I've read several Jodi Picoult books and have enjoyed some of them more than others. Several readers seem to like her plot twists, but when that comesI've read several Jodi Picoult books and have enjoyed some of them more than others. Several readers seem to like her plot twists, but when that comes to be expected from an author, it ends up being boring [at least for me}. Still, she is a skilled storyteller, one who often tackles hard topics, revealing their complexity, and creating unforgettable characters, many of them strong women. In this, her latest offering [4.5 for me] Picoult explores yet another controversial topic--Who wrote the plays and poems that are now attributed to William Shakespeare? While many scholars will passionately defend the Bard's reputation and dispute any notion that he wasn't the sole writer, Picoult relies on her own research and that of other scholars to make open-minded readers question this attribution. Instead, she introduces readers to Emiia Bassano, a ward of English aristocrats, highly educated, but a pawn in the games played by men and her family. Although she becomes the mistress of the Lord Chamberlain at a tender age, which is bad enough, later, her life takes a turn for the worse, and she ends up selling some of her writing to Shakespeare. Along the way, she brushes elbows with various Elizabethan literary denizens, including Kit Marlowe and Samuel Johnson. She also falls in love with a man that she can never have. Picoult weaves in several lines from Shakepeare plays through the conversations Emilia has with others and her own thoughts. There's a second narrative strand too, this one focusing on a would-be playwright, Melina Green, who has found it impossible to get her plays produced, partly because of the subject matter but also because she's a woman and not taken seriously. She writes a play about Emilia, who was her ancestor, and persuades her best friend, Andre, to pretend to be its author. All sorts of complications ensue. Being familiar with the works attributed to Shakespeare will add to the delights of reading this one, and I liked both stories although the Emilia one fascinated me the most because of its incredible descriptions, detail, and the possibilities it raises about forgotten or overlooked voices, many of them women, and how a reputation can be built from almost nothing. Readers expecting Picoult's usual fare may not enjoy this one, but I embraced it fully, wishing to know more about Emilia and feeling unsure about the perhaps undeserved accolades surrounding Shakespeare. ...more
Justifiably compared to Friday Night Lights, which was published more than three decades ago, this masterful work of nonfiction is required reading foJustifiably compared to Friday Night Lights, which was published more than three decades ago, this masterful work of nonfiction is required reading for anyone trying to understand the challenges that many young Black males experience while living in an urban area such as New Orleans. The difference in the two books, of course, is in the time periods covered but also the fact that the former covers a small-town Texas phenomenon while this one focuses on a football team on the West Bank of the Crescent City, a place to which few tourists ever venture. Although plenty of violent crimes take place in the city proper, it's also clear that this area that is separated from the rest of New Orleans by the Mississippi River, has fallen on hard times. I lived and taught in New Orleans for many years prior to Hurricane Katrina, and can attest to the author's understanding of the place and the culture as well as the effects that natural disaster had on the city's landscape and citizens. Algiers, where the high school is situated, is nothing like it was before that hurricane; while violence and drug distribution existed before, they are much more prevalent now. The book focuses on the 2019 football season as Coach Brice Brown and his Edna Karr Cougars are riding high after three consecutive state championships. But Brown has plenty of demons that never allow him to rest on his laurels, and he seems haunted by the deaths that never seem to cease in this city plagued by violence and poverty. Brown has had the misfortune of having lost loved ones, including a beloved former quarterback, and he worries about his team's safety once they leave the football field. As so often happens, he seems to sacrifice his own health and well-being with his preoccupation over his young charges. Even as the book covers most of the games the team plays in pursuit of another trophy, the narrative shifts back and forth in time, allowing readers glimpses into the earlier experiences of Brown, his coaching staff, and some of the young men on the team. Plenty of mistakes are made, as happens in sport and in life, and some readers will question Brown's methods, if not his outcome. It's clear that while winning games and championships matter, that's not the coach's endgame. He's in it to save--and change--lives and offer hope that there's a better way to live. Sadly, it seems that in order to survive and avoid risky choices, his young men will need to live the city of their birth. And what does that mean for those left behind? As I closed the book's final pages and reflected on this powerful reading experience, I was struck again by the impact one individual, a teacher, a coach, a mentor--can have on others, and terribly sad for those youngsters who never find that caring adult who encourages them to dream but guides them realistically toward achievable goals. Yes, this is a book about football, but it's so much more than that. It's a peek into a world and a way of life that many of us would deny and the story of sacrifice, love, despair, pride, hope, and expectations, all placed on the shoulders of teens who often don't have a safe place to sleep and subsist on McDonald's meals rather than home-cooked suppers because no one's there to do the cooking. It's being at the wrong place at the wrong time, and dying for no reason, and then not having your murder solved. It's surviving to see another day. It's the story of dysfunctional families, well-meaning parents, and a city that seems bent and broken but somehow still manages to rise once again. Kent Babb's story is well worth the emotional investment. After reading it, it will be impossible for someone to ever look at high school football or the city of New Orleans in the same way again. ...more
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