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The Odds of You and Me: A Novel
The Odds of You and Me: A Novel
The Odds of You and Me: A Novel
Audiobook12 hours

The Odds of You and Me: A Novel

Written by Cecilia Galante

Narrated by Hillary Huber

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this audiobook

In the vein of Meg Donohue and Sarah Jio, Cecilia Galante’s second novel delivers the powerful story of one young woman who’s faced with an impossible choice—one that could have her making the biggest mistake of her life.

Thirteen days. That’s all Bernadette, “Bird,” Sincavage has left to go until she’s done with her probation and can be free again. Free from making payments to the supermarket she wrote bad checks to. Free from living at home with her overzealous mother who’s constantly nagging her about attending church again. Free to give her four-year-old son, Angus, the normal life he deserves. Her impending freedom and move to Moon Lake, where she’s plunked down a deposit on a brand new apartment, is so close she can almost taste it. What trouble could she possibly get into in just thirteen days?

But trouble does follow in the form of James Rittenhouse—someone she worked with a few years ago. At first, Bird is stunned to see James make the evening news when he’s arrested for assaulting someone in a local bar. But that’s nothing compared to the shock she gets when she discovers James hiding out in an abandoned church choir loft. Somehow he escaped police custody, broke his leg, and got his hand on a gun, which he’s now pointing at her.

Although Bird doesn’t tell anyone she saw James, there’s no way she’s helping him. She can’t screw up her probation or her second chance for a new future. And she has her son’s welfare to think about. Still. If only she could stop thinking about the terrified look in James’ eyes and the fact that he’s hurt. If only she could forget that once, long ago, James helped her out, and she owes him a debt like no other. 

Will Bird jeopardize her future for someone who helped her out in the past? A past that holds secrets she’s not quite sure she’s ready to face? Or will she turn a blind eye and learn to live with the consequences?
LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperAudio
Release dateJan 31, 2017
ISBN9780062659446
Author

Cecilia Galante

Cecilia Galante has a BA from King's College, Pennsylvania, and an MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College, Vermont. She is the author of the YA novel, The Patron Saint of Butterflies (Bloomsbury), as well as middle grade fiction. A former high school English teacher, Cecilia lives with her husband and three children in Pennsylvania. www.ceciliagalante.com

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Reviews for The Odds of You and Me

Rating: 3.84375 out of 5 stars
4/5

16 ratings7 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Odds of You and Me by Cecilia Galante is a compelling novel about a woman caught between doing what is best for herself and her young son and her loyalty to someone from her past.

    Bernadette "Bird" Connolly has finally made her final restitution payment and she is making plans for her and her son Angus's future. Staying out of trouble should not be any problem until her probation ends in two weeks, but when she agrees to run an errand for her mom, she makes a startling discovery that could jeopardize all of her plans. Bird is stunned to find her former co-worker, James Rittenhouse, hiding in the church choir's loft. James has recently been arrested for a bar fight that left his victim in critical condition and while he en route to jail, he somehow managed to escape. Why would Bird jeopardize everything she has worked for to help someone she has not seen in over five years?

    After her beloved father's death when she was a teenager, Bird lost her faith, hooked up with the wrong crowd and barely graduated from high school. Moving out as soon she graduated, she began working at a local restaurant and entered into an ill-advised relationship with her manager. Her unexpected friendship with James during this tumultuous time is a bright spot that gives Bird reason to hope for a better future. But an unplanned pregnancy turns her world upside down and after Bird is arrested for writing bad checks, she has no choice but to move back in with her mother and work with her cleaning houses. Their relationship remains tense as Bird tries to put her life back together.

    Although their time in each other's life was brief, Bird's friendship with James was quite meaningful. She knows that she is taking a huge risk by helping him after he escapes from police custody but she is unable to report him to the authorities nor can she turn her back on him. As the two friends become reacquainted, Bird is stunned by James' revelations about the bar fight that landed him in so much trouble and after learning the truth, she becomes more determined than before to help him. Bird devises an ill-conceived plan to provide James with a safe place to hide while he decides what to do next, but time is not on their side. Is Bird prepared for the consequences if she caught aiding and abetting a fugitive?

    The Odds of You and Me by Cecilia Galante is a captivating story of healing for Bird as she is finally comes to terms with her heartbreaking past. Although her decision to help James is initially unfathomable, her reasons become clear as she reflects on their friendship and the events leading up to their final encounter years earlier. Bird's life is forever altered by the few short, yet meaningful days she spends with James following his escape.

    I highly recommend this touching novel to readers of women's fiction.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    It's a bit unbelievable to me still, how books can sometimes completely blindside you. You'll be going about your daily life, a book will fall into your lap, and suddenly it's the exact story that you need to read at that exact moment. It's like the author knew just who you were, and what was missing, and came along to fill that void. The Odds of You and Me was exactly that. I wasn't expecting this book, it simply showed up for review. I'm honestly so glad that it did. I can't believe I almost missed the opportunity to fall in love with this book.Bird's story is one of so many layers that it's almost impossible to really touch on them all in this short review. What I can say is that Cecilia Galante isn't afraid to peel back each one of those layers, down to the deepest part of the soul. She allows the reader not even just to crawl into Bird's head, but almost to become her. I felt her pain, her love, her elation, her hate, her confusion, and each bit of it filled in a part of my own soul. I was able to pick her apart, to the point that I was so invested in this story that I sobbed while reading it. My life might not be a mirror to Bird's, lord knows she has it much harder than I do, but just seeing someone else at a place where they still don't feel like they have their footing yet made me whole somehow.See, Galante doesn't shy away from the parts of life that we all hide from the outside world. Bird has made mistakes, she's grown from them, but she also shows us that there is always growing to do. Her character is one that questions things, examines her feelings, and shuts things away. She's basically any one of us at any given moment. I've never seen such pure emotion laid out on a page, to be honest. As an example, Bird's love for her son Angus is so bright that it's blinding. Yet at the same time she admits that most of the time she struggles to even feel like she mildly knows what she's doing as a parent. Learning, growing, fighting, it's all there in vivid color as Bird simply tries to exist in a world that doesn't always feel hospitable. Nothing here is black and white, everything is up for debate, and I loved that more than I can say.There are discussions of love here, and the tense relationships that we might have with others. So delicate that they can crack at any moment. There are insights about caring for others, despite their past decisions, and possibly stepping over the boundaries set by society to do good for someone else. As I mentioned above, there is even a discussion on being a parent and feeling like you're constantly floundering. Bird's raw commentary on raising her son, as a single mother, and feeling utterly helpless at times will speak to a lot of readers out there. Or, if you're like me, her battle with religion as an upbringing versus religion as an adult will hit home too. Like I said, there's so much wrapped up here that I can't touch on it all fairly. It simply exists together, in this beautiful web of a story, that will catch you up and likely evoke feelings that you weren't even expecting.To sum it all up, The Odds of You and Me is absolutely beautiful. It's a raw, emotional, story that isn't afraid to dig deep into the emotions of a woman who is simply trying to navigate life. I recommend you have a box of tissues handy for this book. I really do.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Bernadette (“Bird”) Connolly, 25, only has 13 days left until the end of her probation for having written some bad checks at the grocery store when she was desperate to provide for herself and her new toddler Angus. She already paid off the restitution fees, and is looking forward to moving with Angus to a nice new place, instead of living with her mother, with whom she argues constantly. Bird’s mother is deeply religious, and doesn’t approve of her daughter. The mom also repeatedly harps on Bird to go to the Catholic Church, but Bird doesn’t believe in God. Explaining about the difference between herself and her mother, she thinks:“She took things on faith, simply because, long ago, she had decided to believe. That wasn’t enough for me. If I was going to believe in something, if I was going to stand in awe of a fact, I wanted to know that I was doing so for a logical, defined reason. That it deserved to be believed in; because it was not only worthy of, but merited, my awe.”There was another reason she eschewed faith. Ever since Bird’s beloved father died in an auto accident and the priest told her it was okay because Jesus was there with him (as he died), Bird turned away from religion.Before Angus was born, when Bird worked at a burger restaurant, she became friends with a kitchen worker, James Rittenhouse. She was dating the manager, Charlie, but that was mostly sex. Her relationship with James was something different. Unlike Charlie, James was shy and kind, and seemed to “get” Bird in a way no one else did. He saw her for what she was and it didn’t change how he felt toward her, and that meant everything to Bird.The story goes back and forth in time, and it takes a while to find out what happened with Bird, Charlie, and James, and how it is that now, five years later, Bird is a single mom and James is on the run from police. But unfortunately what happened in the past suddenly becomes central to Bird’s life again, and could jeopardize the future for which she had worked so hard.The ending is realistic, if not what readers may want. And Bird finally comes to understand that she could show the same compassion to, and forgiveness for, herself that she extends to others.Evaluation: This story moved a little slowly for my tastes, but it’s good, and quite poignant and thought-provoking. It would make an excellent choice for book clubs.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I recently took a break from reviewing so this is my first review in a while. I chose this book because it looked significantly different from what I usually read. I wanted an author that I had never read before and a topic that wasn’t a “safe bet” for me. So I picked up The Odds of You and Me, not really knowing how it would go but embracing this brand new experience and luckily, my gamble paid off.I was initially hesitant about this book because after reading the blurb, I had some doubts about the characters. I thought I might have a hard time relating to them. Well, I was very wrong about this hunch. Not only did I find them totally relatable, I was rooting for them with everything I had. Both Bird and James were just normal people who made mistakes due to difficult circumstances in their lives. The truth is, you never really know what other people are going through or where they’re coming from. Everyone has their demons. I enjoyed getting to know them and I also liked the author’s writing style.The only reason why I’m not giving it 5 stars is because I was heartbroken for a little while. I don’t want to give anything away, but it took me a bit to recover from this and get back on track. In my opinion, that was the only down side to the book because everything else was spot on.*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Bernadette "Bird" Sincavage has only thirteen days before she is off probation and will be free and can give her four year old son the life he deserves. Then, someone she worked with a few years ago gets in trouble with the law and she happens to discover him, hiding, hurt and in need of help. Will she jeapordize her freedom to help someone who helped her in the past?I received this book as part of the Early Reviewers program.This story moved quickly and the characters were interesting and likable. There were a few inconsistencies in the book, but nothing that made the story unbelievable to me. While the ending may not seem entirely plausible, it isn't completely far fetched and seemed appropriate to the story. Overall, this was an enjoyable YA novel.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Odds of You and Me is Cecilia Galante's latest novel.It was the cover that first drew me to the book. I love those little sneakers protected by the bigger pair.And that's the premise of the book....Bird Connolly is a young single mom to four year old Angus. She loves him more than anything, but wishes their lives were different. Living with her mother cleaning houses was not what she imagined for herself. At one time, she wanted to be a nurse. But some bad choices have set her back. But her probation is almost up and she has plans. Until the past comes barreling into the present.A young man she used to work with commits a serious crime. He escapes police custody, but is injured. Holed up in the local church, Bird inadvertently comes across him.......and now new choices must be made. Help him? At what cost? Or walk away? When is the wrong choice the right choice?I liked Bird as a lead character and her love for her son is well portrayed. The relationship between Bird and her Ma is quite fractious and in the first bit of the book, I could see both sides. But as the book progressed, their bickering grew tiresome and repetitive. Ma is quite religious, bordering on fanatical. When Bird reveals a horrific event from her past to her mother, Ma's reaction is downright shameful. And I ended up firmly in Bird's camp. But, there is much to be fixed in this relationship - on both sides.Galante explores many relationships in The Odds of You and Me with both the main players and the supporting cast - parent and child being in the forefront. There are a number of coincidences that drive the plot of this book, but who's to say serendipity doesn't exist? Or second chances? I was urging Bird on out loud many times - I wanted her to succeed. I had no idea where Galante was going to take the ending. I can't say it's the one I wanted, but it seems right.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    We all want to have control over our lives but sometimes our choices mean that we are slow to have that control. In Cecilia Galante's newest novel, The Odds of You and Me, main character Bird is just about to earn that control back when she's faced with a decision that could completely derail her plans. This novel of healing, second chances, doing what's right, and family is a warm hearted and satisfying read.Bird is twenty-five. She lives at home with her mother and her five year old son Angus. She's been saving money from her job cleaning houses so that she and Angus can move out and get their own apartment and she's almost there. She's also only 13 days from the end of her long probation for writing bad checks. If she can just make it through the next 13 days without a misstep, she'll be free to create the life she wants for Angus. But that isn't the way Bird's life works, of course. Life for her has been anything but easy. When she goes to church to retrieve her mother's sweater (a set-up since Bird hasn't believed in God or darkened a church door almost since her father's death), she stumbles across an old co-worker hiding out in the disused choir loft. James is injured and pointing a gun at her, having escaped the police, who were taking him in for beating a man almost to death in a bar fight. The James that Bird remembers wasn't a criminal; he was a quiet and kind man who once did something for her that has left her in his debt. Now she has to decide if she can risk the life she's assembling for Angus to help James stay hidden and maybe even escape.Bird has made wrong decision after wrong decision in her life. She lost her father when she was young and he was the parent she looked to for moral guidance and unconditional love. When he died, so did her faith in a good God and in religion overall. Her relationship with her mother has long been contentious and hard so moving back in with her after her conviction hasn't been easy and the fact that they are often at odds over what is right for Angus makes the situation even harder. As a character, Bird is both frustrating and redeemable by turns. Seeing her grapple with what is right and wanting to be the best possible mom to Angus is wonderful but the reader will also want to shout at her for the hurtful things she can say or do, especially towards her mother, and for the wrongheaded decisions she makes when she's describing the past where she first met James.The novel is told on two different timelines, Bird's present and Bird's past, and both are narrated by Bird herself. Both timelines move forward and the present timeline doesn't reveal major plot points from the past, allowing both timelines to have surprising twists to them. A couple of the revelations are a tad predictable but there are others that are not at all expected and help keep the reader engaged in Bird's story and where she is ultimately going to end up. Better yet, where she will end up is not obvious until the end of the novel, although it is fitting with her character and the story. Galante is careful not offer any easy answers to the myriad of deep and thoughtful questions Bird faces and she shows the multiple layers that make up decisions and reactions. This is a novel about forgiveness, institutional and personal. It's about self-sabotage and belief in oneself and the hard work of family. At its core it's a goodhearted novel that will leave the reader pulling for Bird and Angus and all of the people in her life who have believed in her, even, or especially, when she might not have deserved it.