The Longest Road Home by John Grogan

In the past couple years, my eyes have rarely seen any contemporary literature, especially non-fiction. Most of my nights have been spent thumbing through the classics -- the Infernos, the Huckleberry Finns, the Lolitas -- for two reasons: primarily because they're awesome reads (they don't make 'em like this anymore) but also because they're predecessors to what's hitting bookshelves these days, and for that, they should be read first.

Two summers ago, on the beach, I stumbled upon a true beach book called Marley and Me by John Grogan about a writer and his rambunctious Labrador, but more about growing up with your family. Sounds run of the mill and cheesy, but Grogan really knows how to put sentences together well. Consequently, I couldn't wait for his second book come out.

The Longest Trip Home is Grogan's memoir about growing up under the rule of pious Catholic parents and ultimately failing to live up to their expectations. The book is divided into three sections, with the first about early childhood. John and his friends get into typical boy mischief -- pulling pranks, looking at nudey magazines, stealing and smoking cigarettes, and later, pot. He goes to church with his parents, but like most kids, does not enjoy it or even understand why saying 10 hail marys will keep you from hell. There are some good laughs and nostalgia in this feel-good section. By the way, he is way better at story telling than David Sedaris will ever be.

In the second part, John goes to college and starts to grow more into himself which is away from his parents. He loses any interest he had in the church but instead of admitting this to his parents, his thin veils makes it seem like he hasn't missed a beat since moving out. They continue to think he goes to church every Sunday and that he lives a devout Christian life. Some time after college, though, he finds his future wife, and after some more time they decide to live together. The 'rents are devastated. After attempts to talk him out of the decision, they excommunicate him (a 30-year-old man now) and believe they've lost all hope. As hurt as they are, they continue to try to support him and this struggle is the heart of the book. They love him as their son but seeing him raise a secular family goes against everything they believe in.

At old ages, John's parents are both carrying diseases. His mother ailing from Alzheimer's and his father learns he has cancer. I won't give away the end, but it is in this time that John comes full cirlce and finally feels comfortable and at peace with his truly loving parents.

If you want a light read that is very well-written, this book delivers. Grogan has remarkable grace with his large vocabulary, but he's not one of those writers that is superfluous with big words or overly ornate. He's a columnist by profession so he doesn't waste space and transitions really well. I really like how he constructs sentences and I'd like to see his hand attempt a fiction piece.