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A Long Way to Go
What happens when three children spend the day in the supervised daycare program of a FL resort motel, but at the end of the day, their parents don't come to pick them up? The motel manager and the uncaring-caregiver want to "do something with them," and the children fear the worst. So the next morning, they just leave the motel and start walking home. Home is six hundred miles away, which leads to an enthralling story of their trip, the people they meet, the ways they find food, frightening experiences, and their worry about what has happened to their parents. The children change as time goes by, especially the formerly quite spoiled little 6-year-old.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 65-19940
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 65-19940
- GenresFiction
230 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1965
3 people are currently reading
170 people want to read
About the author
Borden Deal
50books9followersBorden Deal was an American novelist and short story writer. Born in Pontotoc, Mississippi, Deal attended Macedonia Consolidated High School, after which he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps and fought forest fires in the Pacific Northwest. Before he began writing, his checkered career included work on a showboat, hauling sawdust for a lumber mill, harvesting wheat, a position as auditor for the United States Department of Labor, a telephone solicitor, copywriter, and an anti-aircraft fire control instructor in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
In 1946, Deal enrolled in The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. While there he published his first short story, "Exodus". His creative writing professor was Hudson Strode. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree within three years, then enrolled in Mexico City College for graduate study.
It was not until 1956 that Deal decided to become a full-time writer. Among the pseudonyms he used were Loyse Deal, Lee Borden, and Michael Sunga.
A prolific writer, Deal penned twenty-one novels and more than one hundred short stories, many of which appeared in McCall's, Collier's, Saturday Review, and Good Housekeeping. His work has been translated into twenty different languages. A major theme in his canon is man's mystical attachment to the earth and his quest for land, inspired by his family's loss of their property during the Great Depression. The majority of his work is set in the small hamlets of the Deep South. From 1970 Deal also published, under the name "Anonymous", a series of erotic novels with pronoun titles such as Her and Him.
His novel The Insolent Breed served as the basis for the Broadway musical A Joyful Noise. His novel Dunbar's Cove was the basis for the plot of the movie Wild River, starring Lee Remick and Montgomery Clift.
Deal was married twice and had three children. He died of a heart attack in Sarasota, Florida.
In 1946, Deal enrolled in The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. While there he published his first short story, "Exodus". His creative writing professor was Hudson Strode. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree within three years, then enrolled in Mexico City College for graduate study.
It was not until 1956 that Deal decided to become a full-time writer. Among the pseudonyms he used were Loyse Deal, Lee Borden, and Michael Sunga.
A prolific writer, Deal penned twenty-one novels and more than one hundred short stories, many of which appeared in McCall's, Collier's, Saturday Review, and Good Housekeeping. His work has been translated into twenty different languages. A major theme in his canon is man's mystical attachment to the earth and his quest for land, inspired by his family's loss of their property during the Great Depression. The majority of his work is set in the small hamlets of the Deep South. From 1970 Deal also published, under the name "Anonymous", a series of erotic novels with pronoun titles such as Her and Him.
His novel The Insolent Breed served as the basis for the Broadway musical A Joyful Noise. His novel Dunbar's Cove was the basis for the plot of the movie Wild River, starring Lee Remick and Montgomery Clift.
Deal was married twice and had three children. He died of a heart attack in Sarasota, Florida.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
April 27, 2019
I adored this book and read it many times when I was 11 & 12 years old. It's about siblings who get separated from their parents and with ingenuity and courage, find their way back home by themselves. Unfortunately, it's out of print now.
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I reread this book in April 2019 before having to give up the book. Giving up books will be as tough as I’d feared, I’m afraid. And I’m embarrassed that two of the books I’m now giving up are in such gross condition, made only slightly less embarrassing in that they were originally library books and I got them used, though I was one patron that read them frequently prior to buying them. I have a few books that I had new that are in not condition either so I have to assume I might be of the culprits for these books too. On the other hand, some of my books from childhood are in remarkably great condition.
Oh, wow. I read and reread this so many times at ages 11 & 12. I’d always thought I didn’t really know what vegetarianism was until I was around 17 but there is a great ethical vegetarian (maybe vegan!) character in this book. I hadn’t remembered her at all. Unfortunately, even though the veg*n was presented as a positive character, veg*nism was overall not presented in a positive way, though the author/characters seemed to be conflicted about issues around animals as food, killing animals, etc. and companion animals are presented in a very positive light.
To my surprise I’d forgotten about the dog too. Ditto the other animals.
I got the feeling he wrote it as a way to teach his children some lessons. It’s kind of annoying and it’s sort of sweet, but sort of upsetting too given what he says about his characters.
I have to say: Books should not go out of print if any readers want to read them, and they should be made available online if that’s the only way to read them, I’d read them that way. But between ILL and online sites, if a reader wants to read a particular OOP book, they should be able to do so, for free or for very low cost or for print on demand.
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I reread this book in April 2019 before having to give up the book. Giving up books will be as tough as I’d feared, I’m afraid. And I’m embarrassed that two of the books I’m now giving up are in such gross condition, made only slightly less embarrassing in that they were originally library books and I got them used, though I was one patron that read them frequently prior to buying them. I have a few books that I had new that are in not condition either so I have to assume I might be of the culprits for these books too. On the other hand, some of my books from childhood are in remarkably great condition.
Oh, wow. I read and reread this so many times at ages 11 & 12. I’d always thought I didn’t really know what vegetarianism was until I was around 17 but there is a great ethical vegetarian (maybe vegan!) character in this book. I hadn’t remembered her at all. Unfortunately, even though the veg*n was presented as a positive character, veg*nism was overall not presented in a positive way, though the author/characters seemed to be conflicted about issues around animals as food, killing animals, etc. and companion animals are presented in a very positive light.
To my surprise I’d forgotten about the dog too. Ditto the other animals.
I got the feeling he wrote it as a way to teach his children some lessons. It’s kind of annoying and it’s sort of sweet, but sort of upsetting too given what he says about his characters.
I have to say: Books should not go out of print if any readers want to read them, and they should be made available online if that’s the only way to read them, I’d read them that way. But between ILL and online sites, if a reader wants to read a particular OOP book, they should be able to do so, for free or for very low cost or for print on demand.
June 13, 2010
Children abandoned far from home and forced to elude adults who may not have their best interests at heart? Right away this reminded me of Homecoming by Cynthia Voight, which I believe spawned a whole series. I only read the first one, in which Dicey’s mother abandons her four children, and Dicey leads her siblings on foot, first to a relative in Connecticut and finally to their grandmother in Virginia. I thought that book was pretty dark and gloomy but A Long Way to Go is bleaker yet even more compelling.
Like the Tillerman children, Ashley (10), Brett (8) and butterfly-like Shane (6) who plans to be a dancer, are abandoned. They are left at a Florida motel where they were staying with their parents. Ashley and Brett are unnerved when they realize their parents haven’t returned from a day out without the children, having left them with a counselor. Shane is mostly annoyed because she had wanted to go swimming before dinner. The children are uncomfortable with the way the hotel staff want to escape from the problem they create and wonder what to do: '”Something must have happened.� They had arrived again at the fateful words.� Once they overhear the hotel staff talking about juvenile authorities, they decide not to wait around, but instead sneak way from the motel and begin a journey of 600 miles home where they are hopeful their parents will be waiting.
The personalities of the children are what make this book so interesting on many levels. Author Borden Deal makes the children very distinct: Ashley is the oldest, a worrier, bossy, not always able to control her siblings, Brett is brilliant but unnerving to adults because of his many inconvenient questions, and Shane is self-centered and spoiled. Ashley is portrayed as heavy-set and asthmatic, and she also has a weak foot, but as the oldest and the best at interacting with grownups she is the leader of the group. Oddly, Deal named the children in the book after his own real-life children � presumably with their physical descriptions and failings (even more oddly, it appears he had four children � so why leave one out? Perhaps born later with his second wife). And I am quite sure I would never forgive my father for describing my weight in a book, if I had been an overweight child (although days of interminable walking and meager rations work as a miracle diet on Ashley, maybe just as annoying to the real life version).
As they make their way home to Alabama with agonizing slowness, Ashley and Brett learn to consult each other and work as a team, coping with their fear and worries, and even Shane becomes more responsible and loyal. Their progress is slowed down by animals they acquire along the way, somewhat inconveniently, but adding comfort to their lonely trip. Somehow they avoid dangers in their travels � one chapter in particular where they are aided by perverted circus clown is as unnerving as the most gory scene in a serial killer novel � but the real question (which I will not reveal) is what happened to their parents and how parents of such resourceful and appealing children could ever have left them.
Although I used to think I knew every children’s book ever written, I had never encountered this 1965 novel until my friend Lisa told me it was one of her favorites, inspiring me to buy my own copy from Alice Billheimer's magical trove. It was a great read, very hard to put down, and I recommend it. I do wonder if Voight (born 1942 in Boston and a Smith alumna, which I did not know) ever read it and how she would compare it to her own work.
Like the Tillerman children, Ashley (10), Brett (8) and butterfly-like Shane (6) who plans to be a dancer, are abandoned. They are left at a Florida motel where they were staying with their parents. Ashley and Brett are unnerved when they realize their parents haven’t returned from a day out without the children, having left them with a counselor. Shane is mostly annoyed because she had wanted to go swimming before dinner. The children are uncomfortable with the way the hotel staff want to escape from the problem they create and wonder what to do: '”Something must have happened.� They had arrived again at the fateful words.� Once they overhear the hotel staff talking about juvenile authorities, they decide not to wait around, but instead sneak way from the motel and begin a journey of 600 miles home where they are hopeful their parents will be waiting.
The personalities of the children are what make this book so interesting on many levels. Author Borden Deal makes the children very distinct: Ashley is the oldest, a worrier, bossy, not always able to control her siblings, Brett is brilliant but unnerving to adults because of his many inconvenient questions, and Shane is self-centered and spoiled. Ashley is portrayed as heavy-set and asthmatic, and she also has a weak foot, but as the oldest and the best at interacting with grownups she is the leader of the group. Oddly, Deal named the children in the book after his own real-life children � presumably with their physical descriptions and failings (even more oddly, it appears he had four children � so why leave one out? Perhaps born later with his second wife). And I am quite sure I would never forgive my father for describing my weight in a book, if I had been an overweight child (although days of interminable walking and meager rations work as a miracle diet on Ashley, maybe just as annoying to the real life version).
As they make their way home to Alabama with agonizing slowness, Ashley and Brett learn to consult each other and work as a team, coping with their fear and worries, and even Shane becomes more responsible and loyal. Their progress is slowed down by animals they acquire along the way, somewhat inconveniently, but adding comfort to their lonely trip. Somehow they avoid dangers in their travels � one chapter in particular where they are aided by perverted circus clown is as unnerving as the most gory scene in a serial killer novel � but the real question (which I will not reveal) is what happened to their parents and how parents of such resourceful and appealing children could ever have left them.
Although I used to think I knew every children’s book ever written, I had never encountered this 1965 novel until my friend Lisa told me it was one of her favorites, inspiring me to buy my own copy from Alice Billheimer's magical trove. It was a great read, very hard to put down, and I recommend it. I do wonder if Voight (born 1942 in Boston and a Smith alumna, which I did not know) ever read it and how she would compare it to her own work.
September 16, 2010
This kind of reminds me of the Boxcar Children. The plot is similar: three kids, alone in the world, trying to make it on their own. Ashley (a girl), Brett (a boy), and Shane (a girl), age 10, 8 and 6 respectively, are on vacation when their parents leave the hotel one day and never come back. Fearful of being turned in to the "juvenile authorities," the children quietly slip away and begin the 600-mile trek home. On the way they face various challenges including injury and lack of food, pick up a trio of animal companions and encounter various adults who either help or hinder them.
Although it's pretty long compared to most children's books, I think kids age 10 or so would love this. All kids fantasize about being on their own without all those meddling grownups around, and the children's self-reliance is a great thing that even adults would admire. And of course there's the suspense factor: what's going to happen next on the road, and more to the point, where are their parents and what happened to them?
A definite win.
Although it's pretty long compared to most children's books, I think kids age 10 or so would love this. All kids fantasize about being on their own without all those meddling grownups around, and the children's self-reliance is a great thing that even adults would admire. And of course there's the suspense factor: what's going to happen next on the road, and more to the point, where are their parents and what happened to them?
A definite win.
September 9, 2009
I loved this 1960s tale of three siblings who make a 600-mile trek to find their parents with nothing in the way of resources except for some beach towels, sun hats, and $23. Their willingness to climb into a car with strangers seemed a little unusual even for the 1960s, especially because some of the people who helped them actually seemed a little sinister.
The author named the three characters after his own three children. This was actually a little odd since he wasn't entirely complimentary about their personalities and appearances. I wonder how the oldest daughter felt about having her weight problem mentioned throughout the story.
But it's a great book and I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen at the end!
The author named the three characters after his own three children. This was actually a little odd since he wasn't entirely complimentary about their personalities and appearances. I wonder how the oldest daughter felt about having her weight problem mentioned throughout the story.
But it's a great book and I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen at the end!
August 28, 2024
I loved this book about three children (Ashley, age 10; Brett, age 8; Shane, age 6) who, while on vacation in southern Florida with their parents, are left at the hotel daycare for a day, so that mom and dad can have some time on their own -- however, mom and dad don't come back.....
In the meantime, the hotel staff don't know what to do with the children, and shuffle them around to different staff members. The children, feeling unwanted, get up the next morning, unbeknownst to anyone at the hotel, and decide....to walk home -- 600 hundred miles!
Yes, it's pretty unbelievable, but the children's adventures, problem-solving abilities, and their personal growth and maturity, are enjoyable to observe as each obstacle comes their way.
As I said, I liked this one a lot. That being said, I don't feel that it has stood the test of time very well. It was written in 1965. It is a book that I would have read as a child, and it would have been very acceptable. However, I do not feel that some of the handling of situations (especially dealing with killing animals -- even for food) would be appropriate today for the 8- or 9-years-olds that this book is aimed at. As a teacher, I would not read this book in class, though there are several teachable moments (and wonderful vocabulary!).
So, I leave it to you -- read it and enjoy (as I did), but you might like to ponder how you think this book has aged :)
In the meantime, the hotel staff don't know what to do with the children, and shuffle them around to different staff members. The children, feeling unwanted, get up the next morning, unbeknownst to anyone at the hotel, and decide....to walk home -- 600 hundred miles!
Yes, it's pretty unbelievable, but the children's adventures, problem-solving abilities, and their personal growth and maturity, are enjoyable to observe as each obstacle comes their way.
As I said, I liked this one a lot. That being said, I don't feel that it has stood the test of time very well. It was written in 1965. It is a book that I would have read as a child, and it would have been very acceptable. However, I do not feel that some of the handling of situations (especially dealing with killing animals -- even for food) would be appropriate today for the 8- or 9-years-olds that this book is aimed at. As a teacher, I would not read this book in class, though there are several teachable moments (and wonderful vocabulary!).
So, I leave it to you -- read it and enjoy (as I did), but you might like to ponder how you think this book has aged :)
July 10, 2020
Favorite Quotes
� "That's the worst thing you can do, make somebody lose their place in their book."
� Men were a very nice thing in the world. You couldn't trust them; she had found that out very early on, not like you could trust Mama. But they said nice things if you smiled at them and sometimes gave you nice things and they all thought she was beautiful.
� "I never thought of it that way, up till now, but it's the staying together that we've got to think about. Then, if it happens that we don't get home, we can handle it. If we get home and there's no one there, we can handle that, too. All we can't handle is not staying together. So I'm not walking another inch. Not without you."
� "Our purpose is to get home," Brett said seriously.
"Is it?" Mr. Will said. "Or is it to be the kind of person you will be by the time you get there?"
Thoughts
� The writing is a bit repetitive. Of course, this is in benefit for its intended audience, but it is somewhat tedious for me as an adult, but not unbearably so. It does help drive home the helplessness of their situation. Each topic and train of thought carries such a heavy melancholy about reality and maturity.
� Shane's inner dialogue is so dark and mature for such a young girl especially her view of men. It caught me by surprise.
� I greatly appreciate the subtle change each child goes through during their journey until they have grown up behind their years once they finally reach home. It makes the end feel justified as they accept they may have to continue to care for themselves alone. Instead of panicking, crying and denying their circumstance like in the beginning, they accept this heavy truth with grace and focus on the most important efforts first like finding food.
4.5 / 5
� "That's the worst thing you can do, make somebody lose their place in their book."
� Men were a very nice thing in the world. You couldn't trust them; she had found that out very early on, not like you could trust Mama. But they said nice things if you smiled at them and sometimes gave you nice things and they all thought she was beautiful.
� "I never thought of it that way, up till now, but it's the staying together that we've got to think about. Then, if it happens that we don't get home, we can handle it. If we get home and there's no one there, we can handle that, too. All we can't handle is not staying together. So I'm not walking another inch. Not without you."
� "Our purpose is to get home," Brett said seriously.
"Is it?" Mr. Will said. "Or is it to be the kind of person you will be by the time you get there?"
Thoughts
� The writing is a bit repetitive. Of course, this is in benefit for its intended audience, but it is somewhat tedious for me as an adult, but not unbearably so. It does help drive home the helplessness of their situation. Each topic and train of thought carries such a heavy melancholy about reality and maturity.
� Shane's inner dialogue is so dark and mature for such a young girl especially her view of men. It caught me by surprise.
� I greatly appreciate the subtle change each child goes through during their journey until they have grown up behind their years once they finally reach home. It makes the end feel justified as they accept they may have to continue to care for themselves alone. Instead of panicking, crying and denying their circumstance like in the beginning, they accept this heavy truth with grace and focus on the most important efforts first like finding food.
4.5 / 5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2024
I’ve been looking for this book for years. I was thrilled when I found a fairly inexpensive copy on eBay. This is one of the few times that I can honestly say that the book was worth waiting for. I loved this story about 3 children heading out alone across country. Ashley, Brett & Shane are 10, 8 and 6 and had been enjoying a vacation in Florida with their parents. Their parents leave them with onsite daycare at the hotel one day, but never come back to pick them up. The children know that something awful must have happened for their parents to not come back. They make the decision to head home � 600 miles away � and think that surely when they get home their parents will be there and everything will be ok. Along the way, they pick up a small dog, a mule and a goose. They have adventures with a birdwatching hermit, a circus clown and a sheriff’s deputy. The ending was excellent and solved the mystery of what had happened to their parents. The book was written in 1965, so the story is a bit dated, but that only added charm to the story for me.
August 11, 2018
I read this as a child and loved it. Reread it again just recently. This book really needs to be put into e-reader form tout suite. In many ways it's not a "suitable" book for the helicopter-parented children of today. These are three children, ages 5-11, on an unsupervised, real life adventure. It portrays them trusting strangers in a variety of circumstances and (due to the reason for their adventure) deliberately avoiding authority and the law. Still, it is a coming-of-age story, about dealing with hardship and fear, making tough choices, using brains and heart.
For today's kids, this story is highly unconventional. It raised no eyebrows for my generation. But hey we walked to and from school daily , played outdoors unsupervised until the sun went down, built our own forts with hammers and nails in the woods and generally led what today would be labeled "free-range" childhoods.
For today's kids, this story is highly unconventional. It raised no eyebrows for my generation. But hey we walked to and from school daily , played outdoors unsupervised until the sun went down, built our own forts with hammers and nails in the woods and generally led what today would be labeled "free-range" childhoods.
September 23, 2023
I first read this book in 1966 when I was 11 years old. Though I forgot the title of the book I have never forgotten the story of the three siblings that traveled on foot hundreds of miles to get back home.
Recently I searched the internet using the plot and found it, fifty seven years later! It’s now out of print so not available in libraries. I was able to purchase a copy for 100 times the original price of 60 cents. It was worth it to read it again. I loved it as much as when I was 11 when I identified with Ashley, the oldest sister. Now I’m gifting to my 11 year old granddaughter.
Recently I searched the internet using the plot and found it, fifty seven years later! It’s now out of print so not available in libraries. I was able to purchase a copy for 100 times the original price of 60 cents. It was worth it to read it again. I loved it as much as when I was 11 when I identified with Ashley, the oldest sister. Now I’m gifting to my 11 year old granddaughter.
February 1, 2021
This is a book that was read out loud to each other (sisters) during childhood.
As the youngest, I did not recall the entire story so just read it.
This is appropriate for all ages.
Three siblings under the age of 10 travel 600 miles to return home.
A wonderful tale of perseverance, character, and family.
As the youngest, I did not recall the entire story so just read it.
This is appropriate for all ages.
Three siblings under the age of 10 travel 600 miles to return home.
A wonderful tale of perseverance, character, and family.
May 17, 2019
I have forgotten most of this book, but I did enjoy it very much.
April 12, 2013
I'm basing the rating purely on sentimentality. This is the first book I bought with my own money, way back when I was just a kid, and forty-odd years later, I still have it, and I'd never willingly part with it.
I'll admit to being a sucker for stories of pluck and determination, especially when the plucky characters are kids, and this one, if memory serves, is very much in the same vein as Cynthia Voigt's "Homecoming." Deal's tale concerns three kids and parcel of animal companions who, after something dreadful happens, make a 600-mile journey, all by themselves. Troubles ensue, of course, but that's what makes the story, and it's one I'm likely to re-visit soon.
I'll admit to being a sucker for stories of pluck and determination, especially when the plucky characters are kids, and this one, if memory serves, is very much in the same vein as Cynthia Voigt's "Homecoming." Deal's tale concerns three kids and parcel of animal companions who, after something dreadful happens, make a 600-mile journey, all by themselves. Troubles ensue, of course, but that's what makes the story, and it's one I'm likely to re-visit soon.
February 5, 2013
It's been at least 30 years since I read this book. I'm so glad I found the title after all this time. I want to read it again and see what I think of the story as an adult.
Read
March 23, 2018The first book I ever read from the Adult Library.
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