Chasing Windmills

By Catherine Ryan Hyde

From the bestselling author of Pay It Forward comes a provocative and unlikely love story that starts on a New York subway car and blossoms under the windmills of the Mojave Desert.Both Sebastian and Maria live in worlds ruled by fear. Sebastian, a lonely seventeen-year-old, is suffocating under his dominant father's control; Maria, a young mother of two, is trying to keep peace at home despite her boyfriend's abuse. When their eyes meet across a subway car one night, these two strangers find a connection that neither can explain or ignore. They dream of a new future and agree to run away together, only to find that each has kept a major secret from the other. In this tremendously moving novel, Catherine Ryan Hyde shows us how two people trapped by life's circumstances can break free and find a place in the world where love is genuine and selfless.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Mar 10, 2009
• ISBN: 9780307472434

Catherine Ryan Hyde

Catherine Ryan Hyde is the author of twenty-five books, which include Where We Belong, When You Were Older, Walk Me Home, When I Found You, Don’t Let Me Go, The Language of Hoofbeats, and Take Me With You, among others. More than fifty of her short stories have been published in various literary magazines. Following the success of Pay It Forward, Catherine founded the Pay It Forward Foundation and served as president until 2009. She lives in California with her dog, Ella, and their cat, Jordan. To learn more about the foundation and other forthcoming books, visit CatherineRyanHyde.com.

Reviews for Chasing Windmills

[fdrury-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Upon first meeting Sabastian and Maria at the beginning of this book, I knew I had discovered an author I really liked in Catherine Ryan Hyde. The action in New York in the first half of the book was gripping as the story unfolded, but once they got on the bus for the long journey to the Mojave Desert and a mother Sabastian had not seen in over a decade, I began to feel uncomfortable. Once there, it seemed as though Sabastian and Maria would find the happiness together they truly deserved. But the author decided to make one more unsettling change at the end and I was left feeling sadness for the two young lovers and dissapointment that the story had ended the way it did. But would I recommend it to a friend? You bet!

[pamjw · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Maria and Sebastian find one another riding the subway in the middle of the night. Both are escaping. Their story is one of finding courage and freedom, even when things don't quite turn out as you might hope. At times it is heart-rending and painful to read.Very enjoyable and hard not to find out what the next chapter leads to.

[bookworm_naida · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Seventeen year old Sebastian lives with his father in an apartment in New York. His dad home schools him and Sebastian is not allowed to leave the apartment or have any friends. He's not allowed to watch tv or movies. His father also puts fear into him about anything having to do with the outside world. Everything Sebastian does is closely monitored, including the books he is allowed to read. By doctors orders, Sebastian is allowed to go running. He does like being outside and ends up sneaking out at night while his father is asleep. Sebastian takes a ride on the subway one night and notices a woman getting on the train. Maria is a twenty-two year old mother of two young children. She has been with the father of her children, a man named Carl, since she was fifteen.Carl hits Maria, but she usually blames herself for making him angry enough to do it. She works the night shift at a grocery store and lost her job recently, but doesn't tell Carl. Instead, she continues to leave at night and ride on the subway as if she's going to work. When she notices Sebastian on the train one night, she is surprised at her own feelings about him. The two start to show up at the subway each night after midnight just to see each other. And after a few days, they finally speak to each other.Soon enough they fall in love and Sebastian asks Maria to run away with him."Maybe I'll see you tomorrow," she said, and then she walked off the train. But just before the doors closed, she looked back over her shoulder at me. This time she didn't smile. This time I looked into her eyes and saw in a little deeper. Almost like she took down a curtain and let me see into one of the rooms of her house.She was sad, and in trouble. That's what I saw.I loved this story. I lived inside this book for a couple of days. You know how sometimes you can get really into a book and the storyline and characters just grab you? This is what happened while I read this story. I really wanted Sebastian and Maria to have a happy ending. The plot was really good and I found myself not wanting to put this book down.

[travelingeyes · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I thought this book was good read, the characters were all good and the story kept you going. It's the story of Sebastion and Maria, who happen to meet on a subway one late night and make an instant unspoken connection. They will both make huge changes in their lives and experience the true meaning of love while gaining freedom.

[coolmama_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Delightful and moving story. Another winner by Catherine Hyde! Told in alternating chapters, Sebastian and Maria meet on a NYC subway car in the middle of the night. Both come from troubled and abused homes. Their nocturnal subway rides grow and grown in they fall in love and plan to escape NYC for the desert. A wonderful young adult story of love, trusting your instincts, trusting others, and first love.

[southerngirlreads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

CHASING WINDMILLS is the story of Sebastian and Maria, two young people living in New York City whose lives are ruled by someone else. They are simply going through their young lives doing what they're told to do and thinking what they're told to think. Sebastian is a seventeen year old who lives with his controlling father who home-schools him. He's never been allowed to have friends or do things normal kids do. His father has forced his opinions on him with a strict hand and has raised Sebastian in a most unnatural way. Now that he's getting older he begins to wonder about the world beyond their apartment. He finds a friend in Delilah, an older black woman who lives in their building, who takes an instant liking to this overly sheltered young man. They secretly go on daily walks and she opens his eyes to the possibility that there are other ways to live. They form a bond and Sebastian finally has the trusted friend and confidant he has longed for.Maria is a young woman in her early twenties and has two kids with a man she's been with since she was fifteen. Carl is the only man she's ever been with and he is going to make sure it stays that way. He watches her every move and if she does anything to provoke him or make him question her actions, there is a price to pay. Maria has resigned herself to the fact that this is the way her life is going to be forever. Her sister, Stella is her only living relative and she's very outspoken against Carl and his abusiveness towards her younger sister, but she's powerless to change it, mostly out of fear of what he would do to Maria.One night while riding the subway to escape their controlled lives even for a little while, they lay eyes on each other for the first time. They feel an instant attraction and connection. They don't speak, but each of them returns to the subway the next night in hopes of seeing each other again. And they do see each other. In the days to follow they start talking and even though they know very little about each other, they are willing to risk everything to spend time together. One day after a close call with Carl, they make a decision that will change both their lives forever.I was thrilled when I received an email from Catherine Ryan Hyde asking me if I'd like to read and review her book. I had just learned that she was the author of Pay It Forward, the book that was made into a movie starring Helen Hunt and Kevin Spacey. Even though I didn't read that book, I knew the movie was amazing and all amazing movies begin as amazing books, right?! As soon as I started reading, I felt connected to Sebastian and Maria and I liked who they were. However, I think my favorite character was Delilah. Her interaction with Sebastian was so caring but not pushy. She was exactly what he needed and she knew just how much to give. We never really learn a lot about her, but we know she's a wise woman and she takes her friendships very seriously. Maria also has a strong woman in her life as well with her sister, Stella. You figure out pretty quickly that she calls 'em like she sees 'em. I like her quirky Tarot card reading and also that she doesn't really care what people think of her.The story is told by Sebastian and Maria in alternating chapters, each from their own perspective as if they are talking to the reader. That enables you to really get to know them. The chapters are not long which makes for a quick read and also makes it nice if you get interrupted or have to stop often. The storyline moves along nicely and never drags. The plot was very good and well thought out. I love the writing style of Ms. Hyde. There's no fluff, just substance. Aside from the love story between Sebastian and Maria, there were other things happening that geve depth to the story. I don't want to give anything away, but suffice it to say, this is not just a love story. It's also a story about choices, consequences and forgiveness. Another thing I loved about this book as a reader is that it didn't have a predictable ending. I hate predictable! In this case, you didn't know what was going to happen until close to the end. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I want to thank Catherine Ryan Hyde for sending it to me. It is definitely one of my favorite books so far this year. I would describe it as a poignant, off-beat romance that is very refreshing. I encourage those of you in book clubs to add this to the list of choices for your club. I assure you there would be interesting discussions based on the material.

[novelnympho · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sebastian's father is controlling, his mother is dead and his only friend in the world is an old woman. Sebastian rides the subway to "escape" the confines of his apartment in the city he shares with his dad. Maria has been with Carl since she was 15 years old. Two children later and never married, Carl is abusive and controlling. When Maria loses her job she rides the subway to avoid Carl and enjoy a little bit of "freedom". Two people meet and begin a journey of self discovery.This story is reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet or Westside Story except with a very different ending. The story was interesting, the writing in the voice of each of the main characters made it feel like someone was just telling you a story of their journey. I really enjoyed this very quick read.

[readerspeak_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The book grabbed me right away because of the way Hyde described the first time Sebastian and Maria saw one another - electric. As the backgrounds of these two characters were developed more, the story seemed more and more improbable. That was the point, I guess, a story of star-crossed lovers. I enjoyed the references to Romeo & Juliet, West Side Story, and even maybe Don Quixote with the windmills as well. The story leaves you wanting more, as you barely get to know these two lovers before the story ends, albeit in a realistic resolution.As high as the stakes are for the characters, I'm not sure readers will feel the same way.

[calexis_47 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

From Romeo and Juliet to West Side Story, the love story continues in a new edition through Chasing Windmills. Like the legendary couples Romeo and Juliet, Maria and Tony, the hero and heroine of Chasing Windmill - Maria and Sebastian - become lovers with many problems from their families, in a way. This was a beautiful he-said-she-said story that shows two people who find the strength to break away from their cages in life and to escape for freedom. Whether that freedom will end up with the couple happily together is for you to find out.The writing in this story is pretty captivating and Hyde captures the two characters pretty well. She's also the author of Pay It Forward, which is a story-turned-movie that I want to read and watch as well. Just a little trivial thing.Definitely recommended to all.

[luli81_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A modern story of two opposite people who help each other in the most unusual of ways.

[alriske · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A fast, enjoyable read from a writer I very much admire (a great person as well as a great writer).

[christineellei · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A 21st century version of Romeo and Juliette.

A chance meeting on a subway car changes the lives of everyone in the book. A small cast of characters, each more interesting than the next. A collection of life's traumas and questions. Some to be identified with and some, hopefully, not.

Its not a mystery and its not a thriller, and I would not describe it as a romance ... its a simple little book ... yet it had me in a state of pleasant tension through the whole read.

[mrsderaps · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I think that Catherine Ryan Hyde might just be my new favorite author. I've read two of her books recently and am about to start a third. In discovering this author, I feel like I have found someone who gets to the very basis of what makes us human, what makes us need and hurt. She is a master developer of characters with real motivations and authentic voices.Chasing Windmills is an emotional roller coaster, and much of the ride left me feeling panicked. I just never felt comfortable putting this book down because I had to find out what was going to happen to the main characters. And, this book goes back and forth between two main characters. So the suspense was heightened at the end of each section.The female main character, Maria, is a young mother in her twenties. She is living with her high school boyfriend, who is anything but a sweetheart. She frequently has bruises from his violent outbursts and has taken to riding the subway at night while she's supposed to be at work. Her boyfriend can't know that she was fired from her job, and Maria needs the escape that the subway brings to keep her sanity.And then she meets Sebastian. He's not yet eighteen, but can't wait for his birthday. Ever since his mother died when he was a young boy, his overprotective father has kept him a virtual prisoner in his apartment. Every element of Sebastian's life is controlled by his father. Sebastian has no friends, except for an elderly neighbor woman who lives in his building. He rides the subway at night as a way to cure his insomnia. When he meets Maria, she's all he can think of.It isn't long before these lonely souls start dreaming of an escape. But, with Maria's increasingly abusive and obsessive boyfriend and Sebastian's neurotic father watching their every move, how is Maria going to get her two young children, herself to safety?This is a gripping story that does not offer up any easy answers to the main characters' situations. I loved the quiet tension and pain that the author created for these characters. They were not loud, but suffering in silence in a huge city. I can't help but think that there are too many real-life Marias and Sebastians who are looking for a way out of their painful day-today existences. Hopefully, books like this one will show these young people the possibilities that exist when you seek help in getting to a safe place.

[librarycin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

4.25 starsSebastian was raised by his father after his mother died when he was 7. He is now 17 and has been home-schooled. Not only that, his father doesn't allow him to have any friends or even be outside, except for the doctor-ordered walks he can take for his health. On these walks, Sebastian has found one friend, Delilah, an older woman who lives in the same building as he does. 22-year old Maria is living with Carl and they have two kids. When she loses her job, she doesn't tell Carl so that she can get out of the house for a while when she's supposed to be at work. Mostly she just rides the subway. One night, Sebastian and Maria see each other on the subway and the attraction is instantaneous...I really liked this. It drew me in immediately and it moved very fast. Almost too fast at times, I thought, though. I also enjoyed the narrators (I listened to the audio), especially the narrator for Maria; there were two – one for Maria and one for Sebastian – as the story went back and forth between each of their viewpoints. I also really liked Delilah's character.

[riofriotex · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this book, read for an online book discussion, more than I thought I would. It’s the story of two young people: home-schooled, isolated, 17-year-old Sebastian, whose controlling father has told him his mother is dead, and 22-year-old Maria, who lives with her abusive boyfriend and has two children by him. Maria has lost her job, but goes out every night and rides the subway during the time she’s supposed to be at work, because she is afraid to tell her boyfriend. Sebastian rides the subway instead of sleeping, in an act of rebellion against his (sleeping-pill-aided) father. The two meet on one such subway ride.I thought some of the supporting characters were the most interesting, particularly the women. Sebastian’s neighbor and (unknown to his father) friend Delilah is a bit of an enigma - it's clear she is the mother figure Sebastian needs, but we really don't learn much about her. It was convenient (maybe a little too much so) that she was planning to move back to California about the same time Sebastian was heading there.Maria’s older sister Stella is a strong woman who was able to escape the pattern of abuse in their childhood home. Sebastian and Maria needed Delilah and Stella respectively to help them find their way out of their abusive relationships, someone to mirror back a different reality than the ones they lived in.Celia, Sebastian’s mother (no, she is not dead) is fascinating and by far my favorite character in the book. Having been divorced in the past from a controlling, emotionally-abusive man who brainwashed our offspring, I could VERY much understand what she did and why. I hope she and Sebastian will be able to forge a good relationship. I would have liked to hear how Sebastian's father would have explained why he did what he did - but I think I already know.There are many references in this book to “West Side Story.” Maria is named for one of the main characters, names her daughter for Natalie Wood (who played Maria in the movie), and both take place (at least part of the time for “Chasing Windmills”) in New York City. "West Side Story" is far more similar to "Romeo and Juliet," on which it's based - a boy and a girl from warring families/factions fall in love. I think Maria's infatuation with the movie and insistence on calling Sebastian "Tony" just further emphasized her immaturity, especially about real love.Some people don’t think this book has a happy ending, but given Maria’s and Sebastian’s pasts and present situations, I think what happens is for the best. Suffice to say, the ending is different from both “West Side Story” and “Romeo and Juliet.” This was an interesting book and while I would not necessarily recommend it, I didn’t find it terrible either.

[sueincyprus · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

‘Chasing Windmills’ is told from the perspective of two very different young people, both of whom are spending hours each evening travelling around on the underground in their city. Sebastian is seventeen, and has been brought up by a very controlling father. He’s a likeable and intelligent young man who is beginning to make a push for independence. Maria lives with an equally controlling boyfriend, Carl. They have two small children. Maria recently lost her job but she hasn’t told Carl. So there's tension early in the book as Sebastian and Maria meet and begin to make friends, both terrified of being found out. The story is a bit slow-moving in the early chapters; but the time I was by half-way through, I could barely put the book down. It’s a powerful story, well crafted and very readable. Recommended for those who like hard-hitting women’s fiction.

[nyiper · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Every book by Catherine Hyde is a treasure of character development---you get to know her characters so well in the way Hyde presents their thinking, in this case, first Sebastian (Tony), and then Maria....back and forth. And the story....fascinating how she comes up with a new one in every single book!

[heatherlinc · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Hmmm! This certainly wasn't one of Catherine Ryan Hyde's better books. It was supposed to be a modern take on "West Side Story", but it didn't really work. The two main characters, Sebastian and Maria, were fairly bland their dialogue always felt stilted. Also, I didn't believe their insta-attraction and I was uncomfortable that a 22 year-old woman was willing to sleep with a 17-year-old boy. Then there was the ending. I can see why the author finished it the way she did, but it basically just fizzled to nothing.Even though this book was about self-growth and identity, I don't think the writing was strong enough to can the message successfully. However, I did love Delilah, who was a true friend to Sebastian, and I liked the constant references to "West Side Story" but, overall, a fairly uninspiring story.