The Ride of Our Lives
Roadside Lessons of an American Family
گزارش تخلف
کتاب های مرتبط
- اطلاعات
- نقد و بررسی
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نقد و بررسی
February 6, 2006
Fans of NBC News correspondent Leonard's slice-of-life features for the Today
show may enjoy this account of a month-long road trip he took with his parents, now in their 80s. (A DVD of the journey accompanies the book.) But what works on screen doesn't translate to the printed page, and Leonard's attempt to merge a tribute to his parents with greater issues of life and death hits a dead end. As he drives from Chicago through the Southwest, up the East Coast and back to Chicago, Leonard intertwines his reflections with biographical stories by and about his somewhat eccentric parents. Their tales offer the book's most entertaining moments: phlegmatic Jack, who's "conversational 'off' button got jammed," likes to sing old songs, while gregarious Marge likes to drink and repeatedly spices her conversation with profanity ("Toora loora, my ass!" she yells during one of Jack's songs). Although Marge's behavior begins to seem more unnerving than unusual, Leonard's account of her brave childhood with an abusive father is the book's highlight. But Leonard keeps putting himself at the center of the story, detailing how charmed his life has been from his college prep high school days to lucking into his TV career, which makes for dull reading. Photos.
March 1, 2006
Take a road trip, combine it with the dynamics of three generations of a family living in close quarters, and the results can be worth sharing. Leonard, NBC -s "Today Show "orrespondent, leads the adventure by taking his retired parents and three adult children on a month-long trip from Phoenix to Chicago to be present for the birth of his first grandchild. Along the way, this extended family stops at places like the Alamo and Leonard -s parents - alma maters and visits acquaintances from Leonard -s previous reporting. Each stop offers further insight into this quirky family and sparks humorous and touching reminiscences of family history. Whether recounting his happy childhood or unearthing new discoveries about his parents - lives, Leonard delivers his engaging account with the same offbeat storytelling style that is the hallmark of his television reporting. His is a story of taking the time to learn about your family and appreciating the sometimes odd people you find in its ranks. Recommended for public libraries (DVD not seen)." - Sheila Kasperek, MansfieldUniv. Lib., PA"
Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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