Description: "American tour guide Joe Newhouse wants nothing more than to reach Venice. Since moving to Munich after the fall of the Berlin Wall, he's watched his business fail, his wife leave him, and his love for Europe diminish. Now he faces one last ten-day tour with a surly group that doesn't want to be there. As he leads them through the mythic lands of Europe's Romantic past, he grows increasingly disturbed by their stories of earlier lives, puzzled by their desire to be with a man who doesn't arrive, and entangled in an illicit affair that promises to either save him or plunge his tour-and his life-into madness. Soaked in the Romantic atmosphere and dark deeds of old Europe-as well as the freedoms and hopes of a new era-The Last Grand Tour takes us on a perilous journey through Hitler's Berchtesgaden, Mozart's Salzburg, and Mad King Ludwig's Bavarian fantasyland before reaching its stunning climax in the murky waters of Venice. Along the way, it explores the often-shifting lines between fidelity and freedom, illusion and reality, regret and desire."--Provided by publisher.
Brief description: Michael N. McGregor spent over a decade leading Americans through Europe, before and after the fall of the Berlin Wall. In addition to working with Rick Steves, he ran his own smaller company, Halcyon Tours. One of the many people he met in his travels was the poet Robert Lax, who became the subject of his first book, Pure Act. A former professor, McGregor lives in Seattle, where he hosts the Cascadia Writers-in-Conversation series and curates the website WritingtheNorthwest.com.
Review Quotes:
"An entertaining, deeply felt story of giddy hopes straining against harsh realities...A captivating exploration of the promise and burden of passionate love." - Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
"An elegant and evocative novel about lives at crossroads. The indelible pair at the heart of this complicated and tender love story are surrounded by characters I will carry with me the rest of my reading life. Not to mention, the novel is a flat-out enlightenment on European culture. Michael N. McGregor is a writer at the height of his powers: creative and intellectual." - Mitchell S. Jackson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of 'The Residue Years'
"Sweeping and vivid...a trip into the deepest corners of one man's emotional excavation as he grasps for meaning, connection, and love...A gripping, entertaining, and ultimately transporting novel that feels at once personal and universal." - Chelsea Bieker, 'Madwoman' and 'Godshot'
"A thoroughly absorbing novel. [McGregor's] prose has a kind of hypnotic, cleansing melancholy, and his emotional intelligence is formidable. I suspect anyone who loves travel or travelers will encounter some version of themselves within these pages. Bravo." - Tom Bissell, 'The Disaster Artist'
"Filled with castles and mad kings and canals and composers-and a love affair that feels both wondrous and dangerous-this is a contemporary novel that uncovers an extraordinary timelessness. Fans of Jess Walter's 'Beautiful Ruins' will love this." - Sharma Shields, 'The Sasquatch Hunter's Almanac'
"A frequently funny, often melancholy, always deeply romantic voyage through the history-haunted landscapes of Western Europe, accompanied by a busload of unforgettable characters...A journey of the heart, filled with longing and brio." - Jon Raymond, Screenwriter of 'First Cow' and 'Mildred Pierce'
"A haunting story about love and disillusion, the clash of history and modernity, the price of freedom and the impact of loneliness." - Devi S. Laskar, 'Circa'
"'An unforgettable tale full of hope, love, and loss, with enough European flair to satisfy your wanderlust." - Kate Shelton, 'The Novel Killings'
"Brutally honest, masterfully crafted...one hell of a read." - Pete Duval, 'Night Work'