Reading Challenge 2021: Sooley – John Grisham

Hey Loves!
I hope you’re all doing well and enjoying the fact we are now into December! Last week I woke up to SNOW! I wasn’t expecting it and I was mesmerised! It rarely happens where I live so I loved it. With that and it being December and the countdown to Christmas, I can barely contain myself. I mean, I’ve already got three Christmas trees up… Anyway, I was so taken with my London weekend that I’m really behind with my reading posts! Forgive me… I’m going to start the catching up process now though. Today’s post is my review of my book choice for October: Sooley by John Grisham. Now, I’m not massively into Halloween but I do love to see all the pumpkins (hence my photo of this book to be honest!) The theme of October was: Read a book with an orange cover. I found this book in my local bookshop; it was orange and by a writer I really want to read more of so it was perfect. Thankfully, I also really enjoyed reading it! I hope you enjoy my review!

What’s it all about?
The novel focuses around a topic I know very little about: basketball. If you’re expecting a classic Grisham courtroom drama, then you won’t find it here. However, what you do find is a blend of dreams, ambition, conflict and poverty. As always Grisham weaves his tale effortlessly, the characters are well developed and the plot still remains challenging, without reading like a challenge. The protagonist of the novel is Sooley, a seventeen year old, ginormous human being at six feet two inches. He is from a small rural village in South Sudan. His dream is to become a world famous basketball star. However, his location means that he is hardly living in the land of dreams or opportunities. Regardless, Sooley is lucky enough to get himself onto the under 18s national team to go on a tour of the USA. This is his golden opportunity to get noticed by a talent spotter and therefore get himself a college place in America. Maybe he could even get himself a deal with an NBA team and play in the worlds biggest basketball league.

Meanwhile, back in Sooley’s home town, life is not peaceful. Even on the bus journey to the airport, a gunfight breaks out between government soldiers and rebel bandits. However, Sooley manages to keep himself alive. As the training begins in earnest, it becomes clear that Sooley is very fast and can jump very high but he cannot get the ball in the basket. Nine times out of ten, he misses. Playing in America is a completely different world from the hard dirt courts Sooley is used to in South Sudan. Even though the richer teams have better kit and look smarter, he personally feels like a prince in his sponsored Reeboks and dowdy grey uniform. His coach, Ecko Lam believes that Sooley can become a superstar and starts pushing his case to a scout who he knows.

“Lonnie, Samuel could be the steal of the tournament. He’s not getting looks because he’s not scoring. But he will. When I first saw hi back in April he had the worst jump shot in Africa. He’s come a long way and he’s still working hard. And growing.”

Back home things are continuing to get worse. The guerrilla forces have launched an attack which has overrun Sooley’s village. The loss of life is staggering. His mother, brothers and sisters are all missing. The news that makes its way into the US media is fragmented and unreliable. Sooley has no idea where his family are or if they are even alive. His sister is taken away by the rebel forces and his father is shot dead. The rest of his family are now refugees fleeing the fighting. All they have now is whatever they can carry and keep safe on them.

The narrative switches from the endless stream of mostly unsuccessful basketball games and the horror and harsh reality of the people who are starving and suffering at home. Sooley is torn between constantly thinking about home whilst being thousands of miles away, trying to secure himself a safe future.

‘The water was wretched but it quenched their thirst. The peanuts tasted by chocolate candy. “Eat slow,” Beatrice whispered to James and Cool. “Make it last.” But they couldn’t eat slow.’

Partly due to sympathy for the tragedy that has overtaken him, Sooley manages to secure a scholarship to an American college. As he gets settled into the campus and college life, his new coach manages to make contact with his family in a refugee camp in Uganda. Sooley’s life becomes a bit more ‘normal’ (or normal in our terms) as he shares a room with someone else from the team and gets a job working in the locker room of the football team. Now he has access to the gym in the quiet periods, he starts to practice for as long as he possibly can. His training has officially begun. Nevertheless, he still cannot dribble and he still cannot shoot. As a result, Sooley is likely to spend his first season sitting on the bench. Early one morning, his phone rings with an International call. It’s his mother. Finally, after this wall of silence and doubt, he is able to make contact. It’s taken two months for him to hear her voice again and the news that his sister is missing hits him hard.

Despite working hard and showing some signs of improvement, Sooley is still resigned to the bench. He is still growing taller and he is putting on muscle mass. His shooting is getting better and better. For the team however, things are not going so well. A series of defeats means that morale is low. Finally the coach decides to give Sooley the opportunity to play on the court. This was his opportunity to show just how much he had improved. In that game, all his practice, hard work and dedication comes to fruition.

‘The legend of Sooley began with fifteen minutes to go in the second half. He sprang high and aimed at the rim. It was not a hopeless effort to beat the buzzer. I was not a Hail Mary. Instead, it was a smooth, confident, perfect jump shot from 42 feet that found nothing but net. He glanced at Coach Britt, who stood frozen, his mouth wide open.’

Over the next few games, Sooley establishes himself as the star of the team. Despite his obvious skill, he remains humble and likeable, never letting the adulation of the crowd go to his head. Alongside this success, he starts working with an immigration lawyer to see if he can get his family to safety in America with him. He sends them money and speaks to the at least once a week and whilst their situation is difficult, it is no longer desperate.

But all this wasn’t destined to last. Like any young man, decisions are made that are later regretted and lessons have to be learnt. The ending isn’t what we expect…

Final Thoughts
Grisham strikes again with this book! I wasn’t bothered by the fact that I know very little about basketball. I was taken in with Sooley’s story, felt increasingly uncomfortable with the descriptions of life when you are living in a state of fear and utter survival as well as refugee camps. Ultimately, I was desperate for Sooley to become a success story. I completely appreciate that this novel doesn’t end in the way I expected it to either. That is the skill of Grisham – he creates an ‘easy’ read which is hard-hitting, challenging and thought provoking. Regardless, it was a book that I did enjoy to read and once again, I am grateful for finding this by pure chance on the shelves at the store.

I once again apologise for the fact that this post is very late. I’ve got the round-up and November’s book choice left to catch up on!

Continue to stay safe and well everyone!

Big Love xxxx