The Rise And Rise Of A Star: Sooley By John Grisham

I did the unthinkable the other week. I went away for the weekend and forgot to take a book! Fortunately, the service station obliged with a good old ‘buy one get one half price’ offer and I was able to pick and choose. Grisham for me, James Patterson for my husband.

Despite loving a good Grisham, it’s been a while since I have read one and I realise there are quite a few on the list now which I haven’t picked up. Other than A Painted House, which I seem to remember had echoes of Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, I have only read his court room dramas so Sooley was a new experience. There’s not a lawyer in sight as Grisham revels instead in his other great love - basketball. He describes his ‘glaring lack of talent’ in the author’s note and explains that he realised that although he could never be the star player, he could write about the game, and he puts his talent as an author to good use. With the pandemic cancelling so many fixtures, this was one way he could get his basketball ‘fix’ and the novel was published in January, 2022.

cq[There’s not a lawyer in sight as Grisham revels instead in his other great love - basketball.]

Seventeen-year-old Samuel Sooleymon comes from South Sudan. A talented basketball player, he is selected to go on a youth tournament in America where he will be scouted by college coaches. To this young man who has only known a hard life in his home village, it seems a dream come true.

Some understanding of basketball might be a benefit but Grisham describes the games and strategies simply enough and I found no need to labour over the terminology to enjoy the spectacle. As for the coaching and commitment, the team spirit and individual determination, they might apply to any one of a number of sports and sports fans of any sort will recognise their relevance.

In the opening chapters, there is plenty of subtle foreshadowing of the drama to follow and some explanation of the political history of South Sudan which is informative and useful; nevertheless, the change in tone as events take a turn for the worse is swift and brutal.

The narrative then alternates between Samuel’s experiences in America and the conditions experienced by his family at home – it’s a stark contrast. Advised not to return home for his own safety, Sooley remains in America with its comparative luxury and the distraction of basketball, which makes the description of life in war-torn South Sudan all the more painful. Grisham forces the reader to make an emotional investment in Samuel and his family, as poignant moments are shared. The support from those around him is genuine and heartfelt and the importance of the work of the UN and other relief organisations is not underplayed. If anything, a little more detail about events ‘at home’ might have added greater depth to the novel but in reality, it was not meant to be a great political statement, rather, one about a young man being offered the dream and having the determination to follow it, despite hardships.

There are moments which remind us that life in America is not necessarily plain sailing. The tension is palpable when Samuel is picked up by the police one night; he is walking home alone from a party and is lost: a black boy in a white neighbourhood could have its problems.

Much of the novel follows Sooley’s team and their meteoric rise through the ranks during one season. Their success is due mainly to Sooley, and his astonishing talent. Grisham writes a passionate commentary of each game, building the pace and excitement – sometimes, perhaps, exaggerating the tension and celebration; sorry if genuine followers of the sport disagree! It’s enough to keep the reader engrossed – basketball lover or not.

If the rise is swift, however, the fall is destined to be quicker still and the ending comes as something of a shock. Dazzled by the wealth which suddenly surrounds him and bewitched by the thought he could share it, Sooley was not unrealistic in his dreams, but drops his guard just once – and once is enough. Thankfully, Grisham chooses to end on a positive note, ensuring the name Samuel Sooleymon will endure.

The novel is character driven, hence the concentration on sport does not detract from the reader’s enjoyment even if, like me, you are not particularly a sportsperson. Grisham has an easy style and is a great storyteller with an authoritative voice; it did not take me long to read this.