Catch Us if You Can is actually a different sort of novel for me. It is a coming-of-age tale which is something I do not read that often. Not to mention that basketball which is the one sport that I actually loathe more than any other (sorry basketball fans I mean NO disrespect!) I am actually very glad that I did take the time to not read but enjoy this book.
“Catch Us If You Can” is a coming-of-age tale of small town but urban youth growing up in the late 1960s trying to untangle the answer to Bruce Springsteen’s haunting question: “Is a dream a lie if it don’t come true or is it something worse?” It is 1967. In Oldbrook, where basketball is a religion and making the high school team is a confirmation, Gene Gennaro is sailing through his freshman year, blown along by the steady prevailing innocent winds of the time —- sports, girls, and Rock & Roll. When a tragedy thrusts him into a new world forever rocked by the fateful day, he begins a journey through the berserk times. For Gene, the Summer of Love is a summer of healing, buoyed by The Beatles and basketball. The next three frenetic years of high school are a lifeline as unbreakable as the fidelity of his friendships with five basketball teammates; most of all, Reuben, his best buddy since before kindergarten, whose lifeline at times turns into the rope for a tug-of-war between fate and will, testing their classically loyal friendship.
I didn’t grow up int he 60’s but Marc Feinstein takes you into that decade in which political uproar and rock and roll were front and center. I was amazed that the time period itself didn’t affect the boys as much as it could have. Not amazed in a bad way because it would have been very easy to allow the characters get drawn into all of that as many authors do but instead these boys are busy just growing up. All in all this was a very good read and as I said I was glad that I read it. The characters are strong and well written but not so strong as to be overpowering.
Purchase Catch Us If You Can
You can purchase Catch Us if You Can on Amazon.
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Awe brings me back to High School, wasn’t a fan of basketball either
I have a son playing freshman basketball right now so the plot is intriguing for that reason. He isn’t the best player but enjoys the game so I have no illusions about his playing in the NBA; I just think it’s awesome that he’s playing. Thanks for sharing your view of the book!
I love coming of age stories. I think it’s interesting to see what they experience versus what we experienced. I know my daughter enjoys reading these types of books so I will be sure to mention it to her. Thanks!
I really like watching basketball movies, so I might enjoy this book.