to is a first for both of them.

But when Ru’s mother dies and the threat of living with her miserable aunt looms, Ru hatches an escape. It’s an impulsive road trip that takes Ru and Gabriel from California to Canada, where Ru can fulfill her ultimate dream: to see Atlantic puffins in the glorious wild.

Mile by mile, Ru discovers the joy of friendship, found family, dark night skies, and the aurora borealis, and she basks in going from being a smart person to just a person. Though she knows they’ll be in trouble when they’re caught, for the short time they are navigating twist by twist of an unknown road, the freedom is liberating, and she is living for what feels like the first time.

©2024 by Catherine Ryan Hyde, Trustee, or Successor Trustee, of the Catherine Ryan Hyde Revocable Trust created under that certain declaration dated September 27, 1999 (P)2024 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.
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Critic reviews

“Hyde writes a deeply compelling novel about teenagers finding their way in the world, even if their paths look a bit different than usual. Fans of Ethan Joella's A Quiet Life, Mary Alice Monroe's The Summer Guests, and Hazel Prior's Ellie and the Harpmaker will appreciate Hyde's deft handling of Ru's complex gift and the novel's heartwarming, character-driven charm.” Booklist

“While there are adult characters in this book, it's the children who state the universal truths that Hyde wants to share with readers. And they do it beautifully and compellingly.” Bookreporter

What listeners say about Life, Loss, and Puffins

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Outstanding as usual

I can’t say enough good things about this book. I have read almost every book she has written and have never been disappointed. With each book I wish the story would last forever!

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A lovely inspirational story and the reader was excellent!

A coming-of-age story that was totally engaging. Great character development with endearing qualities.

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Great Story

Made me think about what we have. Life is a blessing. Ru reminds me of my son.

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So descriptive of a wonderful adventure

I loved the relationship between the characters, the bond they shared and their adventure of a lifetime.

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Loved the story

Narration was not pleasing to me. I almost couldn't finish listening to the book.

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This was the most enjoyable book I’ve listened to in a long time. WOW. The story and characters were intriguing.

I loved this book from beginning to end. I loved the characters and their experiences. The book is awesome and so worth your time. I highly recommend it.

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Brilliant

I have never been disappointed by one of her books. I don’t have any idea how she keeps finding new topics, but I hope she never runs out of ideas.

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We all need to Live and let Live

This is another beautiful story from CRH that shows us another view of how different yet the same we all are. I hope she writes a sequel to this beautiful story.

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One of my favourite books by this author!

This story was so easy to read and to love the characters. I laughed out loud so many times!

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The title explains the story is about life, loss, and going forward to succeed. I recommend this to teenagers and more.

I loved the story of someone so eidetic and gifted finding a lifelong caring friend who understood her fully and met her emotional needs with their own special gift of understanding. This all happened at a time of loss. a tale of teens becoming contributing adult members of society.

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