The Longest Trip Home

A Memoir

By: John Grogan

Narrated by: John Grogan

“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.

Great book

I really like John Grogen he is a great story teller. So much humor. Marley and Me was one of the best books I have listen to and this one was next in line. I wish he had more.

Growing up Catholic.

As a person who grew up going to all Catholic schools this really resonates with me. I had the same experiences he did with my education and parents. It was also a real tear jerker at the end.

A good story line.

Good read, John Grogan told about his life growing up and his relationship with his family..

Heart Warming

John Grogan has struck gold a second time. His writing and reading style are warm, inviting and inspirational. I was particularly pleased with the "wonder years" type of stories from his childhood, and I laughed and cried at the end as he shares intimate moments between he and his father. There was a bit more energy put into the religious aspect of his parents' lives, but he holds true to the necessary facts about his life to tell the whole story. I bought this book after reading Marley and Me in the hopes that it would deliver the same emotion and character. It did not dissapoint.

As real as it gets

I chose this book because I wanted a memoir; not a gruesome story about a horrendous childhood. I wanted something that was closer to real life, normal, somewhat typical, like mine.

What I loved about this book is the clarity of the writing. It amazes me when writers (good ones) can relate an otherwise boring story and make you want to finish reading or hearing it.
This is not an exciting story, or one that makes you cringe. It is a story that many people, like myself and many others, have lived.

This story was real. It sheds a great deal of insight into what it feels like to grow up in a religious home (Catholic or otherwise). It dealt honestly with the bland realities of just growing up, a typical, American middle class childhood. It makes you feel as if you can see him growing up, feel his emotional struggles and growing pains, and it leaves you feeling as if your own story isn't so boring after all.

This is a book I will listen to again, as I do many of my favorites. It reminds me of the powerful influence we have as people, as spouses, as children and as parents. A powerful, honest book, well worth reading.