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THE DISTANCE FROM NORMANDY is the long-awaited sophomore novel from Jonathan Hull, whose debut effort, LOSING JULIA, is one of my favorite books. Once again Hull engages and envelops readers in his story.
As the book opens, Mead, a World War II veteran with harrowing memories of the Battle of Normandy, is living alone in California. He misses his wife, who died of cancer. He copes with the realities of old age, and he spends a lot of the day nostalgic about the past.
His world is rocked one day when his daughter, Sharon, a single mom, calls to inform him that his only grandchild, Andrew, has been booted from school for brandishing a penknife at a bully. Andrew is coping badly with the suicide of his best friend, Matt, and could benefit from some stability in his life in a new place. Mead offers to have his grandson spend three weeks of summer vacation with him. His goal: to get Andrew back in line.
As soon as Andrew arrives, their worlds collide. Mead lives his life with the orderliness of the Army, while Andrew is a typical teen, prone to wearing loose fitting clothes, lying on his bed listening to music and daydreaming about girls. His grandfather cannot relate to Andrew and reflects back on his own youth that was defined by war, comrades who blew up around him and life that was all too real.
Mead and Andrew strike a measured relationship. They test each other endlessly. While there is an essence of caring between them, there is a gap in their rapport that has been bred by physical and emotional distance. Neither is warm; both are hurting. Each is trapped in his own memories --- Andrew of wishing he had been able to save Matt, and Mead of war and an incident in Normandy that haunts him.
One day while rummaging around the house while Mead is out, Andrew finds an old German Luger, which is a souvenir from the war along with some other war momentoes. Shortly after this Andrew gets himself into more trouble and Mead makes a decision to take him to Normandy to show him the world he knew with a goal to sharpen him up about history, and what mattered. This trip to Europe --- and into the past --- brings secrets to the surface for both of them.
While plot and storyline are critical to any book's success, Hull's true skill comes from how he writes character and emotion. His style captivates his readers and immediately draws them into the story. As he did in LOSING JULIA, Hull captures the indignity of growing old. Here he also captures the pressures of being young.
There are many comedic moments as these two generations collide. The first night Mead buys huge steaks for dinner only to learn that his grandson is a vegetarian. Their first trip to the California beach together pairs this aging codger with a penchant for embarassing bathing attire with his grandson who is a slave to his raging hormones and a teen's desire to fit in.
Some of the best dialogue surrounds Andrew's matchmaking attempts to bring his grandfather and Evelyn, the woman across the street, together. Mead is his usual curmudgeony self about this. Andrew is tenacious in his efforts. The story here takes a twist that this reviewer found extraneous, but delivered some imagery that wrapped the book nicely.
I read this book four months before tapping out this review, yet I still find myself smiling as I think about it. It's not LOSING JULIA, but it is a book that I recommend heartily. And as I read the last page, I eagerly looked forward to Hull's next title. Jonathan, get writing!
--- Reviewed by Carol Fitzgerald
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REVIEW BONUS
A few months ago we offered advance reading copies of THE DISTANCE FROM NORMANDY to a few readers. Below are their comments to give you further perspective on this book:
From Ruth Schroeder:
Thank you so much for the advance copy of THE DISTANCE FROM NORMANDY by Jonathan Hull. I was thrilled to receive it. Both this book and his earlier work, LOSING JULIA, are by far the best books I've read in recent years. The author does a superb job of blending past history with a contemporary story. I am also impressed with his attention to detail and character development. The relationship that developed between the widowed Mead and his grandson Andrew was very touching. They were both battling loneliness and haunted by memories of loss. I took my time reading this novel, savoring every word. In fact, I hated to see the story come to an end as the characters had become so real to me. I will definitely be recommending this book to others, especially the ones who have also read LOSING JULIA. Jonathan Hull has been added to my list of favorite authors, and I am looking forward to more great stories from him.
From Karen Bernier:
THE DISTANCE FROM NORMANDY is just as captivating, but also very different than Hull's first book, LOSING JULIA. This is a warm and fuzzy, tough and tender story of a grandfather and grandson in a reluctant, forced relationship. Grandfather comes to grips with the ghosts of his WWII past by trying to instill in his grandson a sense of self. The scenario is very contemporary and many will relate to either of the main characters....the grandfather, Mead, or the grandson, Andrew.
From Gerry Durisin:
I just finished reading THE DISTANCE FROM NORMANDY, and while I definitely enjoyed it, I'd have to say it doesn't measure up to the promise Hull showed in LOSING JULIA. You may recall, I rated Julia 6 stars; Normandy earns 4 stars from me.
Andrew's character is wonderfully rendered --- he's an absolutely true-to-life teen, though certainly a troubled one, and his observations about the pecking order in high school are certainly accurate. Watching my own daughters go through the angst of high school life these last few years has made me wonder why we adults ever tell kids that "these are they best years of your lives." I wouldn't be a teenager again for anything!!
Mead seems more of a caricature -- the grumpy old man, lost in his memories, railing against the ungrateful, spoiled brats who don't appreciate what his generation went through to give them the "easy" life they now complain about. Even after the drama of their trip to Germany, his offer to have Andrew stay with him to start the new year in high school just didn't ring true --- their connection still seemed too tenuous, and his apparent epiphany (or the connection between his acceptance of Andrew and his resolution of his guilt over killing the German soldier) seemed contrived.
Evelyn seemed like a terrific woman, the one character in the book I really wanted to know better, and got to know so little, unfortunately, because Hull focused so much more on his male characters. She reminded me of Patrick in LOSING JULIA, with her understanding and accepting attitude, her always-positive outlook --- like him, she struck me as the kind of older person I hope I can be when I get to that point. Perhaps that's why I was disappointed not to learn more about how she came to be the person she was.
THE DISTANCE FROM NORMANDY won't make it to the top of my "great" books list, but it's better than many I've read this year, and certainly worth recommending. I'll be passing the Advance Reading copy you sent me along to at least one friend whose reaction I'm anxious to hear.
From Nancy Frazelle:
Thank you so much for the opportunity to review Jonathan Hull's latest, THE DISTANCE FROM NORMANDY. Hull's first novel, LOSING JULIA, was so well-written that we have quite literally thrust it in friend's faces and said ... "You have to read this" ... ! I think we have gifted minimally a dozen copies to friends and family for any, all and no occasions!
Julia was not a book that I would have chosen to read had it not been recommended in the Bookreporter.com! I don't normally care for "war" lit. It would have been a shame to have missed this wonderfully written book; you laugh, you cry and you feel a new understanding for the ordinary soldiers of this era.
Jonathan Hull's writing is, quite simply, Wonderful! His background in news must have taught him well how to write succinctly with total clarity; you feel as if you knew these characters, walked in their boots, knew these places and most of all .... knew their joys and heartaches.
THE DISTANCE FROM NORMANDY was a natural for me to read! My husband (who doesn't read a lot) and I have finished (should I say polished off?) this book and enjoyed it immensely. Hull captures the difficult angst of teen years, the loss of a lifetime love, and second chances beautifully! The flashbacks of the war gave me a better understanding of some of the 'history' of the era.
Both LOSING JULIA and THE DISTANCE FROM NORMANDY are wonderfully written, richly written novels that will provide you with a little historical perspective, human insight, and the best of all realistic stories of love in its many forms.
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