The Longest Trip Home: A Memoir

by JohnGrogan (Author)

• Used

  Hardcover
  2009

  $3.31

  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 true 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, his 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 romance 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. 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 place in the world.

• Used

  Paperback
  2009

  $3.31

  John Grogan grew up in the American midwest as the son of comically devout Irish Catholic parents who were pious to the point of eccentricity. Cruets of holy water and statues of the Virgin Mary were everywhere. Rosary beads hung from bedposts, Mass was a daily obligation and altar boy training was mandatory. There were strong expectations that all four Grogan children would embrace religion with enthusiasm and more than one would enter the priesthood. And then there was John. The Unbeliever. From first confession mishaps and family holidays to religious sites, the first illicit cigarettes and the frustrating quest to lose one's virginity, LONGEST TRIP HOME is a story only John could tell -- filled with moments of poignancy and heartfelt revelation -- and, of course, incisive humour. At its heart, LONGEST TRIP HOME is a universal story about growing up, outgrowing your parents, and making peace with them before it's too late. Given John's inimitable style this story is a wonderful mixture of laughter, universal emotion and tears.

• Used

  Hardcover
  2008

  $3.31

• New

  Paperback
  2009

  $15.06