Fleeing from the abusive husband she's divorcing, Faith meets 14-year-old Sarah, who is herself in hiding from her father, who may have murdered her mother. The two quickly bond and, with the blessing of Sarah's grandmother, take it on the lam. Though Faith is not at first aware of it, Sarah's goal is to be reunited with her beautiful mare, Midnight, whom her father had cruelly sold. Fortune is on their side, and they find Midnight and follow her to various equipage shows around California. Questions remain: Will, by some miracle, Sarah recover Midnight, and will Faith find the courage to demand, from her estranged husband, half of their material possessions? Hyde (Pay It Forward, 2000) has written another fine novel that will be of interest to both adults and young adults. She gives short shrift to the alleged murder, though, and follows her heart, focusing mainly on Midnight and all things horse-related. For horse fans, however, this will be like fresh oats in the morning.

A woman on the run from her controlling, manipulative, and—yes, she's ready to admit it—physically abusive husband. A 14-year-old girl reeling from her mother's sudden death. Can they help each other find peace?Finally ready to divorce Robert, Faith seeks refuge at her parents' California beach house, a sanctuary that, until now, has always been rented out, so Robert has never known its location. But one morning she discovers Sarah, a teenage girl, sitting on the beach in front of her door. Now living with her grandmother Constance down the shore, Sarah is grieving not only the loss of her mother to a gunshot, but also her father's sale of her beloved mare, Falkner's Midnight Sun. Having lost her own mother at age 12, Faith connects easily with Sarah, and the two begin forging fragile ties. Yet Faith's own shaky confidence is rattled when she notices a man following her car, and she suspects that Robert has hired a private investigator to locate her. However, when the man turns out to be her new neighbor, Greg, Faith must weigh her fears against her hopes to find love again. Meanwhile, to help Constance gain custody of Sarah, Faith agrees to take the girl away, reuniting her with her horse. And as the horse's new owner seeks a buyer, Sarah prepares to say goodbye to Midnight one more time and face the truth about her mother's death. Perhaps best known for Pay It Forward, Hyde (Heaven Adjacent, 2018, etc.) has written another novel that's primed for filming. Their spirits bruised, each woman, young and old, struggles to overcome the dominance of men, and Hyde's talent lies in drawing these women together with bonds of compassion.A heartwarming meditation on the transformative power of kindness and women's friendship.