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The Truth About Luck: What I Learned on My Road Trip with Grandma
Selected for The Globe 100 Books in 2013. In The Truth about Luck , Iain Reid, author of the highly popular coming-of-age memoir One Bird's Choice , accompanies his grandmother on a five-day vacation -- which turns out to be a "staycation" at his basement apartment in Kingston. While the twenty-eight-year-old writer is at the beginning of his adult life, his ninety-two-year-old grandmother is nearing the end of hers. Between escorting his grandma to local attractions and restaurants, the two exchange memories and she begins to reveal details of her inspiring life story. Told with subtlety, humour, and heart, this delightful comic memoir reflects on family connections; how we experience adversity, the passage of time, and aging; and most importantly what it truly means to feel lucky.
272 pages, Paperback
First published February 20, 2013
20 people are currently reading
1698 people want to read
About the author
Iain Reid
8 books4,602 followersIain Reid is the author of two critically acclaimed, award-winning books of nonfiction. His debut novel, I'm Thinking of Ending Things, was an international bestseller, and was translated into more than a dozen languages. Oscar-winner Charlie Kaufman is writing and directing the film adaptation for Netflix. Foe is Reid's second novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
August 16, 2016
sometimes you read a book and it becomes something you connect with so personally and deeply that it becomes nearly impossible to detach from it to assess or review it constructively. that happened with this amazing book by iain reid. but, i have thought about it overnight and i think - my personal attachment aside - the strength of reid's writing, the flow of the story and his ability to make us care about what he and his grandma are up to make this book totally worth its 5-star rating. his grandma and my grandma are very similar women. both were born in scotland (mine in 1917). both lived through two wars and the depression and both worked most of their lives. as well, both women are very smart people. so, in reading reid's book, it was like having my grandma here with me again. there were moments in the book that had me laughing so hard, tears streamed down my face and my stomach hurt. there were other, quieter moments, that were beautiful and heartfelt. i am glad reid - encouraged by his brother jimmy - went with the idea of giving his grandmother his time as a birthday gift. they spent five days together talking, eating and learning things they hadn't previously known.
i have been on this trend lately of reading books with older people featuring as main characters - here, reid's grandma is 92; earlier this week i read a novel, Up and Down that has a 71yo protagonist. The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, which i read a few months ago, was a hoot. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and Major Pettigrew's Last Stand also feature characters of retirement age. given our trend towards an aging population, perhaps this is the new thing in publishing? if it is -- i am a big fan. we have a lot to learn and we take a lot for granted. hearing about the experiences of older generations should smarten us up and help us realize that older doesn't mean already dead. i remember talking with my own grandma about how when people get old, they often get forgotten. she used to tell me how lucky she felt to have her family around her and i used to feel really sad thinking about those who either have no one or have people who choose to stay away. my grandmother, in her 80s, had more energy and more of a social life than i have ever had and i really hope to live as excellent a life as she did.
so, i thank reid for his wonderful book but also for the fact that his book allowed me time to remember my own grandmother and the shenanigans we got up to together. that is a great gift indeed!
i have been on this trend lately of reading books with older people featuring as main characters - here, reid's grandma is 92; earlier this week i read a novel, Up and Down that has a 71yo protagonist. The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, which i read a few months ago, was a hoot. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and Major Pettigrew's Last Stand also feature characters of retirement age. given our trend towards an aging population, perhaps this is the new thing in publishing? if it is -- i am a big fan. we have a lot to learn and we take a lot for granted. hearing about the experiences of older generations should smarten us up and help us realize that older doesn't mean already dead. i remember talking with my own grandma about how when people get old, they often get forgotten. she used to tell me how lucky she felt to have her family around her and i used to feel really sad thinking about those who either have no one or have people who choose to stay away. my grandmother, in her 80s, had more energy and more of a social life than i have ever had and i really hope to live as excellent a life as she did.
so, i thank reid for his wonderful book but also for the fact that his book allowed me time to remember my own grandmother and the shenanigans we got up to together. that is a great gift indeed!
February 21, 2019
3.5 Stars
Upon completion of this memoir, I have now read all of Iain Reid’s published work. It’s no secret that he is one of my favourite authors and I will continue to read everything that he publishes in the future. Reid is an skilled writer, bringing a strong voice to this quiet story. Potential readers should be aware that the narrative in this book is incredibly slow paced with very little actually happening on the page. Regardless, I enjoyed this poignant memoir about a remarkable older woman. Personally, I would recommend readers start with Reid’s other memoir, One Bird’s Choice, or his fiction work, but this book is still certainly worth the read.
Upon completion of this memoir, I have now read all of Iain Reid’s published work. It’s no secret that he is one of my favourite authors and I will continue to read everything that he publishes in the future. Reid is an skilled writer, bringing a strong voice to this quiet story. Potential readers should be aware that the narrative in this book is incredibly slow paced with very little actually happening on the page. Regardless, I enjoyed this poignant memoir about a remarkable older woman. Personally, I would recommend readers start with Reid’s other memoir, One Bird’s Choice, or his fiction work, but this book is still certainly worth the read.
April 7, 2022
I really enjoy Iain Reid's non fiction works, both this and One Bird's Choice. He writes about his family with such humour and love. The Truth About Luck covers a five day road trip/staycation Reid takes with his grandmother - his 92-year old, food-loving, Senators-supporting WWII veteran grandmother who is just so tough and charming.
All of this is, of course, set in the eastern Ontario of 2009, which I am intimately familiar with - reading about Kingston and Ottawa during this time really brings me closer to this book.
All of this is, of course, set in the eastern Ontario of 2009, which I am intimately familiar with - reading about Kingston and Ottawa during this time really brings me closer to this book.
May 22, 2023
I have now read all of Reid’s published work. All 5 stars and so he is solidified as my favourite author.
This was a touching and warm memoir. I saw the relationship I had with my grandma reflected in the stories. I also lived in Kingston for a decade and so it was cool to see places I’ve been represented in the book. Even though none were explicitly named I could often tell where he was talking about.
This was a touching and warm memoir. I saw the relationship I had with my grandma reflected in the stories. I also lived in Kingston for a decade and so it was cool to see places I’ve been represented in the book. Even though none were explicitly named I could often tell where he was talking about.
March 28, 2024
Author Iain Reid decides to take his ninety-two year old grandma on a road trip. He is so unprepared that he ends up just bringing her to his apartment in Kingston, where he tries to think of things to occupy her. Although they don’t really get to do much, except to go out for meals and coffees, this time spent together isn’t wasted. Through a series of questions and conversations, Ian learns about his grandma, her birth, her family, her time in the war, her marriage, and her views on life and death. I found this story to be quite touching, as an awkward young man talks with his gramma, he telling her his stories and she telling him hers. I also felt some remorse that I didn’t learn all that I could from my grandparents, who have been gone for decades, when I had the chance.
This was a surprisingly sweet little novel from the author who went on to write ‘I’m Thinking of Ending Things’, ‘Foe’ and ‘We Spread’, which I have also read. Definitely worth a read.
This was a surprisingly sweet little novel from the author who went on to write ‘I’m Thinking of Ending Things’, ‘Foe’ and ‘We Spread’, which I have also read. Definitely worth a read.
June 24, 2013
4/5. For this and other book reviews, please visit EditorialEyes Book Blog.
~*~
What’s a freelance writer who is a bit short on cash to do when his brother bails on their customary joint gift for Grandma’s birthday? If you’re Iain Reid, you follow said brother’s advice and give your grandmother a gift uniquely suited to you: time. The Truth about Luck is Reid’s memoir of the week he and his grandma took a staycation together. It’s an unassuming premise that unfolds into a quiet, funny, and insightful book.
Reid offers to take his 90-year-old grandmother on vacation for a week to celebrate her birthday. He doesn’t mention that due to cashflow issues, the vacation is going to take place in his apartment in Kingston, a couple of hours away from her home in Ottawa. Grandma doesn’t mind, though. In fact, she tells him that all her friends simply couldn’t believe he was doing such a nice thing for her. Reid’s guilt and neuroses that he can’t show Grandma a better time are overwhelmed by her relentless optimism and genuine pleasure at spending time with her grandson. They roadtrip together from Ottawa and over the course of the week go out for dinner, enjoying reading on rainy afternoons, take a ferry out to Wolfe Island, and find their conversation flowing more and more freely.
That’s it, really, as far as action goes. Reid’s style is sweetly self-deprecating, poking gentle fun at himself in a way that’s never grating. Pointing out his various fears (what if she doesn’t have a good time? What if she doesn’t like his place? Why doesn’t he have more food for her in his home? Most of all, what on earth will they talk about for that length of time?!), he allows Grandma to be the star throughout his narrative. She takes her time in all things, moving slowly, eating daintily. She enjoys a good meal out. And she is the biggest non-complainer I’ve ever come across. She’s genuinely delighted by every small kindness, every opportunity. Even as Reid frets that he hasn’t enough activities to do with her, she’s pleased to curl up in a chair and just read for a few hours—she never has time to do that at home. Grandma’s attitude is a thing of beauty.
At the beginning, Reid is a bit apprehensive about the upcoming trip. He hasn’t spent this much one-on-one time with his grandmother, ever. Reid and his grandma have known each other all his life, of course, but they have a relationship that is probably familiar to many readers: they are sort of strangers as adults, familiar with each other only in the context of child/elderly relative. Although they don’t go very far geographically, theirs is a shared trip towards a closer relationship, getting reacquainted in a way that deepens their respect and affection for one another. There are silences at the beginning; Reid wonders after a bit of sherry filched from his parents’ places loosens the flow of conversation if he can just keep Grandma a bit tipsy for the whole trip. As they spend more time together, though, they begin to tell stories and to really talk to one another. This is one of the books major themes: the importance of shared stories and memories. The stories go both ways, with Iain sharing tales of his childhood that Grandma didn’t know, and Grandma telling him about her fascinating life story, including as a nurse in the war, and how she met his grandfather. Grandma apologizes for talking so much, but Iain is delighted to listen to her. Seeing the quantity and quality of their discussions improve as they get used to one another’s presence is a wonderful path to follow along with.
Reid’s portrayal of grandma is incredibly human. She lives and breathes on the page, a wholly real person who is never reduced to a cliché. She is frail and forgetful at times. She loves cheese. She is never the “wise old elder” stereotype, even though she certainly has wisdom to share. As they talk and discover how much they have in common (as well as the many ways their worldviews and life experience have rendered their outlooks very different), themes of loneliness, and the difference between being lonely and being alone, emerge. Perhaps my favourite motif throughout is the idea of “treating” yourself or your loved one. Grandma says this regularly, and it’s not just a throwaway phrase: when she goes to the mall on a weekday morning for a breakfast out, she is giving herself a treat, and when she insists on paying for dinner with Iain, she is giving a treat to him. It’s just a lovely concept, to accept small favours and kindness with a little extra grace and gratitude.
This is a lovely read, a quiet story where not a lot happens, and that’s okay. I lost my grandma not too long ago, and this book made me miss her keenly. I was lucky to have her into my late twenties, equally lucky to have a good relationship with her. She used to love telling me stories about her years as a teenager living in Toronto, and when I visited her in her small town, I would show her photos of the Distillery District or tell her about walking down Yonge Street where she once walked. It was pleasure to spend a week with Iain Reid and his grandma, to think about my grandma, to ruminate on the importance of telling stories and sharing memories.
~*~
What’s a freelance writer who is a bit short on cash to do when his brother bails on their customary joint gift for Grandma’s birthday? If you’re Iain Reid, you follow said brother’s advice and give your grandmother a gift uniquely suited to you: time. The Truth about Luck is Reid’s memoir of the week he and his grandma took a staycation together. It’s an unassuming premise that unfolds into a quiet, funny, and insightful book.
Reid offers to take his 90-year-old grandmother on vacation for a week to celebrate her birthday. He doesn’t mention that due to cashflow issues, the vacation is going to take place in his apartment in Kingston, a couple of hours away from her home in Ottawa. Grandma doesn’t mind, though. In fact, she tells him that all her friends simply couldn’t believe he was doing such a nice thing for her. Reid’s guilt and neuroses that he can’t show Grandma a better time are overwhelmed by her relentless optimism and genuine pleasure at spending time with her grandson. They roadtrip together from Ottawa and over the course of the week go out for dinner, enjoying reading on rainy afternoons, take a ferry out to Wolfe Island, and find their conversation flowing more and more freely.
That’s it, really, as far as action goes. Reid’s style is sweetly self-deprecating, poking gentle fun at himself in a way that’s never grating. Pointing out his various fears (what if she doesn’t have a good time? What if she doesn’t like his place? Why doesn’t he have more food for her in his home? Most of all, what on earth will they talk about for that length of time?!), he allows Grandma to be the star throughout his narrative. She takes her time in all things, moving slowly, eating daintily. She enjoys a good meal out. And she is the biggest non-complainer I’ve ever come across. She’s genuinely delighted by every small kindness, every opportunity. Even as Reid frets that he hasn’t enough activities to do with her, she’s pleased to curl up in a chair and just read for a few hours—she never has time to do that at home. Grandma’s attitude is a thing of beauty.
At the beginning, Reid is a bit apprehensive about the upcoming trip. He hasn’t spent this much one-on-one time with his grandmother, ever. Reid and his grandma have known each other all his life, of course, but they have a relationship that is probably familiar to many readers: they are sort of strangers as adults, familiar with each other only in the context of child/elderly relative. Although they don’t go very far geographically, theirs is a shared trip towards a closer relationship, getting reacquainted in a way that deepens their respect and affection for one another. There are silences at the beginning; Reid wonders after a bit of sherry filched from his parents’ places loosens the flow of conversation if he can just keep Grandma a bit tipsy for the whole trip. As they spend more time together, though, they begin to tell stories and to really talk to one another. This is one of the books major themes: the importance of shared stories and memories. The stories go both ways, with Iain sharing tales of his childhood that Grandma didn’t know, and Grandma telling him about her fascinating life story, including as a nurse in the war, and how she met his grandfather. Grandma apologizes for talking so much, but Iain is delighted to listen to her. Seeing the quantity and quality of their discussions improve as they get used to one another’s presence is a wonderful path to follow along with.
Reid’s portrayal of grandma is incredibly human. She lives and breathes on the page, a wholly real person who is never reduced to a cliché. She is frail and forgetful at times. She loves cheese. She is never the “wise old elder” stereotype, even though she certainly has wisdom to share. As they talk and discover how much they have in common (as well as the many ways their worldviews and life experience have rendered their outlooks very different), themes of loneliness, and the difference between being lonely and being alone, emerge. Perhaps my favourite motif throughout is the idea of “treating” yourself or your loved one. Grandma says this regularly, and it’s not just a throwaway phrase: when she goes to the mall on a weekday morning for a breakfast out, she is giving herself a treat, and when she insists on paying for dinner with Iain, she is giving a treat to him. It’s just a lovely concept, to accept small favours and kindness with a little extra grace and gratitude.
This is a lovely read, a quiet story where not a lot happens, and that’s okay. I lost my grandma not too long ago, and this book made me miss her keenly. I was lucky to have her into my late twenties, equally lucky to have a good relationship with her. She used to love telling me stories about her years as a teenager living in Toronto, and when I visited her in her small town, I would show her photos of the Distillery District or tell her about walking down Yonge Street where she once walked. It was pleasure to spend a week with Iain Reid and his grandma, to think about my grandma, to ruminate on the importance of telling stories and sharing memories.
December 12, 2017
I wish Iain Reid had decided up front which writing style to apply and then stuck to it. He starts off in an extreme degree of self-deprecation that quickly becomes so annoying that I was tempted to put the book aside. Perhaps he was trying to be humorous but no one can be that vapid, lazy, unfocused and sloppy and still write an intelligible sentence, never mind a whole book.
Once his conversations with his grandmother develop, it soon becomes clear that he is a different person entirely. His assumed fecklessness was just a pose, but to what end? An excuse for laziness?
His grandma's fine character shines through immediately, once he stops doting on her.
One reviewer compared the book with "Tuesdays with Morrie"; although the parallel is obvious, this one is hardly in that league. Iain is by no means changed by the encounter in any way close to the impact that Morrie had on Mitch Albom. A more apt comparison might be Patrick Dennis's experience with "Auntie Mame", although Reid certainly isn't the humorist that Dennis was.
The book gains in stature as it goes along, and as Grandma takes centre stage. Too bad we get too much of Iain along the way.
Once his conversations with his grandmother develop, it soon becomes clear that he is a different person entirely. His assumed fecklessness was just a pose, but to what end? An excuse for laziness?
His grandma's fine character shines through immediately, once he stops doting on her.
One reviewer compared the book with "Tuesdays with Morrie"; although the parallel is obvious, this one is hardly in that league. Iain is by no means changed by the encounter in any way close to the impact that Morrie had on Mitch Albom. A more apt comparison might be Patrick Dennis's experience with "Auntie Mame", although Reid certainly isn't the humorist that Dennis was.
The book gains in stature as it goes along, and as Grandma takes centre stage. Too bad we get too much of Iain along the way.
January 10, 2016
This utter gem of a book was a sweet delight to read. 28 year old Iain Reid planned to take his 92 year old grandmother on a road trip from Ottawa to Kingston and beyond. It rained so relentlessly that they never got past Iain's home in Kingston. For five days they spent every moment together, or at least in the same place. Grandmas as a dynamo of activity back at home in Ottawa (she still lived in the house she'd owned for 60 years). Her enforced leisure made her more contemplative and introspective than Iain had ever experienced with her before. They ate, drank and talked more openly because they were alone together. It turned out that Grandma had a lot more interesting life and was a lot more observant than Iain had given her credit for.
This was a lovely book, one I simply couldn't put down. I got up in the night to finish it because I wasn't prepared to wait until the next day. I'm really looking forward to reading another book by him.
This was a lovely book, one I simply couldn't put down. I got up in the night to finish it because I wasn't prepared to wait until the next day. I'm really looking forward to reading another book by him.
January 27, 2024
I became smitten with Iain Reid's humour after hearing him give a reading of some of his work at a Kingston holiday-themed concert in Kingston. I read his first book, One Bird's Choice, and was instantly swept away by his narrative and gift for finding funny moments in the banality of life. The Truth About Luck is cut from a similar cloth.
Reid writes about a four-day road trip with his 92-year-old grandmother from Ottawa to his home in Kingston, ON (also my hometown, adding to the intrigue.) The four-day staycation is full of heartfelt, simple dialogue between the author and his grandmother. Without naming the specific locations of the story, I knew exactly where they were based on Reid's sharp descriptions. I found myself nodding and grinning while reading. The grandmother's memories of her earlier life of love, jobs, nursing during the war and several happy memories fill the four days together. Over dinners in a Kingston apartment or restaurant, a grocery store parking lot, Wolfe Island ferry ride, or a crowded bakery, the two characters draw closer to each other with each passing hour. Grandma fondly reminisced about enjoying a simple piece of cheese and bread in Italy during the war, and the reader sinks into the soft bite with her.
This book had been sitting on my shelf for a few years now. I'm "lucky" to have picked it up this month.
Reid writes about a four-day road trip with his 92-year-old grandmother from Ottawa to his home in Kingston, ON (also my hometown, adding to the intrigue.) The four-day staycation is full of heartfelt, simple dialogue between the author and his grandmother. Without naming the specific locations of the story, I knew exactly where they were based on Reid's sharp descriptions. I found myself nodding and grinning while reading. The grandmother's memories of her earlier life of love, jobs, nursing during the war and several happy memories fill the four days together. Over dinners in a Kingston apartment or restaurant, a grocery store parking lot, Wolfe Island ferry ride, or a crowded bakery, the two characters draw closer to each other with each passing hour. Grandma fondly reminisced about enjoying a simple piece of cheese and bread in Italy during the war, and the reader sinks into the soft bite with her.
This book had been sitting on my shelf for a few years now. I'm "lucky" to have picked it up this month.
September 3, 2018
“No age is a destination, just a place we are travelling through.” A true story, about the author and his grandmother, embarking on a trip from Ottawa to Kingston. What he gave her is something that we all have, but often forget about, as a gift to those in our life - time. Along the way, he learns about her life, and her wisdom. An enjoyable and easy read.
July 2, 2013
This was a fun, quick read and a gentle reminder about a couple of things, I think. One is the importance of sharing memories and telling stories, and the other is about positivity. At times I thought Grandma's positivity was almost unbelievable but if "the glass is half full" is your attitude all the time, then I guess it becomes habit and therefore, part of you.
February 3, 2025
Three Words That Describe This Book: staycation, grandmother, connection
Connect With Me
› After loving We Spread I was excited to finally pick up another Iain Reid book. The Truth About Luck is about a road trip/staycation Iain took with his grandmother in Eastern Ontario. I have lived in the Kingston, Ontario area for twenty years and had a great time reading about familiar places.
Listening to Reid in interviews I am so intrigued by how his brain works. He has talked about the idea of creating a book that asks questions, but doesn't provide all the answers because he wants the reader to be able to bring their own experience to the story - so we get to add to the story and have an individual experience. We Spread is very different from his nonfiction book The Truth About Luck, and yet I find they are both the kind of book you'd want to re-read (in fact, when I finished We Spread I immediately flipped to the beginning and read the entire thing again). I absolutely love that feeling and I love when a book makes me think.
The Truth About Luck starts with Iain talking with his brother wondering what to get their grandmother for her birthday. His brother gives him the idea of taking her on a trip. Iain invites his grandma on a road trip, but low funds change their plans and they end up staying at Iain's apartment in Kingston for 5 days. His grandma is grateful to be spending time together. They visit coffee shops and restaurants in Kingston and although he's known her his whole life, he learns things about his grandmother that he never knew - and she learns things about him that she never knew.
Read Alikes:
Grandfathered by Ian Haysom
Honey, Baby, Mine by Laura Dern
Nanaville by Anna Quindlen
› Final Thoughts
• I had a great time reading The Truth About Luck. This is a funny, charming, touching story that made me wish I had spent more time with my grandparents and has changed the way I interact with the people I love. I want them to know the real me and I want us to share our stories and form a real connection. This quiet, cozy memoir may appear simple, but it carries a life-changing message.
Connect With Me
September 21, 2020
This book was the last in my Iain Reid reading spree. Much like his first book, One Bird's Choice, this memoir is very heavy on dialogue and daily observations. I found his grandmother very sweet and interesting, but I felt the book fell flat due to the monotony of the dialogue. I kept wondering how Reid could transpose these long conversations with his grandmother, and imagined him with a tape recorder.
Although the subtitle suggests a certain level of introspection from his conversations and shared experience with his grandmother, it was very humdrum. Reid also attempts to make the most mundane things seem like there is some sort of intrinsic importance that is worth documenting. I was generally bored the entire time I was reading this book. I really think if Reid had infused some internal reflection on his grandmother's stories, it would have greatly elevated the enjoyment of the book.
Overall, I would not say this book is bad and shouldn't be read. If you are an Iain Reid fan (which I definitely would consider myself), it should definitely be the last of his books to read. One Bird's Choice, which is similar in layout and storytelling, has a certain playfulness and joy that this book lacks.
Although the subtitle suggests a certain level of introspection from his conversations and shared experience with his grandmother, it was very humdrum. Reid also attempts to make the most mundane things seem like there is some sort of intrinsic importance that is worth documenting. I was generally bored the entire time I was reading this book. I really think if Reid had infused some internal reflection on his grandmother's stories, it would have greatly elevated the enjoyment of the book.
Overall, I would not say this book is bad and shouldn't be read. If you are an Iain Reid fan (which I definitely would consider myself), it should definitely be the last of his books to read. One Bird's Choice, which is similar in layout and storytelling, has a certain playfulness and joy that this book lacks.
May 11, 2024
Iain Reid is one of my favourite author...i read all his thriller novels and they're mindblowing and give you chills...but this Iain is a soft, funny and caring grandson who planned a trip for her gramdma for 4 days to tay in his rooms and check out nearby restaurants, coffeshops, bars etc...his 92 year old grandma share her life stories while she was in her twenties about her families brothers, how she become a nurse and travelled to italy for her brother, how she met love of her life a.k.a author's grandpa.. And share her thought about being in her nineties and what she thinking about dying...reveals what lucl truly means to her to his grandson and to us beautifully particulary how she met her brother donald during the war after a lontime really breaks me... The whole trip is filled with rainy days and breezes like this novel. it gives you a feeling when you smell petrichor!!... Yep that's the word petrichor
March 13, 2019
An interesting premise for a novel - the relationship between a grandson and his grandmother. Reid provides an interesting tale with humorous touches. The one drawback: inconsistencies that are jarring for the reader. e.g. The first morning he has nothing to offer Grandma for breakfast except freezer-stale bread for toast. The next morning he "gorges" on bacon, eggs, beans, fried potatoes, tomatoes, toast and an English muffin. When and how did the fridge fill up with these treats? Or another example, he doesn't mention to Grandma that he has no hot water. Really? This isn't discussed? He has no plans for Grandma on a rainy day - and they all seem to be rainy. How about the movies? These kinds of things leave the reader mystified and wondering; they take attention away from the story. Still, what he learns about his Grandma's life is touching and endearing, so it is worth the read!
November 17, 2017
A true story about a 28-year-old writer living in Kingston, Ontario, who invites his 92-year-old grandmother to a "staycation" in his apartment for five days. He writes in a humorous and delightfully candid style, revealing how unprepared he is (as a young bachelor living alone) to host a 92-year-old woman, but the two enjoy their time together and learn a lot about each other, and it is an enjoyable read. I am just impressed that he can make his living at writing, at such a young age. And I understand that his grandmother is turning 100 this year, still going strong! Great genes in this family - including his sister who lives in Iceland.
February 12, 2021
I really liked this books for 2 reasons.
1) It was extremely relatable. I could picture myself spending some quality time with my Gramma, and she would act just like the Grandma in Reid's story.
2) It takes place in Kingston, where I live. It was fun trying to figure out the cafes they visited or the restaurants they ate at just by description. Which, I guess, made it even more relatable.
I like the entire story as well. It goes from funny and self deprecating, to almost touching by the end.
This would be a great book club book because it touches on so many small issues you could discuss; age, death, grandchildren, expectations, travel...so many.
1) It was extremely relatable. I could picture myself spending some quality time with my Gramma, and she would act just like the Grandma in Reid's story.
2) It takes place in Kingston, where I live. It was fun trying to figure out the cafes they visited or the restaurants they ate at just by description. Which, I guess, made it even more relatable.
I like the entire story as well. It goes from funny and self deprecating, to almost touching by the end.
This would be a great book club book because it touches on so many small issues you could discuss; age, death, grandchildren, expectations, travel...so many.
July 6, 2017
After reading "I'm Thinking of Ending Things" and enjoying it very much, was curious to read Reid's earlier books. Thoroughly enjoyed this gentle, lovely tale about a vacation he took with his grandmother. I'm about to become a grandmother later this year. Perhaps in part that's why this book resonated very deeply and profoundly with me. Or perhaps it was simply because Mr. Reid is a superb teller of stories, and whether it's a heart-stopping thriller or a loving memoir, the book is going to be outstanding.
September 26, 2018
I think this was more of a 3.5. Maybe a 3.75?
I love that this is a Kingston book. I've never really read one, I don't think. So that was fun. Also fun? The relationship between Iain and his Grandmother. Their time together was told honestly and I really appreciated that. He does a lovely job of making his Grandmother really come to life on the page - having a 91 year old Nana myself, I smiled and nodded at the moments where his Grandma forgot what she was talking about mid-sentence or couldn't remember a word. It was endearing.
Nevermind. It's a 4.
I love that this is a Kingston book. I've never really read one, I don't think. So that was fun. Also fun? The relationship between Iain and his Grandmother. Their time together was told honestly and I really appreciated that. He does a lovely job of making his Grandmother really come to life on the page - having a 91 year old Nana myself, I smiled and nodded at the moments where his Grandma forgot what she was talking about mid-sentence or couldn't remember a word. It was endearing.
Nevermind. It's a 4.
January 15, 2024
A neurotic young writer completely botches the plans for a road trip with his 92-year-old grandmother. What is intended as a birthday vacation for her turns into a week of hanging around his apartment instead. Despite the simplicity of their days – just rain, coffee, and conversations about cheese – Reid's story resonated with me as I found parts of my own fears and quirks in his. Although nothing much happens during those five days, those mundane moments moved me. It made me think of my own grandparents, and now my mother, who I recently lost. I wish I could go back and have them all to myself like this. Just a week with them would be bliss.
April 5, 2021
Though a bit jumpy in styles and tone, this book is a cute read for anyone who loves grandmas and small towns. You are walked through a week of coffee stores, rainy days, and a trip to Wolfe Island with conversations here and there that draw you in enough to wonder what it would be like to be one of the grandkids. This book is a sweet reminder of all that we can learn from those older than us and how willing people are to share if you take the time to ask.
October 22, 2017
Because I was so blown away by his novel, and liked his reading and presence at the writers fest, plus the concept, I did anticipate some fun with this.
However! I found this one cringeworthy and as lame as his half- hearted attempts to care for someone else's comfort.
I sure hope he's bothered to get a new umbrella.
However! I found this one cringeworthy and as lame as his half- hearted attempts to care for someone else's comfort.
I sure hope he's bothered to get a new umbrella.
February 21, 2018
Loved this book. Very easy to read. An inconsequential, unplanned trip with the author’s grandmother turns into a lovely character study of both participants.
The author learns a lot about himself and his grandmother, and renders his grandmother, through stories and memories, into a delightful lady who would be a lively, easy going addition to any road trip.
The author learns a lot about himself and his grandmother, and renders his grandmother, through stories and memories, into a delightful lady who would be a lively, easy going addition to any road trip.
May 28, 2019
The author has given his grandmother the gift of a road trip with him. Although this road trip means driving her to his house and having her stay for a few days, I found it amusing. Clearly there is some degree of being uncomfortable with his grandmother and that fact that the road trip isn't a road trip anymore. He learns a lot about his grandmother he never knew before.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 29, 2017
A book similar to Tuesdays with Morrie. Grandma, a 92 year of widow spends 5 days with her twenty-some year old grandson at his apartment in Kingston ON. Grandma is interested in the outside world,; the grandson is interested in her.
A serious, yet humorous look at 2 generations.
A serious, yet humorous look at 2 generations.
June 8, 2018
I loved this book! My dad is 92 (like Mr. Reid’s delightful grandma during her visit) and there were so many moments in the book to which I could relate. As a Queen’s grad I also enjoyed the references to Kingston .
March 3, 2020
Slow start, and I was so annoyed that this young man did nothing to prepare for a road trip with his grandmother, not even groceries in the house. However, as the book unfolds, it gets better and better.
July 27, 2018
One of the worst books I ever read! Uninteresting story; not clear of what author wanted to convey?? Extremely boring and I finished it only because it is part of the book club reading
September 27, 2018
This book was charming! It reminded me of how lucky I am to still have all of my grandparents in my life.
February 26, 2019
A really lovely book full of humour and insights. It was enjoyable "watching" as the relationship moved from felt awkward to companionable as the week moves along.
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