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The Distance from Normandy
Mead parachuted into Normandy on D-Day and fought his way to Germany, through some of the most brutal violence of World War II. But his most difficult battle was lost years later, when his beloved wife Sophie succumbed to cancer. Since then, he has waged a private war against both loneliness and the terrible memory of a day in 1945 that went horribly wrong-and has haunted him ever since.
His grandson Andrew, a scared and angry high school sophomore, has been expelled and is heading down a path of self-destruction. Mead agrees to take the boy in for three weeks, to set him right. At first, the two circle warily around each other, finding little in common. Then Andrew befriends a widow named Evelyn, and Mead busies himself fending off the match, even as he feels a reluctant attraction to this cheerful woman who seems to understand his grandson.
One afternoon, rummaging through the garage, Andrew discovers an antique Luger, the deadly memento of his grandfather's war. In a final effort to save his grandson from himself, Mead takes the teenager on a journey to the beaches, bunkers, and cemeteries of Normandy, where both of them confront the secrets they have been trying to forget.
His grandson Andrew, a scared and angry high school sophomore, has been expelled and is heading down a path of self-destruction. Mead agrees to take the boy in for three weeks, to set him right. At first, the two circle warily around each other, finding little in common. Then Andrew befriends a widow named Evelyn, and Mead busies himself fending off the match, even as he feels a reluctant attraction to this cheerful woman who seems to understand his grandson.
One afternoon, rummaging through the garage, Andrew discovers an antique Luger, the deadly memento of his grandfather's war. In a final effort to save his grandson from himself, Mead takes the teenager on a journey to the beaches, bunkers, and cemeteries of Normandy, where both of them confront the secrets they have been trying to forget.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
4 people are currently reading
190 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Hull
3 books35 followersJonathan Hull is the bestselling author of Losing Julia and The Distance from Normandy. His latest novel, The Devoted, has just been released as of August 2012.
A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, Hull spent ten years as a correspondent at TIME, including three as the Jerusalem Bureau Chief. His reporting has ranged from the Gulf War and the Palestinian uprising to presidential politics and the troubled underside of American society. A cover story he wrote on youth violence won the Society of Professional Journalists' prestigious Sigma Delta Chi award for magazine journalism.
A father of two, Hull lives in Sausalito, California, where he is at work on his fourth novel.
A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, Hull spent ten years as a correspondent at TIME, including three as the Jerusalem Bureau Chief. His reporting has ranged from the Gulf War and the Palestinian uprising to presidential politics and the troubled underside of American society. A cover story he wrote on youth violence won the Society of Professional Journalists' prestigious Sigma Delta Chi award for magazine journalism.
A father of two, Hull lives in Sausalito, California, where he is at work on his fourth novel.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
August 15, 2013
Didn't want this book to end. Unforgettable tale of an expelled 16 year old on the path of self-destruction who spends 3 weeks with his grandfather, a WWII veteran who hopes to set the boy straight. A haunting tale, set in today's real world of teen fears and a veteran's memories of war-time violence, connecting the generations. As a last resort, the two journey to the beaches of Normandy where they both face their secrets. This story will be with me forever. I look forward to Hull's next book The Devoted, released in August of 2012. This author deserves more than a 5 star rating.
December 9, 2011
years ago i read Hull's first novel "Losing Julia". i loved it. i remember it as a tragic love story interspersed with graphic scenes of war so realistic that i felt the men's frostbite. I eagerly looked forward to his next novel. Why it has been on my shelf for years is unclear to me but I have finally read it!! Mead, a WW11 veteran is a widower who receives a call from his daughter Sharon who is up in arms about her teenage son Andrew. He has just been expelled from school for waving a knife around as he is terribly distraught about the suicide of his best friend. Mead offers Andrew a change of scenery in San Diego for 3 weeks. 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. Great realistic characters and true dialogue make this an enjoyable and quick read.
November 5, 2016
I've read "Losing Julia" by this author, but it's been long ago enough that I don't remember how much I liked it, seems like I did, but with reservations. Anyway enough to have bought this as a bargain book. I thought it was WW2 fiction, and it mostly isn't. We meet our hero, a WW2 vet and recent widower, as he is getting his wayward grandson dumped on him for spell. Grandson has been "acting out" since his best friend committed suicide. (When did it become de rigueur to frame historical fiction with a modern story line, anyway? I'm getting tired of that.) At the first we have flashbacks to Grandpa's experiences as a paratrooper dropped behind the lines in France during the invasion of Normandy. Those episodes are interesting. But they don't continue. Instead we stay in the modern day with a pretty predictable story line that would not be remotely out of place in a Hallmark Channel movie. Until a little dark twist at the end that REALLY had me scratching my head.
May 5, 2020
The story ceased for me on page 75 with the full description of a teenage boy's lust playing out. Prior to this there had been numerous referrals to the same act as well as foul language with no purpose. I was disappointed as I was looking forward to the story coming together. I thoroughly enjoy books surrounding WWII. Not this one though. It finally crashed for me on page 75. I was grossed out and couldn't continue and I am no prude.
April 21, 2017
Horrible, unnecessary language. So bad I could hardly get through it.
October 24, 2019
I read this book because of my interest in the WWII Allied landing on the beaches of Normandy. The story centers around Normandy veteran Mead and his grandson, Andrew. Mead is a lonely widower who takes in his grandson who got in trouble at his school.
Sharon, Andrew’s mother and Mead’s daughter, is a single parent who seems to be seriously overwhelmed by raising her son. At first, Mead and Andrew barely speak and both have a difficult time adjusting to living together. Thanks to Evelyn, a widow who lives across the street, Andrew begins to share a friendship with her and gradually he warms up to his grandfather. After a serious incident involving Andrew, Mead decides to take Andrew on a trip to Normandy in hopes of motivating his grandson to become a stronger and more compassionate person. Also, Mead wants to deal with some unfinished business from the war which takes them to Germany. The book goes back and forth from the war to the present. A fairly interesting read, especially the scenes from the war as a very young Mead and his buddies are confronted by the horrors of war. The story line was quite predictable yet I still enjoyed reading. It was a quick read.
Sharon, Andrew’s mother and Mead’s daughter, is a single parent who seems to be seriously overwhelmed by raising her son. At first, Mead and Andrew barely speak and both have a difficult time adjusting to living together. Thanks to Evelyn, a widow who lives across the street, Andrew begins to share a friendship with her and gradually he warms up to his grandfather. After a serious incident involving Andrew, Mead decides to take Andrew on a trip to Normandy in hopes of motivating his grandson to become a stronger and more compassionate person. Also, Mead wants to deal with some unfinished business from the war which takes them to Germany. The book goes back and forth from the war to the present. A fairly interesting read, especially the scenes from the war as a very young Mead and his buddies are confronted by the horrors of war. The story line was quite predictable yet I still enjoyed reading. It was a quick read.
July 13, 2021
A widowed guilt-ridden WWII vet and his troubled grandson find solace in each other. I really liked this book. Unlike many books with teenagers, this teen never has some sort of adult-like epiphany. He consistently thinks like a typical teen. The same is true of the grandfather. He never becomes cool or hip. But somewhere between these diametrically opposed lifestyles they help each other find meaning in life thanks to a delightful neighbor.
December 26, 2022
This is a strong 3.5 stars. It was a hard read at points but very well developed and had themes that showed how similar humans are no matter their age. I’ll probably be thinking about this one for awhile.
March 6, 2018
An enjoyable read.
August 10, 2020
Good story about a veteran grandfather & his insecure grandson both coping with issues.
April 23, 2023
This book had a slow start. Trigger warnings for suicide, depression, attempted suicide and graphic war details.
I wanted to like this more than I did.
I wanted to like this more than I did.
October 5, 2024
This was a good read.
March 27, 2009
Interestingly done.
In my continuing effort to do more reading about Normandy and the other places in France to which we would be traveling, I read this novel last fall.
Mead, an elderly World War II veteran who took part in the D-Day invasion, is haunted by memories of the war and his late wife, Sophie. His only child lives half a continent away and when she calls to ask him to take his troubled grandson, Andrew, for a few weeks, Mead's life is turned upside down.
Andrew has gotten into trouble and been expelled - he brought a knife to school and threatened someone who had bullied him. His academics were pretty bad too and he is probably going to have to repeat the grade.
Neither Andrew nor Mead are happy with the new living arrangement and their first weeks together are difficult at best. Each distrusts the other and the two-generation gap seems insurmountable. Andrew is an unhappy, secretive kid who is mourning the suicide of his best (and only) friend. He befriends Evelyn, an elderly neighbor who is somehow able to reach him, and encourages his grandfather to spend time with her.
Time passes and an almost-tragic event leads Mead to take Andrew to visit the D-Day beaches, battlefields, and cemeteries in France, and then on to Germany where he hopes to make peace with himself. The trip forges a new bond between the two despite their innate differences. The end was satisfying, which I cannot say about all the novels that I read.
Here is my favorite line in the book: "It wasn't happiness he sought...It was the brief absence of pain that he cherished."
Hull has done a good job of character development, which is the most important thing in this book. And I learned a lot about D-Day and afterward, which was why I wanted to read it in the first place!
In my continuing effort to do more reading about Normandy and the other places in France to which we would be traveling, I read this novel last fall.
Mead, an elderly World War II veteran who took part in the D-Day invasion, is haunted by memories of the war and his late wife, Sophie. His only child lives half a continent away and when she calls to ask him to take his troubled grandson, Andrew, for a few weeks, Mead's life is turned upside down.
Andrew has gotten into trouble and been expelled - he brought a knife to school and threatened someone who had bullied him. His academics were pretty bad too and he is probably going to have to repeat the grade.
Neither Andrew nor Mead are happy with the new living arrangement and their first weeks together are difficult at best. Each distrusts the other and the two-generation gap seems insurmountable. Andrew is an unhappy, secretive kid who is mourning the suicide of his best (and only) friend. He befriends Evelyn, an elderly neighbor who is somehow able to reach him, and encourages his grandfather to spend time with her.
Time passes and an almost-tragic event leads Mead to take Andrew to visit the D-Day beaches, battlefields, and cemeteries in France, and then on to Germany where he hopes to make peace with himself. The trip forges a new bond between the two despite their innate differences. The end was satisfying, which I cannot say about all the novels that I read.
Here is my favorite line in the book: "It wasn't happiness he sought...It was the brief absence of pain that he cherished."
Hull has done a good job of character development, which is the most important thing in this book. And I learned a lot about D-Day and afterward, which was why I wanted to read it in the first place!
March 30, 2013
Mead is a retired man living in California his wife Sophie has died a few years ago and he still misses her very much.He keeps to himself,keeps the house inside and out very neat & clean nothing is ever out of place,when Mead drinks a cup of coffee he very quickly washes the cup ,drys it and puts it in the cupboard .
His divorced daughter Sharon lives in Chicago with her teenage son ,Andrew who has just been expelled from school. Mead is a man who will always try to do the right thing,volunteers to let Andrew stay with him for three weeks. He very soon regrets this as Andrew is not what he thinks a teenager should should be.Andrew thinks of his Grandfather as " the great Nazi killer" as mead is a decorated soldier of WW1a paratrooper in the 101 airborne . Meads neighbor Evelyn try's to bring them closer with a little bit of success .
The novel moves back and forth from Meads war experiences and Meads trying to change Andrews behavior .
Andrew finds Meads army trunk and a letter written in German,which brings up a bad memory for Mead,he decides to take Andrew on a trip to Normandy and from their into Germany and the reader than meets Hans Mueller,a soldier about Meads age,meads meeting with Mueller in 1945 has never been far from Meads mind and he has to try to do the right thing.
After reading Jonathan Hulls first novel" losing Julia" I gave it 5 stars,after reading this book I am really looking forward to his next one.
His divorced daughter Sharon lives in Chicago with her teenage son ,Andrew who has just been expelled from school. Mead is a man who will always try to do the right thing,volunteers to let Andrew stay with him for three weeks. He very soon regrets this as Andrew is not what he thinks a teenager should should be.Andrew thinks of his Grandfather as " the great Nazi killer" as mead is a decorated soldier of WW1a paratrooper in the 101 airborne . Meads neighbor Evelyn try's to bring them closer with a little bit of success .
The novel moves back and forth from Meads war experiences and Meads trying to change Andrews behavior .
Andrew finds Meads army trunk and a letter written in German,which brings up a bad memory for Mead,he decides to take Andrew on a trip to Normandy and from their into Germany and the reader than meets Hans Mueller,a soldier about Meads age,meads meeting with Mueller in 1945 has never been far from Meads mind and he has to try to do the right thing.
After reading Jonathan Hulls first novel" losing Julia" I gave it 5 stars,after reading this book I am really looking forward to his next one.
January 4, 2017
If I were to write a letter to this author about the novel. I would say Dear Mr. Hull,
I am reading your book The Distance from Normandy. I chose to read this book because I thought it would be a great read and it seemed like a great story. Which it was. As a reader I have some questions. First question. What inspired you to write a book like this? The book has many little conflicts, but what would be the main one? Why would Grandpa Mead help out his grandson Andrew if he doesn't like anyone?
Also I would like to say what gets my eye(complain). Is the way Andrew is rude and hot-headed to all the lessons everyone has shown and took him through. Also how Andrew doesn't care that his grandpa is trying to help him and see the overall message to why he's taking him on this journey. Considering his grandfather doesn't like anyone. Why didn't Andrew understand the lessons earlier especially since his best friend committed suicide.
A suggestion to you Mr. Hull would be to minimize of the sexual thoughts and commentary that Andrew seems to talk about. He talks dirty a lot. He's perverted. My overall impression to the book would be a lot of history and memories to the characters and it’s a true lesson. It shows how much love there is.
I am reading your book The Distance from Normandy. I chose to read this book because I thought it would be a great read and it seemed like a great story. Which it was. As a reader I have some questions. First question. What inspired you to write a book like this? The book has many little conflicts, but what would be the main one? Why would Grandpa Mead help out his grandson Andrew if he doesn't like anyone?
Also I would like to say what gets my eye(complain). Is the way Andrew is rude and hot-headed to all the lessons everyone has shown and took him through. Also how Andrew doesn't care that his grandpa is trying to help him and see the overall message to why he's taking him on this journey. Considering his grandfather doesn't like anyone. Why didn't Andrew understand the lessons earlier especially since his best friend committed suicide.
A suggestion to you Mr. Hull would be to minimize of the sexual thoughts and commentary that Andrew seems to talk about. He talks dirty a lot. He's perverted. My overall impression to the book would be a lot of history and memories to the characters and it’s a true lesson. It shows how much love there is.
December 13, 2009
I enjoyed this book!
Another nostalgic, romantic saga from the author of Losing Julia (1999). Hull centers this one on an elderly man named Mead. Alone after his wife's death from cancer, the World War II vet is beset by bad dreams and unsettling memories. Soon, Mead finds himself spending lots of time with Andrew, his young, malcontented grandson. The pairing feels a bit forced at times, as when the older man decides to take Andrew on a trip to Europe in an effort to instill a sense a sense of perspective in the boy. "I'll take him to the museums and show him the palace and the Tower of London and tell him about the Blitz," Mead thinks to himself. It is a quaint notion, that a grandfather's history lesson would change a youngster's life, but the relationship ends up generating true drama in the form of a frightening near tragedy. Meantime, Hull's characters yield genuine insight into the lives of both the young and old.
Another nostalgic, romantic saga from the author of Losing Julia (1999). Hull centers this one on an elderly man named Mead. Alone after his wife's death from cancer, the World War II vet is beset by bad dreams and unsettling memories. Soon, Mead finds himself spending lots of time with Andrew, his young, malcontented grandson. The pairing feels a bit forced at times, as when the older man decides to take Andrew on a trip to Europe in an effort to instill a sense a sense of perspective in the boy. "I'll take him to the museums and show him the palace and the Tower of London and tell him about the Blitz," Mead thinks to himself. It is a quaint notion, that a grandfather's history lesson would change a youngster's life, but the relationship ends up generating true drama in the form of a frightening near tragedy. Meantime, Hull's characters yield genuine insight into the lives of both the young and old.
January 17, 2017
Johnathan Hull's novel The Distance from Normandy truly draws the reader into the two main characters' relationship. Andrew is a teenage boy who has trouble in school after his best friend dies and is sent to his grandfather, Mead, who is also a WWII veteran. Hull writes from both characters point of view which really made the story more enjoyable for me. I was always waiting to see what would happen next as I followed their relationship as it got developed. It is safe to say that my low expectations for the novel were exceeded as I enjoyed a book that I would have usually never picked up. If given the option i would have gave the story a 3.5/5 stars as the plot became very predictable but it still kept me turning the pages until the story was finished. I would recommend this story to anyone who is looking for a good read who can relate to being a part of an uncomfortable relationship. Reading this book reminds one to appreciate the relationships in their lives.
May 6, 2012
I would actually rate this a 3 1/2 star if they would have let me. It fell into that realm of, enjoying it and being glad that I read it but at the same time not one of my favorite reads. I hope that make sense.
It is a novel about war, all types of war. War between generations, growing up, getting old, dying, loss, societal views and of course the world wars. I liked the parallelism created between the two main characters, Mead and Andrew. It was a moving and powerful story, and I actually felt weepy in a few spots.
The only thing I didn't like about the novel was that the war scenes seemed to come right out of Band of Brothers. On the one hand, it helped to visualize the war but on the other it was like I had seen this before. That would be my only negative comment about this novel.
It is a novel about war, all types of war. War between generations, growing up, getting old, dying, loss, societal views and of course the world wars. I liked the parallelism created between the two main characters, Mead and Andrew. It was a moving and powerful story, and I actually felt weepy in a few spots.
The only thing I didn't like about the novel was that the war scenes seemed to come right out of Band of Brothers. On the one hand, it helped to visualize the war but on the other it was like I had seen this before. That would be my only negative comment about this novel.
August 12, 2014
This is such a sweet book! Sure, Mead is a Grumpy Old Man but come on...you had to agree with him on some points! Kids *do* need to pull up their pants and stop thinking they all gangsta (You want some "gangsta"? I give you the Purple Gang. You're welcome). And kids don't really grasp what the "Greatest Generation" had to go through...hell, I don't really grasp it all and I'm a grown woman.
I like how the author didn't make everything okay at the end--the mom is still a hot mess, Andrew's future in California is not yet known, and the neighbor died. But something special happened between Andrew and Mead, and it was touching.
I like how the author didn't make everything okay at the end--the mom is still a hot mess, Andrew's future in California is not yet known, and the neighbor died. But something special happened between Andrew and Mead, and it was touching.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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June 8, 2011I started reading this, and just one and part of a chapter in I decided to stop. There was enough swearing, including using the Lord's name in vain, in that chapter (a long chapter, true) to drown an elephant. If it weren't for that and a few somewhat sexual references, I would have finished the book, because the characterization was good and the story makes me curious to know the ending. The quirky and sometimes comedic characters are the type I'd like to write and that fascinate me...just leave out the swearing, please!
February 28, 2012
I tend to gravitate toward books and movies about war, especially WWII, since my dad fought in many battles and was actually wounded in battle in Ardennes, Belgium on Christmas Eve. The character Mead, telling the bitter war stories, was so descriptive and emotional it seemed real to me. The fact that he and his grandson Andrew lives became intertwined and were able to help each other get their lives back on track was was not only interesting, but somewhat inspiring. The book makes you wonder if there are things in your own life that you should bring to closure before it's too late...
May 25, 2012
Another good book by Jonathan Hull--I'd actually give it 3 1/2 stars if I could. (I liked his other book, "Losing Julia," better.) This story of a man and his grandson tells how both deal with losses they have experienced. The man's story contains flashbacks to his experiences serving in WWII. The boy's story describes the struggles of a teenaged loner and outcast. Some parts of the boy's story were not my favorite, but all-in-all I liked the book.
October 21, 2012
I enjoyed this book as the characters were well developed. This was not as good as Losing Julia. It was astory about a gradson and his aging grandfather. They are both having troubles coming to terms with their lives. They take a trip to Europe together and the grandfather relives his days from World War11.
January 13, 2009
I enjoyed this book about an older man who takes his grandson
back to Normandy where the grandfather served during WWII.
It opened the eyes of the boy who never really understood
what his grandfather and others did for our country.
back to Normandy where the grandfather served during WWII.
It opened the eyes of the boy who never really understood
what his grandfather and others did for our country.
August 9, 2010
This is the author who wrote "Losing Julia" which I loved. This book was not as compelling but still interesting. The author did a good job of moving back and forth between narrators: an "on-the-brink-of-suicide" teenage boy and his uptight WWII veteran grandfather.
November 6, 2014
Jonathan Hull does a fantastic job at creating likeable but flawed individuals, as well as a unique and interesting plot. The Distance from Normandy is a thoroughly enjoyable and thought-provoking read, just like his first (Losing Julia). I only wish he wrote faster!
July 9, 2016
A grandfather opens his home to his troubled grandson who he does not know. But together they discover to make peace with the past in order to open up to the future. On their trip to Normandy both men discover what is holding them back from happiness. A great read.
January 25, 2016
Easy quick nice read. Enjoyed history in story
December 27, 2015
Wonderful story
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews