From Publishers Weekly
Bestselling author Greene (
Duty) has filled a shelf with two dozen books, including his 1993 novel
All Summer Long, while appearing as a broadcast journalist (
Nightline) and writing for newspapers (the
Chicago Tribune) and magazines (
Life). Now he looks back on his youth in Bexley, Ohio (pop. 13,000), where he and his four pals grew up together, calling themselves ABCDJ (for Allen, Bob, Chuck, Dan and Jack). Their lives' paths diverged, but they always stayed in contact; in 2004, the news that Jack was terminally ill reunited them. Then and now, the group used jokes "to hide our feelings—to pretend to feel nothing... [which] seemed much better than the alternative." Greene met Jack in kindergarten, and they remained best friends for life. Remembering people and places they shared, the two revisit old haunts, discovering that their beloved Toddle House, where they once went for late-night chocolate pie, is now a Pizza Plus. Greene's repetitive, rambling free associations recall everything from his Halloween costume and old songs to ice cream parlors, state fairs and clothing fads. Unfortunately, the author's dusty attic of lost Americana is cluttered with clichés, nostalgia and overly sentimental yearnings.
(May 1) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From AudioFile
Some are lucky enough to have lifelong friends whose companionship is golden. This is such a story. Journalist and bestselling author Bob Greene recounts how he and four friends grew up together in Ohio, where they built a rich collection of memories to draw upon forever. When Greene's best friend, Jack, was diagnosed with terminal cancer at 57, the group of devastated friends reunited and recounted their past together in order to deal with their future. Greene has an infectious and relaxed storytelling style that makes the listener comfortable immediately as he intermingles endearing and comical stories from his youth with heartbreaking details of Jack's struggle. It's as true an account of friendship as one could ever hope to hear. B.J.P. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine--
Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
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