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Friends
This epic cross-country adventure of two men who have been friends for decades will make you laugh out loud. Yet the poignancy of their friendship Will touch your heart. As they travel together across the United States, each, in their own way, seeks to find meaning in their older years. Both discover that this adventure called "life" is still a delight worth pursuing. They will take you from sad to ridiculous in one paragraph. This fictional "Blue Highways" Will entice you to visit many of the sites of competition for the title of World's Greatest Rock Thrower. But in the end, we find that the greatest is, indeed, the one who lays it down for his friend.
250 pages, Paperback
Published December 6, 2017
650 people want to read
About the author
Gary R. Hope
12 books20 followersGary Hope is a writer from North Carolina. His first four books were non-fiction. He recently released his first work of fiction, It's Too Late To Die Young Now. When asked why he switched to writing fiction, Gary said, “Because change gives me an opportunity to think, and lets my imagination take me anywhere I want to go.”
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 10, 2018
Friends by Gary Hope is an engaging account of a journey across America that provides a humorous setting for exploring the meaning of life, love, and friendship. Friends since high school and college, one divorced and one recently widowed, Bill and Allen worked together for almost forty years. Both are retired, financially secure, and living alone in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. One has been divorced for a dozen years, yet still loves his ex-wife. The other is widowed less than a year. Seemingly on a whim, these two men rent a truck and a camper, arm their cooler with some beer, and drive off together on a vacation to nowhere in particular that ends up taking them to an amazing variety of destinations, because that’s what friends do.
Through intermixed snippets of sarcastic banter and profound wisdom, Gary Hope provides the reader with both chuckles and food for thought, as well as some interesting Americana and characters along the way. The narrative is well-paced and brings the characters and scenery to life. When Bill and Allen are asked for advice by young people they meet on the way, and respond “Fill your life with adventures, not things. Have stories to tell, not stuff to show,” and “Don’t forget to live before you die,” you know that there’s more to these men than a rock throwing competition. After all, “To the world you may be one person; but to one person you may be the world.” Friends by Gary Hope is an entertaining, emotionally satisfying, and thought-provoking read. Highly recommended.
Through intermixed snippets of sarcastic banter and profound wisdom, Gary Hope provides the reader with both chuckles and food for thought, as well as some interesting Americana and characters along the way. The narrative is well-paced and brings the characters and scenery to life. When Bill and Allen are asked for advice by young people they meet on the way, and respond “Fill your life with adventures, not things. Have stories to tell, not stuff to show,” and “Don’t forget to live before you die,” you know that there’s more to these men than a rock throwing competition. After all, “To the world you may be one person; but to one person you may be the world.” Friends by Gary Hope is an entertaining, emotionally satisfying, and thought-provoking read. Highly recommended.
October 5, 2018
I simply loved this book, it spoke directly to my heart. As a widow, I could relate to these two best friends, older, their trip across America, love lost, and found, the true worth of a great friend. Funny, poignant, relevant. Well written, characters i want as friends! Recommended.
April 10, 2018
Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite
Friends is a contemporary travel fiction novel written by Gary Hope. Bill was somewhat surprised to hear Allen’s voice on the other end of the line. Allen never called, even though they had literally grown up together and had known each other for decades. As usual, their conversation quickly devolved into banter, even as Allen proposed taking a trip together. Allen seemed somewhat taken aback by Bill’s easy acceptance of the proposition, despite knowing absolutely no details. The two did eventually agree that they’d be driving in a rental pickup truck and towing a camper as they toured the United States. Both of them were sixty-nine years old now. Allen’s wife had died of cancer eight months prior, and Bill’s wife had left him some years before. So, there was little to keep them from setting off together on what would be an unforgettable road trip.
Gary Hope’s contemporary travel fiction novel, Friends, follows two peripatetic wanderers who shrug off their day-to-day existence and set off to see the country. While the somewhat conservative attitudes of the two North Carolinians were often a bit harsh for what Bill and Allen would probably call my East Coast sensibilities, I particularly enjoyed their serendipitous approach to seeing the country. I loved experiencing the West Coast through their eyes, especially Big Sur, Monterey and the Redwood Empire, and did wonder, at times, at the places they didn’t visit. Their hikes in Sedona and the Grand Canyon are exceptionally well presented. As their trip finally drew to a close, I wondered if they might not want to turn around and start driving off once again, and found I was hoping they would do just that. Friends is highly recommended.
Friends is a contemporary travel fiction novel written by Gary Hope. Bill was somewhat surprised to hear Allen’s voice on the other end of the line. Allen never called, even though they had literally grown up together and had known each other for decades. As usual, their conversation quickly devolved into banter, even as Allen proposed taking a trip together. Allen seemed somewhat taken aback by Bill’s easy acceptance of the proposition, despite knowing absolutely no details. The two did eventually agree that they’d be driving in a rental pickup truck and towing a camper as they toured the United States. Both of them were sixty-nine years old now. Allen’s wife had died of cancer eight months prior, and Bill’s wife had left him some years before. So, there was little to keep them from setting off together on what would be an unforgettable road trip.
Gary Hope’s contemporary travel fiction novel, Friends, follows two peripatetic wanderers who shrug off their day-to-day existence and set off to see the country. While the somewhat conservative attitudes of the two North Carolinians were often a bit harsh for what Bill and Allen would probably call my East Coast sensibilities, I particularly enjoyed their serendipitous approach to seeing the country. I loved experiencing the West Coast through their eyes, especially Big Sur, Monterey and the Redwood Empire, and did wonder, at times, at the places they didn’t visit. Their hikes in Sedona and the Grand Canyon are exceptionally well presented. As their trip finally drew to a close, I wondered if they might not want to turn around and start driving off once again, and found I was hoping they would do just that. Friends is highly recommended.
April 11, 2018
Friends by Gary Hope is a story of two old friends, Allen and Bill, who decide to take a road trip together. Join them on this side-splitting journey as they discover that life is to be lived to the fullest, and their best days are far from behind them. Their exploits along the way will make you laugh out loud, but also the love they share for each other will strike a chord in your heart. This is a story about a deep friendship and living life with passion. As they travel across the United States, they visit many beautiful places and meet the most extraordinary characters along the way. They begin to learn that life hasn't passed them by yet and, at the end of the story, they realise that they are about to embark on a new chapter of their lives.
Friends by Gary Hope has an amazing life lesson throughout. I think anyone who has shared a long-lasting friendship can relate to the camaraderie between these two friends. The author has created two amazing characters that made me laugh throughout. I could just picture them taking this road trip together and that was down to the author's amazing descriptive skills. There were so many funny moments throughout this book, but my favourites were the hippy wet t-shirt conversation, their reaction to the nude man in Redwood National Park, and the pig conversation on their way to Little Big Horn. I would love to read more from this writer as he just has a great way of pulling at your heartstrings one moment and making you laugh the next. The life lesson at the end - “Enjoy the heck out of life, and quit worrying so much” - summed the story up perfectly. The ending was very emotional and one I was not expecting.
Friends by Gary Hope has an amazing life lesson throughout. I think anyone who has shared a long-lasting friendship can relate to the camaraderie between these two friends. The author has created two amazing characters that made me laugh throughout. I could just picture them taking this road trip together and that was down to the author's amazing descriptive skills. There were so many funny moments throughout this book, but my favourites were the hippy wet t-shirt conversation, their reaction to the nude man in Redwood National Park, and the pig conversation on their way to Little Big Horn. I would love to read more from this writer as he just has a great way of pulling at your heartstrings one moment and making you laugh the next. The life lesson at the end - “Enjoy the heck out of life, and quit worrying so much” - summed the story up perfectly. The ending was very emotional and one I was not expecting.
August 27, 2020
The book is a great poignant account of 2 old friends on a journey across North America to rediscover the meaning of life, love, and friendship. Though both have distinct personalities, they have been friends throughout their students’ lives. Now their friendship is much closer as they both experienced the love loss with one is widowed and the other divorced. The sudden decision to travel might come across as a simple premise, a reward after 40-year hard working, actually stems from Allen’s desire to temporarily detach from the present and his situation. A journey with no destination mirrors their lives. Life has taken many things from them, and also through life they once again start meeting new people and rediscovering their memories, their past shelves.
Boys will always be boys, and there are certain things that can only be talked amongst themselves. Gary Hope’s well-constructed dialogues provide not only laughter and retrospective thinking, but also interesting tidbits of historical facts from many places Allen and Bill came across. The story is well-paced, the characters are relatable, and the best lesson of the story is to “fill your life with adventures and live to have a story to tell, not stuff to show.” A highly recommended contemporary fiction read.
3.5 out of 5
Boys will always be boys, and there are certain things that can only be talked amongst themselves. Gary Hope’s well-constructed dialogues provide not only laughter and retrospective thinking, but also interesting tidbits of historical facts from many places Allen and Bill came across. The story is well-paced, the characters are relatable, and the best lesson of the story is to “fill your life with adventures and live to have a story to tell, not stuff to show.” A highly recommended contemporary fiction read.
3.5 out of 5
January 24, 2018
I really didn't know what this book was about, but I'd read two of the authors other books and liked his style--easy and fun and interesting. This book was no different. I identified with the two main characters (even though I'm not like them). I loved the interaction between them and felt like I was with them on their journey. I don't know if the author has visited all the places in the book or not--but it sure seems as though he has. I was brought from laughing to crying often in the same paragraph.
If you want to be entertained by a book, which you look forward to picking up each day, this is the book for you. I wasn't exactly sure how the book would end, but I was happy it ended like it did. These two "friends" are unforgettable and I'm only hoping that they will once again get in their Ford F-150 and hit the road again for more fun and adventure.
Thanks, Mr. Hope, for bringing so much fun into my life. I also read Abbey and The Girl From Tir na nog. Can't decide which one I like more. Keep it up!
If you want to be entertained by a book, which you look forward to picking up each day, this is the book for you. I wasn't exactly sure how the book would end, but I was happy it ended like it did. These two "friends" are unforgettable and I'm only hoping that they will once again get in their Ford F-150 and hit the road again for more fun and adventure.
Thanks, Mr. Hope, for bringing so much fun into my life. I also read Abbey and The Girl From Tir na nog. Can't decide which one I like more. Keep it up!
April 29, 2018
I have read many of Gary Hopes books and this one I believe is probably my favorite! I love books that can make me smile and laugh while reading them but they are hard to come by now a days but I could stop smiling and laughing with this book! This unique book really makes you think about who your true friends are who you can trust and who you could say get your stuff lets go on a road trip! the companionship of the two characters is a deep friendship that I pray to have when im older. I don't want to give any spoilers but the adventures these two quirky characters go on will make you laugh, think, and want to grab your Best friend and rent a RV! I do believe though that the two characters should have stayed in Dallas, Tx a lot longer and maybe visit a good friend and her dog and cat they all could have visited over some delicious Starbucks coffee! I am very sadden to find out that this is Gary Hopes last book! I do though Highly recommend this book!
September 24, 2020
This was a book that was a plaque to read I enjoyed it very much!! It's a book of two elderly me who decide to visit places thet they have wanted to visit. The author describes these places so that you want to journey to them as well. I highly recommend this book and ant other books by this author! Enjoy!
October 19, 2020
DNF this bland story of middle-aged (or older?) men who embark on a cross-country trip, for what, I'm not really sure. There was tons of dialogue and little else to keep me engaged, but I tried it from one of those 'read books for money - or free, most likely' sites: onlinebookclub.org. I'll be cancelling that registration. Some books are self-published for a reason, and this is one of them.
June 24, 2020
Terrible! Only got to the end as was reading for a book review site! Some of the descriptions of travel in the US make you want to do the trip but a good guide book would have been a better read and far less offensive than the exploits of these rather ridiculous and prejudiced characters!
October 16, 2021
loved it. Laughed and cried. Didn't want it to end.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews