The "Classic Catherine" Anniversary Edition of WALTER'S PURPLE HEART is now
available for sale, with a new Author's Note by Catherine Ryan Hyde!
"Hyde still soars, turning out another heartwarming tale. Hyde has a sure
touch with affairs of the heart." -Publishers Weekly
"Thanks to Catherine Ryan Hyde's unwavering brilliance, 'Walter's Purple
Heart' is a clear-cut gem." -Kelly Milner Halls, The Denver Post
From the bestselling author of DON'T LET ME GO, SECOND HAND HEART, WHEN I
FOUND YOU, and PAY IT FORWARD, comes a flight of sheer imagination: the
story of a love affair that spans two lives, two incarnations—and the many
repercussions of a young life cut short by war.
Michael Steeb is an aimless twenty-one-year-old pot farmer in Central
California in the 1980s. He has no real plans or interests...until the day he
connects with memories of a life that seems to belong to someone else. That
"spirit" is Walter, a young American soldier killed in World War II.
Michael's task is the near-impossible: to lead Walter's family to closure
and peace, to deliver the real truth behind Walter's Purple Heart, and to
somehow achieve the forgiveness absent for so many years so Walter can move
on. Michael sets out to find Walter's best friend Andrew, and Mary Ann, the
fiancée Walter left behind. Mary Ann recognizes Walter in Michael
immediately. But Andrew sets out to prove that Michael is the worst sort of
con man.
Narrated in large part by Walter from beyond the grave, WALTER'S PURPLE
HEART is a fast-paced war drama and a deeply felt romance, with a unique
twist on the prospect of multiple lives. Catherine Ryan Hyde paints an
enduring portrait of a life prematurely lost, and the endless ripples of
consequence to those who loved him, in a microcosm that sheds light on the
true gravity of war.
"Hyde is a remarkable, insightful storyteller, creating full-bodied
characters whose dialogue rings true, with not a word to spare....it's
compelling enough that readers may find themselves finishing it at a single
sitting." -Library Journal
