A Kid from Marlboro Road

By: Edward Burns

Narrated by: Edward Burns

Our twelve-year-old narrator, an aspiring writer, is at a wake. He takes in the death of his beloved grandfather, Pop, a larger-than-life figure. The overflowing crowd—a sign of a life well lived—comprises sandhogs in their muddy work boots, Irish grandmothers in black dresses, cops in uniform, members of the family deep in mourning. He watches it all, not yet realizing how this Irish American world defines who he is and who he will become. His older brother Tommy has no patience for rules and domesticities, his father is emotionally elsewhere. This boy knows he’s the best thing his mother’s got, though her sadness envelops them both.

In A Kid from Marlboro Road, past and present intermingle as family stories are told and retold. The narrative careens between the prior generation’s colorful sojourns in the Bronx and Hell’s Kitchen and the softer world of Gibson, the town on Long Island where they live now. There are scenes in the Rockaways, at Belmont racetrack, and in Montauk. Edward Burns’s buoyant first novel is a bildungsroman, yet out of one boy’s story a collective warmth emerges, a certain kind of American tale, raucous and joyous.

With eight pages of photographs of the family members and historical locations that inspired characters and scenes in the novel.

“Burns … [weaves] together a series of bittersweet, personal, and wryly humorous episodes into a portrait of the titular kid who grew up on Marlboro Road and must have been the most perceptive person there. … Endearing and insightful.”—Kirkus Reviews

This audiobook includes a supplemental PDF.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2024 Edward Burns (P)2024 Recorded Books

Great listen!

Authentic and enjoyable. I could visualize the author's narration . I didn't want it to end.

Fantastic!

I bought this book as a Daily Deal, so I wasn't expecting to love it as much as I did. I would pay full price book. Awesome story and the author did a great job narrating! I'm looking forward to more books by Edward Burns!

Fantastic story!

I really enjoyed this book and will listen to anything the author publishes. Just fantastic!

Excellent coming of age story and description of New York

Loved this book, the main character’s look at his life as he walks through the last vestiges of youth. At times humorous, well-defined characters, I loved the look at a slice of America when the world was more connected.

Marlboro Road

Just a pleasant, decent story…
Ed Burns voice so good. Love when authors read their own work!