For many of us, searching for that great book, the one with the story that hooks you through the heart and refuses to let go, is a sort of a Holy Grail journey, never to be satisfied; though some stories come close, most do not. For me, Canyon Dreams is the real deal, that once in a lifetime tale that makes you laugh and cry, makes you wonder why the world is so fucked up, keeps you on the edge of your chair, and makes you want to hug the characters who leap off the pages and into your heart.
Canyon Dreams is an unlikely tale of a little known sports phenomena, rez ball, that frenetic version of high school basketball played in the tribal reservations of the arid Southwest. Although it is a sports story, at heart it is so much more that it's difficult for me to articulate this amazing book's many incredible facets.
Instead of focusing on the game, the author, the masterful Michael Powell (New York Times sports columnist), presents non-linear vignettes from the life of a community and culture that is foreign to almost all Americans, the Navajo, and subtly pulls the reader into the story until you feel the joy, suffering, pain, and hopes-dreams of the players, and understand the drive of their indomitable coach, Raul Mendoza, who refuses to let his players or the many students he counsels slip into despair and suicide.
Although I am not usually a fan of sports literature, I can tell you without exaggeration that the book is truly extraordinary and should be on your reading list.
No comments:
Post a Comment