Product Description

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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #84940 in Books
• Published on: 2009-01-22
• Released on: 2009-01-22
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 352 pages

Review
'Heart-rending' (New York Times )

'You've met the wife and dog, now meet the parents . . . Grogan makes readers feel they have a seat at the family dinner table' (People )

'A hilarious and touching memoir . . . a tenderly told story' (Publishers Weekly, Starred Review )

'John Grogan is more like Marley than he might want to believe. An affable, unassuming rabble-rouser, the author who penned a bestseller about his goofy dog gets up to some hilarious antics of his own in a new coming-of age memoir, THE LONGEST TRIP HOME' (Bookpage )

'With his telltale humor and poignant observations about life and our humanity, John Grogan delivers another emotional whollop here. THE LONGEST TRIP HOME is a must read for anyone who has questioned their faith, sought to understand their identity, and loved their family. In other words, everyone.' (Ann Hood, author of The Knitting Circle )

'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. Shifting artfully between the voice of a child and the perspective of an adult, John Grogan captures our hearts from start to finish.' (Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of Wait Till Next Year and Team of Rivals )

About the Author
John Grogan's first book, MARLEY & ME, is a number one international bestseller soon to be released as a major motion picture. He lives in Pennsylvania with his wife, Jenny, and their three children.

Customer Reviews

Finding Love & Appreciation
In a humorous and heart warming way John Grogan shares stories from his childhood through adulthood. The reader is brought along on John's evolution from a boy into a man with a family of his own. Along the way, as he searches for his own identity and beliefs - outside of his parents influences and his upbringing, the author discovers compassion and the powerful love he has for his family. What I found most inspiring is how John honors his parents - from the raising of his brothers and sister to their enduring marriage and unwavering strength found in their Catholic religion. If you found this book enjoyable, I think you'll also enjoy any of Ariel & Shya Kane books "Working on Yourself Doesn't Work: The 3 Simple Ideas That Can Instantaneously Transform Your Life", "Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment" and "How to Create a Magical Relationship: The 3 Simple Ideas that Will Instantaneously Transform Your Love Life" and their #1 internet radio show called "Being Here" on The 7th Wave Network channel on Voice America.com. It does not have to take a long journey or life threatening disease of a loved one to rekindle your own love or connection to those in your life you find most precious. I certainly have found inspiration to express my own love and appreciation for my family with more ease and frequency after reading works like these.

A hard act to follow
Having read his first book 'Marley and me' I knew that it was going to be a very hard book to follow. This book is about his earlier life up to the present day and goes through various stages of his life. It is well written and an enjoyable read. Just not quite as good as 'Marley and me', though I am a dog person so that book hit a cord - though enjoyable and light hearted and suitable for everyone.

Measures the Distance between Faith and Doubt
I guess I didn't pay enough attention to the book's description. I assumed that there had to be more dog stories in this book. After all, Marley & Me was quite good.

Based on this book, most people would agree that Mr. Grogan writes about dogs and families better than he does about his own family. I hope he will go back to dogs and families as a subject.

For most of this book, I felt like I was reading the story of my college roommate who fell away from his family's Catholic faith and caused lots of heartbreak. I looked in vain for some view in this book that my roommate hadn't expressed . . . and didn't find any.

Then, The Longest Trip Home returned to its roots in exploring the spiritual and emotional space between Mr. Grogan's very devout parents and his "I know what God must think" philosophy. The book hits its highs in that area.

Strong faith in Jesus is something that's hard to understand . . . unless you have it. Isn't it interesting that both great faith and no faith can exist among parents and their children? Mysterious are His ways.

I was very touched to read about the faith and strong piety of Mr. Grogan's parents. I wish I had met them. It was heart-warming and enjoyable to learn more about how they lived their lives.

I was also interested to understand Mr. Grogan's perspective. Why doesn't he believe after a solid religious foundation in the home, at church, and in school?

What could be the counter to such great faith as expressed by his parents? I don't agree with the views he expresses in the book and was surprised that he thought they were worth explaining. It seemed more like he psychologically needs to define himself in terms of not being like everyone else. As evidence of that point of view, you can see stirrings of his faith developing since his father died.

I also hope that he will find faith. May God bless Mr. Grogan in that search.