A Year Down Yonder

By: Richard Peck

Narrated by: Lois Smith

Length: 3 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

Mary Alice and Grandma Dowdel return for more astonishing, laugh-out-loud adventures when 15-year-old Mary Alice moves in with her spicy grandmother for the year. Her extended visit is filled with moonlit schemes, romances both foiled and founded, and a whole parade of fools made to suffer in unusual (and always hilarious) ways.

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

Critic reviews

"In this hilarious and poignant sequel to A Long Way to Chicago, Peck once again shows that country life is anything but boring." (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

"Again, Peck has created a delightful, insightful tale that resounds with a storyteller's wit, humor, and vivid description." (School Library Journal) 

"With the same combination of wit, gentleness, and outrageous farce as Peck's Newbery Honor book, Long Way from Chicago, this sequel tells the story of Joey's younger sister, Mary Alice, 15, who spends the year of 1937 back with Grandma Dowdel in a small town in Illinois." (Booklist)

love it.

It's been over 3 years since I listen the first book "Long away from chicago" which i really loved it. This book is awesom, I'm glad I listened to it.

Where is Grandma Dowdle's personality?

What did you love best about A Year Down Yonder?

I loved the continuing story of Mary Alice and Grandma Dowdle, and her antics. It was a great story!

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Lois Smith?

I would like to have the narrator who was cast for "A Long Way from Chicago" in spite of the fact that the book is from the perspective of Mary Alice. He did such an excellent job with all of the characters, especially Grandma Dowdle. I did not enjoy Ms. Smith's interpretation at all.

Fun for the whole family

We happened across this story several years ago while driving on a family vacation. Very well written and read, it was as enjoyable for my kids as it was for my wife and me. Even though my kids are in their late teens now, we still will enjoy listening to the antics of this grandmother and grand daughter in a small town in Illinois.

love it!

once you start its hard to stop absolutely amazing i do love it so much

Every person should read this book at least once.

This book is funny, smart, sad, and keeps you listening. It teaches and inspires . It's a great American classic and I read or listen to it at least once a year or more. I highly recommend this book for anyone of any age.

Sooo funny

This was a laugh out loud short that I could have listened to for hours more. The small town, rural, characters are the very best!! All are so creative and quite different that I could not wait to see what they would do next. Grandma is someone I would love to know. This is a series I won't miss.

Delightful

I thoroughly enjoyed each snippet. And the narration was perfect. I highly recommend this story.

Fantastic!!

All of his stories are good; but this one is the absolute best one that he wrote!!

Beautiful

All of Richard Peck’s books are brilliantly written, but the Grandma Dowdel series is the shining star of his work. This is one of those series that you won’t want to miss in your lifetime. A snapshot of life during the depression, a hilarious comedy of mischief and a warm embrace that reminds us of loved ones from long ago. Beautiful genius.

Another Great Production

I was a little leery at first that there was a different narrator for the second book in this series because I had so much enjoyed the narrator of the first book. However, the narrator did a fabulous job. Now onto the third book in this series… will it be as good as the first two?