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And You Know You Should Be Glad: A True Story of Lifelong Friendship
A highly personal and moving true story of friend-ship and remembrance from the New York Times bestselling author of Duty and Be True to Your School.
Growing up in Bexley, Ohio, population 13,000, Bob Greene and his four best friends -- Allen, Chuck, Dan, and Jack -- were inseparable. Of the four, Jack was Bob's very best friend, a bond forged from the moment they met on the first day of kindergarten. They grew up together, got into trouble together, learned about life together -- and were ultimately separated by time and distance, as all adults are. But through the years Bob and Jack stayed close, holding on to the friendship that had formed years before.
Then the fateful call came: Jack was dying. And in this hour of need, as the closest of friends will do, Bob, Allen, Chuck, and Dan put aside the demands of their own lives, came together, and saw Jack through to the end of his journey.
Tremendously moving, funny, heart-stirring, and honest, And You Know You Should Be Glad is an uplifting exploration of the power of friendship to uphold us, sustain us, and ultimately set us free.
Growing up in Bexley, Ohio, population 13,000, Bob Greene and his four best friends -- Allen, Chuck, Dan, and Jack -- were inseparable. Of the four, Jack was Bob's very best friend, a bond forged from the moment they met on the first day of kindergarten. They grew up together, got into trouble together, learned about life together -- and were ultimately separated by time and distance, as all adults are. But through the years Bob and Jack stayed close, holding on to the friendship that had formed years before.
Then the fateful call came: Jack was dying. And in this hour of need, as the closest of friends will do, Bob, Allen, Chuck, and Dan put aside the demands of their own lives, came together, and saw Jack through to the end of his journey.
Tremendously moving, funny, heart-stirring, and honest, And You Know You Should Be Glad is an uplifting exploration of the power of friendship to uphold us, sustain us, and ultimately set us free.
325 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
30 people are currently reading
253 people want to read
About the author
Bob Greene
41 books52 followersRobert Bernard Greene, Jr., who writes as Bob Greene, is a journalist.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
October 13, 2021
Normally I rate books by Greene a bit higher but this one is repetitive, turgid and dramatically overdone in places. Greene is a boomer writer, my age, so I am appreciative of the manner in which he grew up, smaller town, nuclear family, close friends from grade school on, etc. Like Bob, I am fortunate to have had those kind of friends, still in touch with some, and can relate to his sadness at the passing of his friend Jack.
Still a bit overdone yet an interesting read, particularly if you can relate to the subject matter. One item I highlighted since I had not thought about it much is the role of a hospice nurse. Greene writes - "must be very difficult, coming into people’s homes, trying to do your job in a setting that’s well-known to everyone except you, among people who appreciate your presence but wish fervently that you didn’t have to be there" Too true, and a tip of the hat in appreciation to those who handle these tough situations.
Still a bit overdone yet an interesting read, particularly if you can relate to the subject matter. One item I highlighted since I had not thought about it much is the role of a hospice nurse. Greene writes - "must be very difficult, coming into people’s homes, trying to do your job in a setting that’s well-known to everyone except you, among people who appreciate your presence but wish fervently that you didn’t have to be there" Too true, and a tip of the hat in appreciation to those who handle these tough situations.
January 20, 2010
This is an extremely touching book about Greene's loss of a childhood friend to cancer. I loved the fact that this book was written by a man and that he and four other men had maintained their friendhip since their childhoods. I also really enjoyed the fact that Greene was able to reach deep down and tap into his emotions about his dying friend. Honestly, what really got me about this book is that I lost my college roomate to cancer last year. Our third roommate, who like Greene was out of town, came back repeatedy to see her and to spend time with her while she was sick. I was the lucky one, I was in the same town where she was hopitalized, but Donna made trip after trip to Indiana to make sure that Chris knew how much she loved and supported her. Here's to B,C, and D.
September 28, 2007
Loving this book..Bob Greene is an exceptional writer.
December 17, 2023
This book is about my uncle 🥹 <3
March 1, 2011
Reading Bob Greene's "And You Know You Should Be Glad: A True Story of Lifelong Friendship," published in 2006, about 40 years after "Be True to Your School," was a nostalgic trip for me. I used to read “Be True to Your School” to my beginning journalism students as an example of journal-keeping from a motivated high school student.
Greene began keeping the journal, covering 1964, after a presenter at a high school journalism convention said journal-keeping is a great way to improve one's writing. He refers back to anecdotes from that journal in the newer book. I stumbled upon the 2006 book as I was shelving books at the library where I volunteer on Wednesdays. I hadn't realized it existed before that.
So glad I found it. For fans of "Be True to Your School," this is a must-read.
It’s also a must-read for anyone with friends who mean the world to him or her or anyone who needs a reminder about friends who at one time meant the world to him or her.
Near the end, Greene reminds us all of the importance of friends, especially long-time friends, those with whom we have significant shared experiences: “This [Friendship] doesn’t die – this is the only thing that lasts forever. Friendship is all that is eternal: buildings rise and fall, public men and women come in and out of fame’s glare, the years arrive and then silently drift away. But this – this thing that costs nothing, this thing priceless beyond measuring – never ends. No one can take it away from you.” And that bears remembering – always.
Greene began keeping the journal, covering 1964, after a presenter at a high school journalism convention said journal-keeping is a great way to improve one's writing. He refers back to anecdotes from that journal in the newer book. I stumbled upon the 2006 book as I was shelving books at the library where I volunteer on Wednesdays. I hadn't realized it existed before that.
So glad I found it. For fans of "Be True to Your School," this is a must-read.
It’s also a must-read for anyone with friends who mean the world to him or her or anyone who needs a reminder about friends who at one time meant the world to him or her.
Near the end, Greene reminds us all of the importance of friends, especially long-time friends, those with whom we have significant shared experiences: “This [Friendship] doesn’t die – this is the only thing that lasts forever. Friendship is all that is eternal: buildings rise and fall, public men and women come in and out of fame’s glare, the years arrive and then silently drift away. But this – this thing that costs nothing, this thing priceless beyond measuring – never ends. No one can take it away from you.” And that bears remembering – always.
May 26, 2016
I love Bob Greene's books and have recommended them to friends, but recently I read several articles calling into question his morals and professionalism. I was disappointed at best, sad and disgusted that he jeopardized his career and undoubtedly, lost many readers due to his poor choices.
Yes, I loved the book, but do not admire the author. The book documents a 47 year friendship, from kindergarten, through high school hi-jinks, marriage. long running jokes, and concludes with the death of a friend. Well written, sad and touching...but I am now wondering if he made up any of it!
Yes, I loved the book, but do not admire the author. The book documents a 47 year friendship, from kindergarten, through high school hi-jinks, marriage. long running jokes, and concludes with the death of a friend. Well written, sad and touching...but I am now wondering if he made up any of it!
February 3, 2015
Touching story about a lifelong friendship and the journey taken down memory lane when one becomes ill. Watching someone you love die is heatbreaking. Having a lifetime of memories to share and hold in your heart forever is priceless.
February 4, 2016
Not exactly Tuesdays with Morrie but still another moving statement about the passing of a friend.
October 21, 2012
OK, but didn't hold my interest very well.
October 4, 2023
This one of those memoirs that is so sad because you (in one way) already know the ending: everything described throughout is colored by the upcoming passing of one of the people you are getting to know. Being a memoir, rather than fiction, makes this even harder. Greene make beautiful work of narrating the final months (and early years) he had with his lifelong friend, both with the painful realities of cancer treatment and the moments of shared joy in a new joke, funny situation, or warm reminiscing on days growing up. He bore the burdens of approaching death with his friend as a friend should and told his experience wonderfully.
Yet, throughout the book, there lingered a gathering sense of despair, the kind one faces with odds you can't beat or trials you can't win. Although his childhood memories are charming and funny and so appropriate in painting their friendship, Greene refers back to them constantly, as if reminiscing can slow the inevitable. There's a sense of depending on the past to substantiate the life his friend lived, but of which was slowly and painfully coming to the end. The feeling is like meeting an old friend whom you haven't kept in touch with for 20 years, and realizing the only thing you can talk about are memories long gone, as if to lean on thise memories for meaning in the present. Clearly, the author and his friend had an immensely deep friendship that indeed had some meaning in their lives, but the dependence on "remembering memories" to ease the pain of upcoming loss seemed to emphasize the lack of hope for either of them. Naturally, if a few decades (if that) of life and the memories accumulated during that life is all one has for a sense of meaning, then of course it would be despairing to reach its end, especially if the time was shorter than expected or if dreams were left unfulfilled. Although beautiful and wonderfully written, the saddest thing about this memoir is the feeling of hopelessness the author gives at being unable to hold on to a friendship forever. There is a pain in his telling this story, not just in losing that friendship to death, but also in losing anything to death and wondering if meaning lasted beyond it.
Yet, throughout the book, there lingered a gathering sense of despair, the kind one faces with odds you can't beat or trials you can't win. Although his childhood memories are charming and funny and so appropriate in painting their friendship, Greene refers back to them constantly, as if reminiscing can slow the inevitable. There's a sense of depending on the past to substantiate the life his friend lived, but of which was slowly and painfully coming to the end. The feeling is like meeting an old friend whom you haven't kept in touch with for 20 years, and realizing the only thing you can talk about are memories long gone, as if to lean on thise memories for meaning in the present. Clearly, the author and his friend had an immensely deep friendship that indeed had some meaning in their lives, but the dependence on "remembering memories" to ease the pain of upcoming loss seemed to emphasize the lack of hope for either of them. Naturally, if a few decades (if that) of life and the memories accumulated during that life is all one has for a sense of meaning, then of course it would be despairing to reach its end, especially if the time was shorter than expected or if dreams were left unfulfilled. Although beautiful and wonderfully written, the saddest thing about this memoir is the feeling of hopelessness the author gives at being unable to hold on to a friendship forever. There is a pain in his telling this story, not just in losing that friendship to death, but also in losing anything to death and wondering if meaning lasted beyond it.
January 5, 2021
Sure, this book is about the loss of a friend, but it's also about how a deep and lasting friendship is made. Bob Greene, the greatest living writer, shares in a moving story how his friend, Jack, gets through his last days of fighting cancer in their home town of Bexley, Ohio.
As is usual for Greene, he examines small things, in this case memories of days gone by, and develops the idea that those memories live on and create the bonds of being friends.
The title comes from a Beatles' song; the group was a large part of 1964, when Greene and his friends were driving around, listening to the radio. And the book is like a tune: There's the carefree feeling of youth, of hanging out during the summers, of listening to songs on the radio and sharing experiences. But there's also the underlying soundtrack of despair as Jack gets weaker in his end days and Bob and Allen, Chuck and Dan, the ABCDJ group, hear it as they visit Jack.
Greene is one of the only writers who can make me laugh and tear up in the same book. His insights are amazing and his prose is perfect. I've always said this: I understand every word that Bob writes, but it's the order in which he places those words that make his writing the best out there.
This is a tough book to read. I first read it a few years after my wife passed away with kidney failure. I read it again in an interim between loss and then read it just now, thinking of a good friend who died two summers ago after dealing with heart issues.
For anyone with a friend, this is a book to read. Like I said, it's rough and sad, but it's also a celebration of what makes friendships. Jack, it sounds, would be a good friend to anyone and Bob was blessed to have him as his best friend.
As is usual for Greene, he examines small things, in this case memories of days gone by, and develops the idea that those memories live on and create the bonds of being friends.
The title comes from a Beatles' song; the group was a large part of 1964, when Greene and his friends were driving around, listening to the radio. And the book is like a tune: There's the carefree feeling of youth, of hanging out during the summers, of listening to songs on the radio and sharing experiences. But there's also the underlying soundtrack of despair as Jack gets weaker in his end days and Bob and Allen, Chuck and Dan, the ABCDJ group, hear it as they visit Jack.
Greene is one of the only writers who can make me laugh and tear up in the same book. His insights are amazing and his prose is perfect. I've always said this: I understand every word that Bob writes, but it's the order in which he places those words that make his writing the best out there.
This is a tough book to read. I first read it a few years after my wife passed away with kidney failure. I read it again in an interim between loss and then read it just now, thinking of a good friend who died two summers ago after dealing with heart issues.
For anyone with a friend, this is a book to read. Like I said, it's rough and sad, but it's also a celebration of what makes friendships. Jack, it sounds, would be a good friend to anyone and Bob was blessed to have him as his best friend.
March 18, 2021
A true story: five men who have remained close friends since their early childhood despite now living far apart, when one of them is diagnosed with cancer, the other four rally round in support. The details of the story are unremarkable; as youngsters they did nothing outrageous, nor since. What is remarkable is the strength and endurance of their friendship, and that these were five thoroughly decent young boys proved loyal to each other into maturity.
The story is very much rooted in the present, with frequent recollections of the past, and is told in short bites. And You Know You Should Be Glad is a touching, often moving account. Bob Greene write with great warmth and obvious affection for his dying friend Jack; he paints a picture of an honest, caring and thoughtful boy who retained these qualities into adulthood.
The story is very much rooted in the present, with frequent recollections of the past, and is told in short bites. And You Know You Should Be Glad is a touching, often moving account. Bob Greene write with great warmth and obvious affection for his dying friend Jack; he paints a picture of an honest, caring and thoughtful boy who retained these qualities into adulthood.
December 9, 2018
If you are lucky enough to have friends that you have known since grade school, you will relate to this book about Bob and his childhood friends facing the illness of one of their number. Heartbreaking to read, you can imagine it happening to your own group of friends. I saw my husband and his best friends (only his was to Alzheimer disease instead of cancer)... Bob Greene always writes from the heart.
Read
June 28, 2019The boook is more than 10 years old, but I have always been a fan of Bob Greene columns. This is a delightful book and brought back memories of my childhood (rotary phone, calling out little help when the ball got past me, drug store shakes, etc.) Greene makes something simple and taken for granted come to life. Touching, humorous and eye-opening. And in a strange sort of way a whimsical autobiography by Greene. I hated get to the last page because I felt I lost a good friend.
May 4, 2024
Once again Bob Greene tells us a moving story about youth, freindship, and life. This time he uses his childhood friends to teach that those bonds made when we were young hold so much for us. Greene weaves a story that eventhough I grew up 2,500 miles and 20 years later I feel I was right there in Bexley.
The second time I read this book I found that Greene really made us one of his friends and opened up his life as well as his friends lives.
The second time I read this book I found that Greene really made us one of his friends and opened up his life as well as his friends lives.
July 12, 2025
Not something I typically would read, but the title caught my eye and I was hooked.
Friendship is a treasure, and this one was very strong. Five men who’d been friends from childhood; the author and his friend Jack, friends since kindergarten. After awhile, the stories dragged on, but a little skimming never hurts, right? A special story, and one to warm the heart.
I don’t know Bob Greene, but apparently he’s well-known for his journalistic career.
Friendship is a treasure, and this one was very strong. Five men who’d been friends from childhood; the author and his friend Jack, friends since kindergarten. After awhile, the stories dragged on, but a little skimming never hurts, right? A special story, and one to warm the heart.
I don’t know Bob Greene, but apparently he’s well-known for his journalistic career.
June 23, 2019
What a lovely book. Not easy to read, because of the underlying subject matter, but beautifully written and very heartfelt. I was in the Columbus area this past week and visited Bexley, which is a very nice town.
November 7, 2017
autobiography of friends since K, one gets cancer, sounds touching, but it is really just boring.
January 31, 2020
Touching
I have read Greene's writings for many years as I was a Chicagoan. His style of writing makes you feel like you are in the process room with him as the story transpires.
I have read Greene's writings for many years as I was a Chicagoan. His style of writing makes you feel like you are in the process room with him as the story transpires.
April 9, 2021
A beautiful story of the wonderful gift of friendship
December 9, 2021
Good Story
Nice, casual story of a long lasting friendship. Few of us have the opportunity to have friendships like these. I would recommend.
Nice, casual story of a long lasting friendship. Few of us have the opportunity to have friendships like these. I would recommend.
Read
January 24, 2022Beautifully written story of lifelong male friendship. Forget the controversy about Greene and appreciate the wonderful writing
August 11, 2022
This book really touched my soul. What a wonderful ode to a lifelong friendship. Jack Roth, a great man.
September 2, 2024
Loved this touching story of friendships & death of a best friend.
March 20, 2025
Touching memoir about the author's longtime childhood friend, who is dying of cancer. Bob reunites with him, and they reminisce and face the uncertain future.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 3, 2025
This book touches the heart in ways you will not expect. Bob Greene has written a book that encapsulates what true friendship really is, in good times and bad.
October 2, 2025
Oh my goodness. This one wrecked me, in a beautiful way. So simple, yet so profound. What a treasure it must be to have a friendship like these men had.
October 9, 2016
Bob Greene tells the story of his four best friends – Allen, Chuck, Dan, and Jack (collectively known to themselves as ABCDJ) – with Jack being his best friend. Friends from childhood, life had taken them in separate ways with their friendships changing but Bob and Jack stayed especially close. News that Jack was dying brought them all back into regular contact as Bob remembers those friendships made and developed, reminisces on times spent together and hijinks they got up to, and tells of what the friends do with and for Jack now.
In sharing his friendships, Bob’s simple writing reflects on the nature of friendship, the indelibly deep kind that allows for depth through vulnerability, strength despite adversity, company through silence. To have such a friendship is rare and I feel privileged to have been able to have been shown it (even as I go through life, reflect on my friendships, and attempt to develop such a friendship/s myself). That it is about a male friendship is even rarer, in a society where surface level discussions amongst males can be about local sports teams, antics of politicians and celebrities, how busy everyone is, and go no deeper. I feel no shame in admitting I cried at the end of the book.
This is a rare book about male friends and friendship, and I thank Bob for writing it.
In sharing his friendships, Bob’s simple writing reflects on the nature of friendship, the indelibly deep kind that allows for depth through vulnerability, strength despite adversity, company through silence. To have such a friendship is rare and I feel privileged to have been able to have been shown it (even as I go through life, reflect on my friendships, and attempt to develop such a friendship/s myself). That it is about a male friendship is even rarer, in a society where surface level discussions amongst males can be about local sports teams, antics of politicians and celebrities, how busy everyone is, and go no deeper. I feel no shame in admitting I cried at the end of the book.
This is a rare book about male friends and friendship, and I thank Bob for writing it.
January 17, 2015
No one should suffer a slow death from cancer, but it seems especially tragic when that person is as nice as Jack Roth. Bob Greene’s homage to his lifelong friend Jack is a wonderfully personal evocation of growing up in the 50s and 60s in a small town in Ohio and a celebration of friendship and love.
Reading it reminded me of the opening line to The Girl Next Door by Brad Parks: “To anyone who says newspapers only print bad news, I say: read the obituaries” and a later comment in the same book, “One sign of a well-led life is that you have great stories to tell when it is over.” By that standard, Jack Roth had a very good life. Bob was very fortunate to have a friend like Jack, and we are equally fortunate Jack had a friend like Bob to tell his story. This book WILL make you cry, but it will also make you laugh. If you are lucky it will remind you of good times from your own life.
If you enjoy this book (and, if the concept appeals to you, I am confident you WILL enjoy it), I recommend Greene’s novel All Summer Long, which clearly was inspired by the friendship he tells us about in this book
Reading it reminded me of the opening line to The Girl Next Door by Brad Parks: “To anyone who says newspapers only print bad news, I say: read the obituaries” and a later comment in the same book, “One sign of a well-led life is that you have great stories to tell when it is over.” By that standard, Jack Roth had a very good life. Bob was very fortunate to have a friend like Jack, and we are equally fortunate Jack had a friend like Bob to tell his story. This book WILL make you cry, but it will also make you laugh. If you are lucky it will remind you of good times from your own life.
If you enjoy this book (and, if the concept appeals to you, I am confident you WILL enjoy it), I recommend Greene’s novel All Summer Long, which clearly was inspired by the friendship he tells us about in this book
December 27, 2012
If you've ever had a long-time friend; if you've ever had the gift of knowing someone who can be counted on forever; if you've ever been in a position to treasure that friendship, this book will remind of of all that is good about it.
Bob Greene tells the personal story of his friendship with Jack--from the time they were in kindergarten they were best friends. This did not shut out other close friends, but the friendship was very special to Bob. Then, when they were 57 Jack became terminally ill. This is a story of courage, of sadness, of touching moments, of remembering. Of Jack, of Chuck, of Danny, of Allen, and of Bob, who all celebrated that friendship.
All the time I read this book I thought of my husband Gary and his friends who gathered around him as he suffered through a brain tumor. There is something about the bounds of friendship that makes last months, last weeks, last days, if not more bearable, at least not as lonely.
Bob Greene tells a true story.
Bob Greene tells the personal story of his friendship with Jack--from the time they were in kindergarten they were best friends. This did not shut out other close friends, but the friendship was very special to Bob. Then, when they were 57 Jack became terminally ill. This is a story of courage, of sadness, of touching moments, of remembering. Of Jack, of Chuck, of Danny, of Allen, and of Bob, who all celebrated that friendship.
All the time I read this book I thought of my husband Gary and his friends who gathered around him as he suffered through a brain tumor. There is something about the bounds of friendship that makes last months, last weeks, last days, if not more bearable, at least not as lonely.
Bob Greene tells a true story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews