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Catherine Ryan Hyde

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When I Found You Kindle Edition

by Catherine Ryan Hyde (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.3 36,660 ratings

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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.

Print length

410 pages
Language

English
Sticky notes

On Kindle Scribe
Publisher

Lake Union Publishing
Publication date

April 23, 2013
File size

2286 KB
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Popular Highlights in this book

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“I have always felt,” Nathan said, “that the truth is simply the truth. And perhaps does not exist for us to bend and revise. Or even filter to suit the feelings of those we love and want to protect.”
Highlighted by 1,554 Kindle readers
“I am the way I am. We all are the way we are and I’m not sure any of us really knows why.”
Highlighted by 748 Kindle readers
“The value of your life is your own choosing,” Nathan said.
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Catherine Ryan Hyde is the author of thirty-three published books. Her bestselling 1999 novel, Pay It Forward, adapted into a major Warner Bros. motion picture, made the American Library Association’s Best Books for Young Adults list and was translated into more than two dozen languages for distribution in more than thirty countries. Her novels Becoming Chloe and Jumpstart the World were included on the ALA’s Rainbow List; Jumpstart the World was also a finalist for two Lambda Literary Awards and won Rainbow Awards in two categories. The Language of Hoofbeats won a Rainbow Award. More than fifty of her short stories have been published in many journals, including the Antioch Review, Michigan Quarterly Review, the Virginia Quarterly Review, Ploughshares, Glimmer Train, and the Sun, and in the anthologies Santa Barbara Stories and California Shorts, as well as the bestselling anthology Dog Is My Co-Pilot. Her short fiction received honorable mention in the Raymond Carver Short Story Contest, a second-place win for the Tobias Wolff Award, and nominations for Best American Short Stories, the O. Henry Award, and the Pushcart Prize. Three have also been cited in Best American Short Stories.

Hyde is the founder and former president of the Pay It Forward Foundation. 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. An avid equestrian, photographer, and traveler, she lives in California.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00ANAE6PM
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Lake Union Publishing (April 23, 2013)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 23, 2013
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 2286 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 410 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 161109979X

Best Sellers Rank: #20,006 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #113 in Contemporary Literary Fiction
- #156 in Contemporary Literature & Fiction
- #161 in Women's Literary Fiction

Customer Reviews:
4.3 36,660 ratings

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Catherine Ryan Hyde

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Catherine Ryan Hyde is the author of more than 40 published and forthcoming books.

An avid hiker, traveler, equestrian, and amateur photographer and astrophotographer, she has a published book of photos, 365 DAYS OF GRATITUDE: PHOTOS FROM A BEAUTIFUL WORLD.

She is co-author, with fellow author and publishing industry blogger Anne R. Allen, of HOW TO BE A WRITER IN THE E-AGE: A SELF-HELP GUIDE.

Her novel PAY IT FORWARD was adapted into a major motion picture, chosen by the American Library Association for its Best Books for Young Adults list, and translated into more than 23 languages for distribution in over 30 countries. The paperback was released in October 2000 by Pocket Books and quickly became a national bestseller. Simon & Schuster released PAY IT FORWARD: YOUNG READERS' EDITION in August of '14. It is suitable for kids as young as eight. A special Fifteenth Anniversary Edition of the original PAY IT FORWARD was released in December of '14

LOVE IN THE PRESENT TENSE enjoyed bestseller status in the UK, where it broke the top ten, spent five weeks on the bestseller lists, was reviewed on a major TV book club, and shortlisted for a Best Read of the Year award at the British Book Awards. 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.

New Kindle editions of her backlist titles FUNERALS FOR HORSES, EARTHQUAKE WEATHER AND OTHER STORIES, ELECTRIC GOD, and WALTER'S PURPLE HEART are now available. Also available is THE LONG, STEEP PATH: EVERYDAY INSPIRATION FROM THE AUTHOR OF PAY IT FORWARD, her first book-length creative nonfiction.

More than 50 of her short stories have been published in The Antioch Review, Michigan Quarterly Review, The Virginia Quarterly Review, Ploughshares, Glimmer Train and many other journals, and in the anthologies Santa Barbara Stories and California Shorts and the bestselling anthology Dog is my Co-Pilot. Her stories have been honored in the Raymond Carver Short Story Contest and the Tobias Wolff Award and nominated for Best American Short Stories, the O'Henry Award, and the Pushcart Prize. Three have been cited in Best American Short Stories.

She is founder and former president (2000-2009) of the Pay It Forward Foundation, and served on its board of directors for over 20 years. 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 and book club questions for most backlist titles, please visit the author at catherineryanhyde.com (Note: The newer titles have book club questions included at the back of the book.)

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John Williamson

When I Found You: A masterpiece of human emotion

Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2012

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Just read this short paragraph, let the words sink in, then close your eyes and visualize what you've read:

"Nathan McCann stood in his dark kitchen, a good two hours before dawn. He flipped on the overhead light, halfway hoping to see the coffeemaker all set up with water and grounds and waiting to be plugged in and set to percolating. Instead he saw the filter basket lying empty in the dish drain, looking abandoned and bare."

Sometimes when we read an opening passage in a book, the words fit together so well, so perfectly crafted, that it creates an indelible image that sticks with us. This is the case with Catherine Ryan Hyde's When I Found You , a stunningly moving story of honesty, faith, perseverance and the human spirit.

Nathan McCann was a middle-aged man, married but without no children. While out hunting with his dog, he found a newborn infant in the woods, and assumed that the child was dead. But when the baby moved, Nathan's existence was changed completely, and that event became the beginning of a chain of events that span a lifetime.

Nathan took the baby to the hospital, quite taken by this small life that he had found. He wanted to adopt the boy, but the child's maternal grandmother claimed it. Nathan couldn't forget him, so he visited the child's grandmother and gave her a request: that when the boy was old enough, that he was to be told the truth. The grandmother gave her word that at some point she would introduce the boy to 'the man who found you in the woods.'

The boy was named Nat in honor of Nathan, and for the next fifteen years lived with his grandmother. Nathan watched the boy from a distance, not involved in his life, and sent birthday and Christmas gifts. Because she wanted to protect him, the grandmother chose to not to tell Nat that his own mother abandoned him. Her reluctance to be truthful with him caused problems, and he began to grow into being a troubled young man. His misbehavior resulted in the grandmother taking Nat to Nathan to raise, as she could no longer deal with him.

The appearance of Nat into Nathan's life brought frequent turmoil and battles. Nat was an angry young man, seemingly angry at everything in the world; Nathan was a man of principles, believing in always telling the truth. The tumultuous relationship between a father and son who are not blood relatives had some profound effects on both of them and the others in their lives. Yet this story, spanning a period of about thirty years, will surprise the reader with it's range of human emotion and how bonds can be strained yet not broken.

There are many books that can touch ones emotions and tug at the heartstrings. But there are few that are as well written, that can delve so deeply into how one tiny moment can be the catalyst of lifetime of events, of how one flash of faith can set off an amazing chain of human emotions that can be so profoundly moving. It's a tale of unconditional love and unwavering faith that few can match.

Author Catherine Ryan Hyde has a way of writing, of putting her words together, that makes us visualize as we read her words. Her earlier work, Pay It Forward , resulted in not just the highly acclaimed film of the same name, but a worldwide movement that continues to grow to this day. As a personal note, that book had been my favorite of all her works until I read When I Found You , and now I have two... different books in all respects, yet with a common bond in dealing with perseverance, human emotion and spirit.

5/3/2012

4 people found this helpful

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Bob's Your Uncle

*Spoilers*

Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2023

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Interesting story. The characters all have unique personalities.

Nathan is the father I think most people would love to have. He is intelligent, wise and devoted. His self-control is above reproach.

Nat is constantly lied to about his identity. He is raised by his strict grandmother and becomes a rebellious teenager.

Some may see Eleanor as selfish, but she’s been a widow for a long time and when she takes the plunge into marriage once again she realizes that it’s not the life she wants to live.

Carol’s character is not flushed out enough to understand her actions. She’s pretty, moral, and lives in a single parent home with an obnoxious father. She may have been flattered by Nat’s attentions in the beginning, but it’s hard to understand why she would agree to marry bad boy Nat, ex-con, unemployed, who dreams of becoming a professional boxer after knowing him for only a matter of weeks. Later, when separated from Nat for years, she makes no effort to find a new partner.

The story’s ending is emotional and similar to others by Hyde. There are tear jerking scenes and characters who have difficulties early in life finally achieve their happiness.

All in all, a pretty good book but feels heavily edited from a much longer story.

Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2014

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Though this story is about a man and an abandoned and dying infant that he finds, it is really more than just a story of a man and a boy whose lives become entwined.

It is a story about having meaning in your life. When the older man finds the abandoned infant left to die in the woods,the man realizes that nothing in his life until then has real value. He had been a success at his job, is married, and financially comfortable and respected in his world. But the baby is so special, helpless, and betrayed by the world. Unable to adopt the boy, he realizes that his connection with the child will give his life value. He stays a part of the child's life even though they do not meet again for fifteen years. After refusing to allow any contact between the boy and the man for those years, the grandmother washes her hands of the angry, uncontrollable teen, and shows up at the man's house to either give the boy-teen to the man or put him into the custody of the welfare or government system for uncontrollable, angry children. The man takes the boy in, teaches him a little about guns so that they can hunt together. A gay later the teen uses the gun to attempt a robbery. The boy goes to court and is sentenced to three years in juvenile detention. The man does not intervene, but lets the boy face the consequences of his actions. For the three years the boy is in prison, the man shows up at every visitation permits. When the three years are over, the boy goes home with the man and his second wife. Instead of getting a job the boy hangs around a boxing gym and uses part of the time to see a young woman in town. He does not tell the man that he was fired from his job but goes to the gym to try to train as a fighter. The older man learns of the boy's lie, but makes an arrangement to have the boy train for a several months as a fighter. In that short time period the young man and young woman secretly marry. They move into the older man's home. The young man continues his training., and begins a program of amateur fights even though his trainer says he is good but not good enough to succeed in the world of boxing. The older man emotionally and financially backs the kid up, allowing him to face his dream even though it has little hope of success. He just tells the kid never to lie to him. The kid bull-headedly participates in an illegal, unregulated fight. As a result the young man is severely, and permanently disabled in the fight. The kid goes into an extreme depression. The old man's second wife leaves him because of her resentment of the relationship between the old man and the kid. The story continues with the kid always responding with anger and overwhelming depression. He is overwhelmed with his disability and broken dream of being a fighter. The young wife is finally sent away by the kid because his depression and anger at the way his life has turned out make him feel embarrassed and unable to face his imagined rejection and disgust of his wife. The old man continues to be with the younger man, trying to help him develop a comfortable life. He is always there--emotionally available--to support the kid. Eventually the older man sets up an arrangement where the boy can continue his love of boxing.

It is obvious that the older man deeply cares about the boy/man. He becomes involved in trying to provide the younger man with opportunities for a fulfilling, happy, and valuable life.

For me the most important message or theme of the book is the idea that the choices an individual makes, the way he thinks and interprets the situations in life, and the emotions that result from his thoughts are the DETERMINING FACTORS in the results of those choices. HIS OWN THOUGHTS about his life determine his feelings about the value and worth of his life.

I recommend this book for its fantastic story. I found the book very difficult to put down. I also recommend reading the book because of the important and thought provoking theme.

7 people found this helpful

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Wendy Henderson

When I found you

Reviewed in Canada on February 10, 2024

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I really enjoyed this book alot. The main character is so captivating and such a down to earth old soul. He makes the story so enjoyable.

kristen w.

Great book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 24, 2023

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I really enjoyed this book. The story is very believable and you you feel empathy with the two main characters of the book. Even when Nat is acting out you don't dislike him because he's a troubled sole and most people in his life don't allow for that until he meets Nathan and his love is unconditional.

One person found this helpful

Danielle L.

amour et optimisme

Reviewed in France on July 23, 2017

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très touchée par la tendresse et l'humanisme qui se dégagent de ce roman bien écrit aux personnages très attachants avec leurs défauts et qualités

2 people found this helpful

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Carlos Romanos

Todo padre lo debe de leer