• A Long Way from Chicago

  • A Novel in Stories
  • By: Richard Peck
  • Narrated by: Ron McLarty
  • Length: 4 hrs and 17 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (697 ratings)

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A Long Way from Chicago  By  cover art

A Long Way from Chicago

By: Richard Peck
Narrated by: Ron McLarty
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Publisher's summary

What happens when Joey and his sister, Mary Alice - two city slickers from Chicago - make their annual summer visits to Grandma Dowdel's seemingly sleepy Illinois town?

August 1929: They see their first corpse, and he isn't resting easy.
August 1930: The Cowgilll boys terrorize the town, and Grandma fights back with a dead mouse and a bottle of milk.
August 1931: Joey and Mary Alice help Grandma to trespass, pinch property, poach, catch the sheriff in his underwear, and feed the hungry - all in one day.

And there's more - much more - as Joey and Mary Alice make seven summer trips to Grandma's, each one funnier and more surprising than the year before. In the grand storytelling tradition of American humorists from Mark Twain to Flannery O'Connor, Richard Peck has created a memorable world filled with characters who, like Grandma herself, are larger than life and twice as entertaining. And year round, you are sure to enjoy your stay with them.

©2005 Richard Peck (P)2008 Random House, Inc.

What listeners say about A Long Way from Chicago

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Enjoyed this very much!

Fun story. I enjoyed this very much. I will recommend to my kids (ages 9-15) to read too. The narrator did a great job.

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5 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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A truly awesome book!

Richard Peck is wonderful he takes you to another time another way of life! Grandma is a truly amazing character and she teaches her grandchildren a lot each summer! I think she taught my son a few things also when his father read this book and the next book A Year down yonder to him! I know as an adult now it is one of his favorite memories he has of his father!

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2 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great book but...

This is a great book, I loved it. One thing is it has many names and can be confusingat times. You have to have your full full attention to understand it. I would recommend you be around the age 12 to 15. Some of the words are too complex for young children. I personally loved this and would give it all five stars except for those small negative things.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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What a great journey back in time

I read this book many years ago and even though The story wasn’t new to me this time around, I still laughed out loud several times throughout this reading. The journey back into some of the history of Illinois was also a pleasure. This book is an eye opener of how we have much to appreciate in these modern times of convenience.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

delightful

Small town life with an idiosyncratic Grandma who bends the rules but truly cares and is kind of a “Robin Hood “

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Such a fun book to listen to!

I love all of Richard Peck's books. His writing style is fun and easy to listen to with kids of all ages!

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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I read this book aloud every year to my class.

I loved listening to A Long Way from Chicago. I read this and the sequel to my students every year. Both are full of laughter, family and nuggets of the past. I enjoyed being the listener this time. Both are worth reading and hearing again and again.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Ron McLarty is the best reader.

Loved the story and the characters.
would be a great movie! wonderful to visualize. great to drive to

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

FUNNY, GREAT STORIES!

Once I started listening to this book of the yearly adventures to grandma's house, I could not stop. It's a great adventure with laughing out loud humor. Leaves me craving for more. A good listen for all ages and genre. The stories are wonderfully written and the narrator does an excellent job.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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A Most Endearing Story

Beautiful and wonderfully crafted tale of love, mischief and cunning. Ron McLarty is a master storyteller.

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3 people found this helpful