The Longest Trip Home John Grogan | ISBN : 0-06-176962-2

The Longest Trip Home

Author: John Grogan

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Publication Date: 21 October, 2008

ISBN: 9780061769627

Pages:

Subjects: Biographies, Literary criticism, Social science

Available as: Trade Cloth, 978-0-06-171324-8 Trade Paper, 978-0-06-171330-9 Trade Paper, 978-0-06-172820-4 E-Book - netLibrary, 978-0-06-176959-7 E-Book - , 978-0-06-176963-4 E-Book - , 978-0-06-176965-8 E-Book - , 978-0-06-176962-7 E-Book - , 978-0-06-176961-0 E-Book - , 978-0-06-176960-3 E-Book - netLibrary, 978-1-4159-6231-2

Description:

Finding your place in the world can be the longest trip home . . . In his debut bestseller, Marley & Me, John Grogan showed how a dog can become an extraordinary presence in the life of one family. Now, in his highly anticipated follow-up, Grogan again works his magic, bringing us the story of what came first. Before there was Marley, there was a gleefully mischievous boy growing up in a devout Catholic home outside Detroit in the 1960s and '70s. Despite his loving parents' best efforts, John's attempts to meet their expectations failed spectacularly. Whether it was his disastrous first confession, the use of his hobby telescope to take in the bronzed Mrs. Selahowski sunbathing next door, the purloined swigs of sacramental wine, or, as he got older, the fumbled attempts to sneak contraband past his father and score with girls beneath his mother's vigilant radar, John was figuring out that the faith and fervor that came so effortlessly to his parents somehow had eluded him. And then one day, a strong-willed young woman named Jenny walked into his life. As their love grew, John began the painful, funny, and poignant journey into adulthood-away from his parents' orbit and into a life of his own. It would take a fateful call and the onset of illness to lead him on the final leg of his journey-the trip home again. The Longest Trip Home is a book for any son or daughter who has sought to forge an identity at odds with their parents', and for every parent who has struggled to understand the values of their children. It is a book about mortality and grace, spirit and faith, and the powerful love of family. With his trademark blend of humor and pathos that made Marley & Me beloved by millions, John Grogan traces the universal journey each of us must take to find our unique place in the world. Filled with revelation and laugh-out-loud humor, The Longest Trip Home will capture your heart-but mostly it will make you want to reach out to those you love.

PW Publishers Weekly

Review Source: Publishers Weekly

Review Date: 2008-12-22

Grogan provides heartfelt and evocative narration to his touching coming-of-age memoir. His speaking style may not necessarily convey polish, but his friendly lilt and natural enunciation perfectly fits the essence of the autobiographical material. Grogan's vivid anecdotes of Catholic schoolboy mischief--from chugging communion wine to covertly purchasing cigarettes from a bowling alley vending machine complete with old-fashioned pull-knobs and the clank of coinage--come to life with wistful charm. The angst never descends into trite clichés, as Grogan reflects on honest family disagreements with respect and understanding. As the laughter of youth gives way to the weighty matters of adulthood, Grogan remains in full command as a master storyteller. His recollections of his dad's valiant struggle with leukemia and their fateful dialogue about faith and fatherhood are especially memorable. The musical interludes at the start and end of each disk set the nostalgic tone without descending into heavy-handed orchestration. A Morrow hardcover (Reviews, Sept. 1). (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved