Long Gone Daddy

by Helen Hemphill

When a young man's grandfather dies, he and his minister father travel to pick up the body, and learn to understand each other. Harlan Q is living and working in a funeral home, which he finds easier than living with his Bible-thumping minister father. When his grandfather dies, he has to convince his father, Harlan P, to pick up the corpse. With little money and a quickly ripening body, father and son must tolerate each other during a long drive to bury the old man. They pick up a Zen-minded actor bound for Hollywood, who helps them mend their relationship during a stop at the grandfather's bar, Long Gone Daddy's, in Las Vegas.

Genres: Young Adult

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Hailed as “a strong new voice in children’s literature” by Kirkus Reviews, Helen Hemphill grew up in Wichita Falls, Texas and now lives with her family in Nashville, Tennessee and Austin, Texas.

Her first novel Long Gone Daddy (Front Street 2006) won the 2007 Teddy Award for young adult fiction from the Writers’ League of Texas and was named to the New York Public Library’s Books for the Teen Age. In 2007, her novel Runaround (Front Street 2007) was named a Top Ten Youth Romance by Booklist. Her new book for middle school readers, The Adventurous Deeds of Deadwood Jones (Front Street 2008), won the Virginia M. Law Award from the Daughters of The Republic of Texas Library for most distinguished book on Texas history for young adult readers. It is also listed in the best books of 2008 by Banks State College and was an on the 2009 Winter Indie Picks' List.

Helen holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College.

Reviews

[Mary Louise Sanchez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harlan Q. Stank, age fourteen, is a preacher's kid in Texas in the 1970s. He's questioning his relationship with his dad and religion, and so works for and lives with the local mortician. Then a dead body comes to the mortuary and changes everything. The man is Harlan Q's grandfather, Harlan O, who Harlan Q. has never met but learns has been estranged from Harlan Q's dad, Harlan P. From a follow-up to a letter on the body, they learn the grandfather has some money and an Eldorado car. But to get the $50,000 and the car, the lawyer informs them, the body has to be taken back to Las Vegas, Nevada where the grandfather had a business.

Harlan Q. convinces his dad to take the body back to Las Vegas because the inheritance is God's will to help fund a radio ministry. Of course, Harlan Q. has to go along on the road trip. And what a road trip it is taking a full casket in a 1972 Chevrolet Townsaman stationwagon that breaks down; they pick up a Hollywood bound wannabe actor who discusses religion during the trip as they head to Las Vegas; Harlan Q. visits the bar his grandfather owns and has his first drink there before they have the funeral at the Hopewell Chapel; and he experiences a gambling deal gone bad.

There were moments where I laughed outloud and moments I reflected on Harlan Q. and his dad's relationship, and also the complicated father/son relationship with Harlan P. and his "Long Gone Daddy", Harlan O.

I want to read more by this author!

[Kelly Finan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like this book came very close, but no cigar. I kept looking for more: getting inside the characters MORE, just a tiny bit deeper relationships between the characters...It was almost there! I loved the plot line of a struggling PK.
Very impressive for Hemphill's first novel, I can't wait to read Runaround to see if it made its mark!

[Essence Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book follows a boy named Harlen and him and his father go to Las Vegas to bury is grandfather. I had some problems with this book. I did enjoy it, but there was things in the book that I didn't like

[Stacy Nyikos · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of a boy's journey to find himself and an emotional link to his father. Long Gone Daddy was a hard read for me. I've tried to figure out why. Partly, it has to do with the fact that I live in the bible-belt of the United States where extreme, religiously zealous personalities – part and parcel of this story – are woven deeply into everyday life. I've been damned, urged to save my soul, and misunderstood so often, I've developed an aversion to anything that reflects the type of narrow-mindedness that Harlan Q's father, the Reverend, personifies. In that respect, the author did an excellent job of bringing that character type to life. I felt uncomfortable throughout the entire read.
Still, Hemphill's main character, Harlan Q. Stank, is too wise beyond his years for me to make the leap of faith required to buy into this character. He is too wise. For example, at fourteen, he cautions his father that they shouldn't back their car, which has driven into a ditch and has a flat, out of the ditch because "you'll bend the wheel rim" (Hemphill 55). If Harlan Q had expressed any interest in cars, rather than working at a funeral home, I'd buy it, but as it is, I feel like the character is stretched beyond himself to the point of pulling me out of the story. There are many other occurrences of this nature, like when, after Harlan Q has had a bad experience with Las Vegas. He says, "I wish I'd never laid eyes on Las Vegas" (166). Harlan Q sounds too old.
One tool Hemphill uses well is having Harlan P., the main character's father, speak in third person for most of the book, only breaking when his son complains about the third person habit, and then voluntarily, when he opens himself to his son. Speaking in third person distances the father from his son linguistically and emotionally, reinforcing the emotional chasm Harlan Q. feels toward his father.

[GoddardLibrary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is set in the 70s, and is a very unique book! Harlan Q, the narrator, is a PK (Preacher's Kid) who's had a falling out with his dad, Harlan P, because he is questioning religion He's been living and working at the local mortuary~ the story opens with the mortician preparing Harlan O's, the grandfather that Harlan Q has never met, body for burial. They end up on a road trip to take his Grandfather's body to Las Vegas for burial and to pick up a $50,000 inheritance and that's when the fun begins. If you aren't ooked out by death this just might be the book for you!

[Karyl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I agree with another reviewer that while this book is good, it seems like it's just not quite "there" yet. I would have liked a little more meat to the story. I also felt that once things came to a head in Las Vegas, the story sort of just petered away. It was really good up until that point. I have to say that it's impressive that this is Hemphill's first novel. I'll have to see what else she has written so I can compare.

[I Trump · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this had a compelling voice. Certainly not a subject-matter I read very often. I wanted the dad to take a break from being a preacher to being a father. The MC weaved in and out of character, and I saw the end coming pretty much. But I found the writing easy to read and it kept my interest.

[Kari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helen Hemphill drew these characters so well. A father and son with a difficult relationship, driving the dead body of the father’s estranged father, is such a fabulous setup for conflict. She didn’t resolve it with sweet syrup, either. I love that.

[Kathi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helen Hemphill has established herself as an author to watch with this fast-paced debut novel. I felt like I was in the car with these heart-warming characters as they crossed the desert and in the process found themselves and each other.

[Finally. The]

It's interesting so far, I'm about half way through it. So far it isn't amazing, but, hey, something to read. -nods-

[Tyler Weis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book about two years ago, but I thought this book was pretty good and the ending was somewhat sad, but overall it was a nice read.

[Jesus Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

it was a great book