Synopses & Reviews
andlt;Bandgt;WITH AN IRREPRESSIBLE TASTE andlt;/Bandgt;andlt;Bandgt;for adventure, candor, and a vivid sense of place, award-winning travel writer and actor Andrew McCarthy takes us on a deeply personal journey played out amid some of the worldand#8217;s most evocative locales. andlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Unable to commit to his fiancand#233;e of nearly four yearsand#8212;and with no clear understanding of whatand#8217;s holding him backand#8212;Andrew McCarthy finds himself at a crossroads, plagued by doubts that have clung to him for a lifetime. Something in his character has kept him always at a distance, preventing him from giving himself wholeheartedly to the woman he loves and from becoming the father that he knows his children deserve. So before he loses everything he cares about, Andrew sets out to look for answers. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Hobbling up the treacherous slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro, dodging gregarious passengers aboard an Amazonian riverboat, and trudging through dense Costa Rican rain forestsand#8212;Andrew takes us on exotic trips to some of the worldand#8217;s most beautiful places, but his real journey is one of the spirit. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;On his soul-searching voyages, Andrew traces the path from his New Jersey roots, where acting saved his lifeand#8212;and early fame almost took it awayand#8212;to his transformation into a leading travel writer. He faces the real costs of his early success and lays bare the evolving nature of his relationships with women. He explores a strained bond with his father, and how this complex dynamic shapes his own identity as a parent. Andrew charts his journey from ambivalence to confidence, from infidelity and recklessness to acceptance and a deeper understanding of the internal conflicts of his life. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;A gifted writer with an unsparing eye, Andrew relishes bizarre encounters with the characters whom he encounters, allowing them to challenge him in unexpected ways. He gets into peculiar, even dangerous situations that put him to the testand#8212;with mixed results. Disarmingly likable, Andrew is open, honest, and authentic on every page, and what emerges is an intimate memoir of self-discovery and an unforgettable love song to the woman who would be his wife.
Review
"Rarely have I seen the male psyche explored with such honesty and vulnerability. This is the story of a son, a father, a brother, a husband, a man who finds the courage not only to face himself, but to reveal himself, and, in so doing, illuminates something about what it is to be human, fully alive, and awake.and#8221; --Dani Shapiro, Author of andlt;Iandgt;Devotionandlt;/Iandgt;
Review
"It's hard to write books that are both adventurous and touching, but Andrew McCarthy manages to pull it off and more! A smart, valuable book." --Gary Shteyngart, bestselling author of andlt;Iandgt;Super Sad True Love Storyandlt;/Iandgt; and andlt;Iandgt;Absurdistanandlt;/Iandgt;
Review
"McCarthy ponders some of the biggest and most frightening questions surrounding intimacy: How does a loner connect? How does a traveler settle down? How do we merge into families without losing ourselves? The answer seems to be that all these things are impossible...and yet somehow we do it anyway. There is much to be learned, and much to be admired, in this elegant, thoughtful story."and#8212;Elizabeth Gilbert, bestselling author of andlt;Iandgt;Eat, Pray, Loveandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;Iandgt;andlt;Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;/Bandgt;andlt;/Iandgt;
Review
"Where lesser writers might reach for hyperbole and Roget to describe such exotic lands as Patagonia, Kilimanjaro and Baltimore, in andlt;Iandgt;The Longest Way Homeandlt;/Iandgt;, McCarthy leans on subtlety, a straightforward style and hard-won insights to allow his larger stories to unfold. Itand#8217;s not hard to imagine him as the solitary figure in the cafand#233;, scribbling in a notebook by candlelight, making the lonely, tedious work of travel writing look romantic and easy."--Chuck Thompson, author of andlt;Iandgt;Better Off Without 'Emandlt;/Iandgt; and andlt;Iandgt;Smile When You're Lyingandlt;/Iandgt;
Review
"As an actual voyage, McCarthy's globe-trotting tale is an evocative, highly entertaining read. But as an introspective and emotional journey, his story is unforgivingly honest, courageous, and hard to put down." --David Farley, author of andlt;Iandgt;An Irreverent Curiousityandlt;/Iandgt;
Review
andlt;xmlandgt; andlt;/xmlandgt;andlt;xmlandgt; andlt;/xmlandgt;and#8220;Andrew McCarthy treks from Baltimore to the Amazon, exploring his commitment issues as fearlessly as he scales Mount Kilimanjaro."
Review
"Brave and moving...McCarthyand#8217;s keen sense of scene and storytelling ignites his accounts...[t]hreaded with an exemplary vulnerability and propelled by a candid exploration of his own lifeand#8217;s frailties."
Review
"This book is the one that keeps you up later than you wanted and occupies your mind long after you put it down. Itand#8217;s the kind of great writing that transforms my thoughts into its same cadence and has me suddenly writing my own stories in my head, attempting to pull something from the inspiration of incredibly detailed observations and well-turned phrases."
Review
"McCarthy delivers a deeply revealing memoir about settling down, both with a woman and in his own skin.
Review
andlt;xmlandgt; andlt;/xmlandgt;"This is not some memoir written by an actor who fancies himself a world traveler. McCarthy really is a world traveler and#8211; and a damned fine writer, tooand#8230;To readers who think, and#8220;Andrew McCarthy? Really?and#8221; the answer is a resounding and emphatic yes. Really."
Review
"McCarthy is no 'longer a boy 'prone to worry and fret,” but rather a wise young soul who knows to his very bones what it is to be alive, his entire being flooded with the exquisite perception that we are at once profoundly connected to the wide and cluttered world and utterly, inexorably alone in it...a soulful and searching book." Cheryl Strayed
Review
andlt;xmlandgt; andlt;/xmlandgt;and#8220;Combining the best aspects of Paul Therouxand#8217;s misanthropy in books like andlt;Iandgt;Old Patagonian Express andlt;/Iandgt;and Elizabeth Gilbertand#8217;s emotions in andlt;Iandgt;Eat, Pray, Loveandlt;/Iandgt;, [andlt;Iandgt;The Longest Way Homeandlt;/Iandgt;] is hard to put down.andnbsp; Bound to be popular, this compelling and honest chronicle will not disappoint readers."
Review
and#8220;[The] reader gets to see the world in a way that only the author can show it and vicariously inhabit a self that only one person can beand#8230;. McCarthy achieves this with charm and credibility. . .andnbsp;[His] prose shines with intelligence and intimacy.andnbsp;. . . [This] soulful and searching book is ultimately that: a long, strange trip ion the direction of full-throttle love.and#8221;
Review
“Soulful and searching . . . McCarthy’s prose shines with intelligence and intimacy . . . A long, strange trip on the direction of full-throttle love.” Cheryl Strayed
Review
andlt;xmlandgt; andlt;/xmlandgt;andlt;xmlandgt; andlt;/xmlandgt;and#8220;A candid, touching and often humorous new memoir.and#8221;
Review
andlt;divandgt;andlt;xmlandgt;andlt;/xmlandgt;"This is not some memoirwritten by an actor who fancies himself a world traveler. McCarthy really is aworld traveler and a damned fine writer, tooTo readers who think, AndrewMcCarthy? Really? the answer is a resounding and emphatic yes. Really."andlt;/divandgt;
Review
andlt;divandgt;andlt;xmlandgt;andlt;/xmlandgt;Combining the best aspects of Paul Therouxs misanthropy inbooks like andlt;Iandgt;Old Patagonian Express andlt;/Iandgt;and Elizabeth Gilberts emotions in andlt;Iandgt;Eat,Pray, Loveandlt;/Iandgt;, [andlt;Iandgt;The Longest Way Homeandlt;/Iandgt;] is hard to put down.andnbsp; Bound to bepopular, this compelling and honest chronicle will not disappoint readers."andlt;/divandgt;
Review
and#8220;McCarthy delivers a deeply revealing memoir about settling down, both with a woman and in his own skin. An unflinchingly honest examination of his life as an actor, son, brother, husband, and father, as well as his struggle with commitand#173;ting to a woman in his life whom he plans toand#8212;and does, by the end of the bookand#8212;marry in Dublin. Alcoholism, infidelity, the dark side of celebrityand#8212;McCarthy holds nothing back. and#8230; he skillfully brings the locations and their characters to life. and#8230;Like the best travel, accompanying McCarthy on his road toward self-awareness and the woman he loves is much more about the journey than the destination.and#8221;
Synopsis
Award-winning travel writer and actor Andrew McCarthy delivers a revealing and insightful memoir about how travel helped him become the man he wanted to be, helping him overcome life-long fears and confront his resistance to commitment.From time immemorial, travel has been a pursuit of passion—from adventurers of old seeking gold or new lands, to today’s spiritual and pleasure seekers who follow in the footsteps of Elizabeth Gilbert. Some see travel as a form of light-hearted escapism while others believe it has the power to open your mind, forcing you to confront your demons, and discover your true self.
Andrew McCarthy belongs to this second category of traveler. The Longest Way Home follows his excursions to Patagonia, the Amazon, Costa Rica, Baltimore, Vienna, Kilimanjaro, Dublin, and beyond. He uses his wanderlust to examine his motives and desires, and explore his ambivalence about commitment. He ponders his personal life, his acting career, and his impulse to leave home, all building toward one of the most significant moments of his life: his wedding day.
Genuine and spirited, McCarthy’s message about the transformative power of travel is universal, and his exploration of the nature and passion of relationships, both fleeting and enduring, will strike a chord with every man and woman who has ever wondered at the vicissitudes of the human heart.
About the Author
Andrew McCarthy has been a fixture on screen, television, and stage since making his debut at age nineteen in Class. He has appeared in such films as Pretty in Pink, St. Elmo’s Fire, and Less Than Zero. For the last ten years, he has been a prolific and successful travel writer, publishing with National Geographic Traveler Magazine, The Atlantic, Slate, Travel + Leisure, and The Wall Street Journal, among other publications. He has won the Lowell Thomas Award twice, including being named Travel Journalist of the Year by the Society of American Travel Writers, and has been cited twice for “notable” work in the Best American Travel Series. He lives in New York.