“As he did in Marley, Grogan makes readers feel they have a seat at the family dinner table….4 stars.”
—People
John Grogan, author of the phenomenal #1 New York Times bestseller, Marley & Me, once again takes readers into his past, his memories, and his heart in The Longest Trip Home—a funny and poignant memoir of faith, family, and identity. A New York Times bestseller in its own right, The Longest Trip Home has earned glowing accolades from the critics (“Genuinely heartrending,” —New York Times “Wry and witty,” —Washington Post; “Entertaining, funny, and, best of all, always honest at its core,” —St. Louis Post-Dispatch). And, just as Marley & Me was more than simply “a dog book,” John Grogan’s Longest Trip is much, much more than your typical story of a boy’s coming-of-age.
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"This was an easy to read, very funny and heartbreaking book. We are taken on a tour of John's life before he had Marley ... what it was like to grow up Catholic ... and to lose touch with the church and question your faith. John is a phenomenal story teller who pulls you into his childhood antics and makes you laugh throughout, even during the sad parts."
— Kirsten (4 out of 5 stars)
“Every now and then a memoir is so well written that readers are able to find elements of their own life story in the chronicle of the writer’s life. So it is with this eloquent, tender, witty memoir.”
— Doris Kearns Goodwin, Pulitzer Prize–winning author“The Longest Trip Home takes Mr. Grogan from a boyhood as Mom’s ‘little daffodil’ into the shadow of somber, adult grief. And it honors his parents, perhaps not in the way they would have chosen but in a way that suits his talents: by bringing them to life on the page. He does what he did with Marley. His loss becomes our loss too.”
— New York Times“As he did in Marley, Grogan makes readers feel they have a seat at the family dinner table. He’s now a nonpracticing Catholic, but here-to wonderful effect-he confesses all.”
— People“Wry and witty…full-hearted and worthy.”
— Washington Post“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…come to life with wistful charm.”
— Publishers Weekly" By no means for just Catholics. For everyone. "
— Martin, 2/10/2014" One of my favorite books! A must read. "
— Susan, 1/31/2014" Good read. This book is by the author of Marley and Me. It was written after Marley and Me but takes place before the story of Marley and Me. I guess it's the "prequel" and not the sequel! "
— Jill, 1/26/2014" Really fun and poignant book. Now I need to read "Marley and Me." Hope it's half as good as this one. "
— Doneen, 1/25/2014" I really wanted to love this book as much as I loved Marley and me. I love the style of John Grogan's books and did like the way this was written. My problem is that I am just too far removed from the people. His parents aren't just religious, they are extreme. He would describe situations that were horrifying to me and then spend a paragraph trying to convince you that his parents weren't nearly as crazy as you must think. The book was very bipolar in that manor. It's obvious that he loves and respects his parents and that they were very good people it just feels a little Jekyll and Mr Hyde. "
— Leila, 1/22/2014" Just a regular old memoir. "
— Jessica, 1/6/2014" Liked this one even more than Marley & Me...related to both his Catholic upbringing and his childhood in Michigan. "
— Laurie, 12/24/2013" You know you've read a John Grogan book when you laugh and you cry from reading the same book. This is a moving, sometimes sad book about John differentiating from his parents (to use a psy word). "
— Carrie, 10/24/2013" I usually don't like memoirs and I didn't read Marley and Me but this man can write. I soooo enjoyed it. He was raised Catholic and so was I (somewhat) so I could relate to some of his stories. This book was funny, understandable, poignant, and sad. I would give it 4 and a half stars if I could. "
— Monica, 7/18/2013" A personal memoir by the author of "Marley Me." The three sections of the book enable it to apply to the lives of all of us and all of our children: Growing Up, Breaking Away, and Coming Home. "
— Gail, 6/3/2013" I love reading this man's books! Its funny, its sad, its romantic and its a joy to read. "
— Kellie, 5/28/2013" One of the best books I have read!! I literally could not put this down and finished it in one day ( about 4 hours total reading) There was so much I could relate to in the book and definately gave me food for thought. "
— Stephanie, 5/26/2013" Bittersweet story about John's relationships with his family, especially his father. Good read. "
— Wendy, 5/22/2013" Really lovely family story. Enjoyed it all, and cried like a baby at the end. John Grogan can pull at those heart strings like no other! Quick read. "
— Janet, 5/7/2013" Most people can probably find a glimpse of their life in the life of these characters. By the end, I was laying in bed in the middle of the night bawling--a very touching and heartfelt memoir "
— Abby, 1/25/2013" A good book, but nothing really amazing or life changing. He is a great writer and the stories were interesting that he told. Much of it is about his relationship with his parents as well as their very very strong Catholic faith. "
— Amber, 1/24/2013" he grew up outside detroit - i was sold immediately. and i cried! i rarely cry when i read. and i laughed - A LOT. "
— Jennie, 11/25/2012" A heartwarming book that shows how hard it can be to grow up and apart from your parents. "
— Jennifer, 10/5/2012" John Grogan is such a wonderful writer. His memories of his childhood brought me back in time and made me laugh out loud. Also the end of the book brought back vivid memories of my mom's last days. "
— Joleen, 4/11/2012" I listened to this book in my car - it was great for that... "
— Brenda, 12/20/2011" This was a nice memoir, easy to read and really spanning his life. Growing up Catholic and going to Catholic school, I could really relate to some of his stories. I look forward to more books by Grogan, both non-fiction and maybe some fiction as well. "
— Melissa, 7/26/2011" It was an OK read, but not my favorite. "
— Gigi, 6/25/2011" This was a really entertaining and touching story! If you have any parental friction this story speaks to you as a child growing up not quite as your parents had planned. :) "
— Mandy, 5/21/2011" darling book. michigan, large family, catholic...great combo ! "
— Tracy, 4/24/2011" John Grogan wrote "Marley and Me". This book is a memoir about growing up in a Catholic family in the midwest, in the 1960's. All interesting subjects to me, and it was written well. He's quite witty. I liked it. "
— Debbie, 4/14/2011" I expected a lot more after Marley and me. Just ok.... "
— Esther, 3/31/2011" If you were raised catholic - a must read!! The book does a great job portraying a lot of the catholic traditions with a comedic twist.<br/><br/>Ultimately a very but heartwarming story about a son's relationship with his parents and how it evolved over time "
— Elizabeth, 3/27/2011" I love John Grogan. Marley and Me was so funny and heartwarming. Love this memior about his life. "
— Jamie, 3/26/2011" I had a hard time getting into the book, but once I did there were lots of funny moments and insight into someone who was raised by very faithful Catholic parents. Interesting too because the author grew up locally. "
— Joelle, 3/10/2011" Felt like I was reading about my life, straight from childhood into current adulthood! "
— Terri, 3/7/2011" Amazing. I swear the author was writing the last couple years of my life as my Dad went through the same sickness. I couldn't put it down and the ending blew me away. It started a bit slow but then the pace picked up and got more interesting. If you like memoirs, this is a definite must read. "
— Sandra, 3/1/2011" Just discovered that I read this already. Can't remember what I thought of it! "
— Lisa, 2/22/2011" This is a memoir by the author of Marley. There were some amusing anecdotes, but it was mostly predictable. <br/> "
— Carol, 2/19/2011" I'm really liking this book by the guy who wrote Marley and me....he writes like I think ... plus all the references to growing up catholic are cracking me up! Has the same attitude about it we all did! Really liking this! "
— Sharlene, 2/18/2011John Grogan is the author of the #1 bestseller Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog, which inspired the bestselling middle-grade memoir Marley: A Dog Like No Other and the #1 bestselling picture book Bad Dog, Marley!, as well as a feature film starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston. Grogan is also the author of the bestselling A Very Marley Christmas, Marley Goes to School, and Marley and the Kittens. He lives with his wife and three children and their new dogs, Gracie and Woodson, in the Pennsylvania countryside.