A Long Way from Chicago is a novel in stories by Richard Peck about two city siblings, Joey and Mary Alice, who spend summers in a small Illinois town with their eccentric grandmother, Grandma Dowdel, during the Great Depression. The book is told as a series of connected short stories, each focusing on a different summer adventure. Grandma Dowdel, a larger-than-life character, uses her unique methods to help those in need and cause chaos in the sleepy town.