There's hardly any mention of Marley in The Longest Trip Home. M&M was an autobiographical slice of Grogan's life - a 12 year period when he was newly married and started a family. In TLTH he goes Big Picture, and starts from the beginning until his father's death shortly before the publication of his blockbuster best seller. While M&M focuses on his wife and kids (and of course the crazy canine) this book looks largely back on his childhood friends, first girlfriends, his fiance Jenny again, but most particularly his parents. In fact, the overarching theme of this book is his lifelong struggle to reconcile his lack of religiosity with his parents steadfast Catholic faith. TLTH, as in M&M, seamlessly blends laugh out loud hilarity with poignant and sadder reflections on the pains of growing up, growing apart, and growing old. However, just as M&M was not by and large a sad book (though I spoke to several dog lovers who avoided reading it because they had heard it was) neither, as a whole, is TLTH. Ultimately, it is about the power of family and the love that can endure between parents and children despite the struggles and conflicts. The Longest Trip Home by, John Grogan is a memoir about his life as a misunderstood Catholic. The book starts at his childhood in a little catholic school in Michigan. John is a little 6th grader who is just starting to explore his surroundings. He goes through school tell 8th grade where his parents and him are stuck with a hard decision keep him at Brother Rice Catholic school or let him go to the local public school, Bloomfield high the decision they make is a tuff one. He gets out of high school and goes to collage he meets a beautiful young lady named Jenny. Jenny and John married, and even though they have various hard times they pushed through them with God at their side. John Grogan faced many hard choices and even though he chose the wrong way sometimes he always kept God at his side. Read the book and find out how the choice his parents made changed his life.
What do You think about O Regresso A Casa (2010)?
A heartwarming book that shows how hard it can be to grow up and apart from your parents.
—clang
Also wrote Marley and Me. A memoir of a mischievous boy's life. A fun read.
—isa
darling book. michigan, large family, catholic...great combo !
—PrincessNala
By no means for just Catholics. For everyone.
—snowslider124
