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The Way Home Audiobook
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(3.00) - 1,257 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
After getting his life on track, a man with a troubled past finds temptation under the twisted floorboards of a house he's remodeling in this mystery filled with "wonderful dialogue" and "action that punches from the shoulder and hip" (John Weisman, Washington Times).
Christopher Flynn is trying to get it right. After years of trouble and rebellion that enraged his father and nearly cost him his life, he has a steady job in his father's company, he's seriously dating a woman he respects, and, aside from the distrust that lingers in his father's eyes, his mistakes are firmly in the past.
One day on the job, Chris and his partner come across a temptation almost too big to resist. Chris does the right thing, but old habits and instincts rise to the surface, threatening this new-found stability with sudden treachery and violence. With his father and his most trusted friends, he takes one last chance to blast past the demons trying to pull him back.
Like Richard Price or William Kennedy, Pelecanos pushes his characters to the extremes, their redemption that much sweeter because it is so hard fought. Pelecanos has long been celebrated for his unerring ability to portray the conflicts men feel as they search and struggle for power and love in a world that is often harsh and unforgiving but can ultimately be filled with beauty.
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"George Pelecanos is a big favorite of mine with his gritty, street wise view of Washington D.C.. This novel gives us a peek into the juvenile justice system that would have captured many of the characters he wrote about in "The Wire." Gripping and always well crafted."
— Bradley (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Nobody can teach George Pelecanos anything he doesn’t already know about the inherent drama in the father-son dynamic.”
— New York Times -
“In George Pelecanos’ The Way Home, it’s the little things that matter...he’s fascinated by the minor decisions that end up making a huge difference in the long run, and the ripples that result when good but imperfect people try to do the right thing—even when they’re not exactly sure what the right thing is.”
— Washington Post -
“Between the wonderful dialogue, the characters who unpeel like onions before your eyes, and action that punches from the shoulder and hip—the very technique Thomas Flynn taught young Chris—Mr. Pelecanos brings things off with bravura.”
— Washington Times -
“A crime novel, yes, but the talented Pelecanos shoves it out of its comfort zone…Redemption the hard way, well-crafted and deeply felt.”
— Kirkus Reviews
Awards
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Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award
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A 2009 Hammett Prize Finalist
The Way Home Listener Reviews
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" Easy read; tough story. "
— Jennifer, 2/19/2014 -
" Pelecanos takes us to the under belly of DC. And shows us that the mistake of youth is not repeated because of the love of family. "
— Rosemary, 2/16/2014 -
" Bad kid turns good. Finds stashedmoney, doesn't take - but ends up mixed up w/ it. "
— Jamie, 2/10/2014 -
" Gritty story about a group of kids from a juvenile detention center in DC, and what happens with their lives when they get out. Starts out slowly, but the story really gets going midway through and builds for a big pay off ending. "
— Hobson, 1/28/2014 -
" A good story about characters coming to terms with disappointment and reality. "
— Lynn, 1/27/2014 -
" So this is on Obama's vacation reading pile. Not that impressed. "
— Ben, 1/21/2014 -
" Pelecanos is a fine writer. His books are set in DC and it is all familiar. He is a step up from a crime novelists. This book is a coming of age story, the good Chris and the bad Chris and his parents. Decent people doing the best they can as Chris graduates from the juvenile detention system of DC. You have honor, friendship, and family. You also have an encounter with a very bad set of characters. Pelecanos is a good break from the WW2 binge I have been on. "
— Bap, 1/18/2014 -
" The dialogue didn't feel genuine, but hokey. Typical story about a rebellious youth growing into maturity. "
— Cindy, 1/11/2014 -
" watch the wire instead "
— Josh, 12/8/2013 -
" I really enjoy the character development in Pelecanos's books, though I can see why his detail-laden writing style is infuriating to some readers. "
— Kirsti, 11/1/2013 -
" This book was just okay, hence the 2 stars. Don't get me wrong - it was easy to read and a quick book to get into, but the plot was completely crystal clear and I found myself bored halfway into it. "
— Christiane, 3/13/2013 -
" This book could have got the job done in two thirds of its length. "
— Peter, 2/25/2013 -
" #23 for 2010. "
— Craig, 12/26/2012 -
" Not Mr. Pelecanos' best work. It was still a good read! "
— Alexa, 11/29/2012 -
" good book. kind of corny, but i finished it in a day...so must be good. taught, easy to read, suspenseful. i will put more of his books on my bpl list. "
— Michael, 7/31/2011 -
" Thought the reviews were over-rated. Described as crime novel but not very clever, characters were not very interesting or developed. "
— Melissa, 5/9/2011 -
" George Pelecanos can do no wrong. "
— Bill, 4/21/2011 -
" Really enjoying this tale of a father/son relationship. What does a dad do when the son goes off the rails, but then tries to make it better? "
— Chuck, 4/13/2011 -
" Not Mr. Pelecanos' best work. It was still a good read! "
— Alexa, 3/25/2011 -
" No one writes about DC as well as Pelecanos. Gritty and true. "
— Sheila, 3/21/2011 -
" OK, here's yet another mystery writer I'm hooked on. He's a good writer with something to say. Will definitely look into some of his other books. "
— Liz, 1/21/2011 -
" Pelecanos has a gift for the details and rhythms of urban life that, in his final chapters, succumbs to civic lessons and hopeful endings. "
— Ron, 1/17/2011 -
" Chris Flynn ends up in juvenile at age 16. He finds his way home to his family and a responsible adult life, with just one stumbling block and the deaths of two friends. "
— Linnet, 1/7/2011
About George Pelecanos
George Pelecanos is the author of twenty-two novels and story collections set in and around Washington, DC, and has been the recipient of numerous international writing awards. He is a screenwriter, essayist, and television writer–producer whose credits include The Wire, Treme, The Deuce, and We Own This City.
About Dion Graham
Dion Graham is an award-winning narrator named a “Golden Voice” by AudioFile magazine. He has been a recipient of the prestigious Audie Award numerous times, as well as Earphones Awards, the Publishers Weekly Listen Up Awards, IBPA Ben Franklin Awards, and the ALA Odyssey Award. He was nominated in 2015 for a Voice Arts Award for Outstanding Narration. He is also a critically acclaimed actor who has performed on Broadway, off Broadway, internationally, in films, and in several hit television series. He is a graduate of Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts, with an MFA degree in acting.