Michael Without Apology

A Novel

By: Catherine Ryan Hyde

Narrated by: Michael Crouch

A film student struggling with self-acceptance finally stops looking away from his traumatic past in a powerful novel by New York Times bestselling author Catherine Ryan Hyde.

Michael Woodbine was seven years old when a near-fatal fireworks accident scarred him and led to his placement in foster care. Now a college freshman, he is still trying to hide the effects of his trauma from his classmates, his adoptive family, and himself.

When Michael signs up for a film class, he meets Robert Dunning, a teacher who wears his own scars unapologetically. Robert encourages Michael to make a documentary that explores body image and self-perception. Michael places an ad seeking people who feel unattractive and rejected by society—and is surprised to learn that this is essentially everyone. Although some participants are recovering from injuries or surgeries, others are dealing with more everyday factors like aging or the changes to a body from giving birth.

As he collects these stories—and finally tells his own—Michael feels more connected to the world than he ever has before. But he knows his journey of self-acceptance has one more obstacle: his crushing doubts about why his birth parents wouldn’t fight to keep him.

©2025 Catherine Ryan Hyde, Trustee, or Successor Trustee, of the Catherine Ryan Hyde Revocable Trust created under that certain declaration dated September 27, 1999. (P)2025 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“In this brilliant novel, we learn about accepting ourselves and others, with all our scars and imperfections. Hyde demonstrates that we don’t need to apologize for our imperfect bodies, or for a messy house.”—Bookreporter

Great topic

Pertinent to so many of us in different ways, and great to share with family and in my career in a medical field.

I must read. Listened to it with my daughter, and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. Thoughtful, heartfelt, wonderful story.

Really didn’t dislike anything. We loved all the characters even like the ones Unlikable. We listened to an audio and whoever was doing all the reading did a fabulous job.

Loved the writing and the narrator was excellent

The way the author explained simple things in such a clear descriptive way had great takeaways

Amazing Gem of a book !!

This book absolutely needs to be on everybody’s book club list! A heartfelt journey on what it means to have scars both physical and emotional. The writing is superb with excellent narration.. so much insight and detail into the human emotions regarding parenthood, self-worth, relationships and love that I really felt it was one of the best books I’ve read this year.

Stellar

Loved the characters and the writing. Compelling story. I Love this author and recommend this book. One of her bests. If not the best.