A Long Way From Chicago has a great premise. Joey Dowdel and his younger sister, Mary Alice, are "forced" to visit their Grandma Dowdel every summer. Each chapter in the novel tells the story of a summer visit. There is a story for 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, and 1942. The prologue says it all, "As the years went by, though, Mary Alice and I grew up, and though Grandma never changed, we'd seem to see a different woman every summer."
Through the stories, readers catch glimpses of the past. These stories capture family moments. There is plenty of humor and a good bit of heart.
For any reader who enjoys quirky small-town, long-ago, family-based stories from the heart, this one is a must.
I think I prefer Peck's more traditional novels to his stories.
I loved this one the first time I read and reviewed it in 2008.
© 2014 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
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