Mike Leonard is a lucky man. It’s not everyone who gets parents like Jack and Marge. At eighty-seven, Jack is a pathological optimist with an...
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Feb 28, 2008
Angela
rated it: 
The book starts off with a mishaps right away. The cast of characters mirrored people in my life. The family embarks on a trip across the us in two RV's. The son wants to give his parents a last tour of the country before they can't travel anymore. They visit special places to them as well as familiar land marks along the way. The family's interactions through out the book made me laugh.
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Apr 26, 2009
Beth
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What a fun book. I loved the familiarity of Mike's growing up years--the freedom that we shared when the world was not such a scary place--or at least we did not know that it was scary. I was surprised and pleased to find Skoose singing a little ditty that Gary's dad used to sing--how strange to find it validated in print!! ( I used to work in Chicago, in a department store..) I identified with Mike's feelings about seeing his parents age. I wish had the desire to take my mom on a similar jour
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Aug 15, 2007
Carole
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I loved the writer's style. He's very funny and not afraid to take pot shots at himself. Traveling around the country with his parents and children, you learn that family is what is really important. Also you cannot go back to life as it used to be, it has changed. Be happy with who you are and who you are with.
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Aug 08, 2011
Perhaps this is an unfair review, as I listened to this book on tape for a book club meeting (and the abridged version was the only thing available to me), but I would not have picked up this book unless it was for a book club. That was a fair judgement, because I didn't find this book interesting at all. I was not familiar with Mike Leonard prior to reading this book, so maybe that played a role in my disinterest. But his stories about his parents aren't all that compelling and aren't even t
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Mar 21, 2011
Terri
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Fun story about a road trip that reporter Mike Leonard took with his aging parents and grown children.
Marge (Moose) is a pessimist who likes to hoist a few ! Jack is tea totaling optimist happily married to Moose for over 60 years.
This is a story of a family that rent 2 big winnebagos and head off to visit some old memories and to make new ones. But mostly it's the story of love. Married love that has lasted for more then half a century and filial love of a son for his paren More...
Marge (Moose) is a pessimist who likes to hoist a few ! Jack is tea totaling optimist happily married to Moose for over 60 years.
This is a story of a family that rent 2 big winnebagos and head off to visit some old memories and to make new ones. But mostly it's the story of love. Married love that has lasted for more then half a century and filial love of a son for his paren More...
Dec 19, 2009
Dagmar
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This was a delightful book. The author decides to take his aging parents and 3 of his grown children in RV trek across the country, visiting places significant in the family's history. He tells about incidents that occur along the way and stories that are shared between family members. This was one up those upbeat books that made me feel good and hopeful about life. There were parts where I laughed out loud. The author's parents were fascinating and endearing. I could see myself turning in
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Apr 24, 2011
Meagan
rated it: 
Four pages in and there's already cursing. My book club's going to hate it, but things are looking up for me!
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Well, I'm finished now, and extremely curious about my book club's reaction. This book is bursting at the seams with positive family feeling, while also presenting them in a realistic light, cursing and light alcoholism included.
These kinds of "aw, shucks, ain't my family great" memoirs aren't really my thing, but it wasn't painful to r More...
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Well, I'm finished now, and extremely curious about my book club's reaction. This book is bursting at the seams with positive family feeling, while also presenting them in a realistic light, cursing and light alcoholism included.
These kinds of "aw, shucks, ain't my family great" memoirs aren't really my thing, but it wasn't painful to r More...
Dec 08, 2011
Kathy
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I should pay more attention to what my friends read. Beth read this two and half years ago and gave it 4 stars. I just picked it off the library shelf knowing nothing about it or Mike Leonard. It's the story of a trip he took for a month with his parents and three of his adult children and a daughter-in-law in two rented RVs, visiting sites from the family's history, and ending with the birth of the first child in the 4th generation. I laughed a lot, but also cringed at the Irish Catholic sweari
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May 31, 2009
Kelly
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LOVED this book! Mike Leonard does a great job of telling the story of their cross-country drive and mixing in memories from his childhood and adult life as well as stories from his parents' lives. It's like a family history, biography, and novel all in one. I love the way he describes his children because you can tell he's so proud of them. And I fell in love with his parents, especially his dad. I really enjoyed the whole thing. I laughed out loud multiple times and even shed some tears. And t
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Aug 12, 2011
Nancy
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The Ride of Our Lives is life affirming, alternately hysterical and poignant; rich in heart and humor with only one fault. It is almost too rich. Two-thirds of the way into the book, you feel like you have eaten too much chocolate. But it is a good feeling.
Are we having fun yet? Most people avoid vacations that involve both their grown children and their elderly parents. Perhaps NBC journalist Mike Leonard doesn’t have that common sense. He went on a cross-country trip with two RVs More...
Are we having fun yet? Most people avoid vacations that involve both their grown children and their elderly parents. Perhaps NBC journalist Mike Leonard doesn’t have that common sense. He went on a cross-country trip with two RVs More...
Jun 17, 2011
Paula
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I really enjoyed this book because it included two of my favorite things - road trips and quirky family stories. Three generations of a family (80 year old grandparents, 60 year old dad and kids in 20s & 30s) take a road trip from Arizona to the northeast and then end their trip in Chicago for the birth of the first great-grandchild (4th generation to the family). Many stories were shared - happy, sad, embarrassing, and poignant. A quick and entertaining read - I even teared up a little at th
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Jul 26, 2011
Linda
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Mike Leonard is a feature writer for the Today show, and in this combined autobiography/travel story, his family travels in two rented RVs from Arizona across the southern states and up the Atlantic coast, and then back to Chicago. The occasion is Mike’s gift to his elderly parents, the ultimate family reunion. Jack and Marge Leonard, well into their 80’s, are real characters, and such opposites that one wonders how they could have stayed married for sixty years. Along for the ride are two
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Sep 15, 2010
Chris
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I picked this book up at the library. I was pleasantly surprised to find a DVD enclosed, that had the "Today Show" segments of his month long RV trip with his parents. I really enjoyed reading about his travels, and I wished there were more about his actual travels, and less about his growing up in the Chicago suburbs in the 1950's/1960's. His parents really reminded me of Kathy Griffin's parents in her reality series--they could have been neighbors. The parents were the real stars
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Nov 01, 2009
Chris
rated it:
Parts of this autobiography/memoir are hilarious. Mike Leonard's parents are polar opposites who raised a loving and funny family. Leonard's gift is in finding the lesson and/or symbolism in small, seemingly insignificant events. But even a gift can be overused to the point of being tiresome. The Today Show snippets of this "journey" were much more entertaining than the book. Still, I'm glad I got to know Jack and Marge even if Leonard's writing style is a bit repetitive.
Jul 25, 2010
Kelly
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I grabbed this for our roadtrip thinking it was going to be hokey. Turns out, it's a hysterically written story about 3 generations of family traveling together in the Holiday Rambler providing a memoir of Mike Leonard's life. Wonderfully woven into the current events are memories from his past and his elderly parent's past. His mother practically had me in tears of laughter. The ending is sweet and gives one a reminder of all the little things that are important in life.
Mar 07, 2009
Kathryn
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Mike Leonard is a feature correspondent for NBC News. This memoir is framed in a cross-country trip he took a few years ago with his octagenarian parents, three of his adult children, and a daughter-in-law. I liked this book. I think I would haved liked it even more if it had been less about Mike Leonard and more about his children and his refreshingly fascinating parents. I was left wondering how his three brothers, pictured with him on the book's cover, had chosen to spend their lives.
Jan 26, 2009
Kathy
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Imagine all that you might learn about your relatives if you decided to travel across country with them in a motorhome! Mike Leonard took his elderly parents and his adult children on a driving adventure where they visited old neighborhoods, colleges, friends, and best of all shared many wonderful stories and laughs. This is a very funny family and I enjoyed each of their stories and life lessons.
Oct 29, 2009
Sharyn
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A male friend recommended and gave this book to me as we were leaving on our drive to Texas. Now I know that our tastes in books is very different.
I never watch the Today Show - in which Mike Leonard apparently has a segment. Maybe if I did and I was a man, I might have given this book a 3 star.
Why did I finish this book? It was one of only two books I took along.
I never watch the Today Show - in which Mike Leonard apparently has a segment. Maybe if I did and I was a man, I might have given this book a 3 star.
Why did I finish this book? It was one of only two books I took along.
May 19, 2011
Carrie Abigail
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I think we all read this book in our house the spring before getting our trailer at Lakeside. It was a fabulous retelling of Mike Leonard's journey across the country in a motor home with his aging parents. I love Mike Leonard's pieces on the Today Show and this was just a longer version. It's funny and touching. A great read for just about anyone!
Aug 01, 2009
Diane
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What an entertaining & enjoyable ride! The author takes us on a road trip with his parents & children which turns into a bonding life experience for all of them. Mike Leonard writes from the heart, adding his marvelous sense of humor to the family's many adventures. You'll fall in love with his quirky aging parents! A wonderful story.
Feb 05, 2010
Rosebud
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Memoir of an RV trip he took with his parents and children across country through the memories of their lives-mildly interesting since he grew up in Glencoe as one of 4 boys, but would be more interesting for his own family. Does set the record straight that the good old days weren't really that good.
Sep 28, 2011
June
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True story of an NBC feature writer taking his elderly parents on a 30-day road trip with 3 of his adult children. Parts of the story are hilarious. To me, the author spent too much time complaining about the habits of his parents. It was a good read though but nothing memorable.
Jun 10, 2009
Anna
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This was a travelogue of a man taking his 80 year old parents and grown adult children on a cross country RV adventure across the US. His parents are very funny, very different, and swear often at the unexpected. Overall a fun read with a funny DVD included of video footage.
Apr 23, 2009
Roberta
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Mike Leonard keeps a really nice journal of his trip through 18 states with his elderly parents, his 2 sons, one daughter, and one daughter-in-law with the ultimate destination of Chicago for the birth of his first grandchild. It was a good story with a very sweet ending.
May 03, 2011
Margaret
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This is a very funny book about multiple generations of a family taking a cross-country road trip. I heard the author interviewed on the radio when I lived in Chicago and went right out to buy the book. A thought-provoking read for anyone in the "sandwich" generation.
Apr 05, 2009
Therese
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What a great story of an adult son taking his retired parents and several of his grown children on a cross-country RV trip! I loved laughing at so many parts to which I could easily relate. I love family togetherness--where else do such great memories come from?
May 14, 2011
Pamela
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I really enjoyed parts of this book and found myself either laughing out loud, or empathizing with different family members. But, other parts moved much slower for me. I definitely didn't have that feeling of wanting to "get back to my book" to read. Just okay... Tyler REALLY liked it though and read it very quickly. So, it just depends on what you like.
Sep 22, 2010
Ryangbiv
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Decent travel book, writing style is good but grating - far too reliant on familial anecdotes (which the book is about, I get it) and not enough about the actual journey.
Charm, it's the forced charm that I find grating.
Charm, it's the forced charm that I find grating.
Oct 08, 2009
Irene
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What a wonderful book to listen to on a long trip. This made me laugh, cry and get nostalgic as we listened to the stories of Mike Leonard and his elderly parents traveling cross country in an RV. I really loved it.
Mar 20, 2009
Krista
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This is a charming memoir about a middle aged man who takes his elderly parents on a cross country road trip. A lovely,sweet book that's especially moving if you happen to have elderly parents just beginning to 'decline'.
