An African Rebound: A Novel
(Hardback)
Available Formats
Publishing Details
An African Rebound: A Novel
By (Author) Dan Doyle
Skyhorse Publishing
Skyhorse Publishing
9th April 2013
United States
Classifications
General
Fiction
Sport: general
Basketball
African history
Modern and contemporary fiction: general and literary
FIC
Physical Properties
Hardback
480
Width 152mm, Height 229mm, Spine 38mm
630g
Description
It is 1989, and Jim Keating has hit absolute rock bottom. Hes lost his wife to cancer, his house to bankruptcy, and his job as a college basketball coach to what many outsiders believed to be a racially insensitive career-ending decision. He has also just about lost his mind, having slipped into a bout of serious depression. Attempting to pick up the pieces and start life over, Jim returns home to Worcester and rents a small apartment.
Word gets out that the legendary Jim Keating has returned home, and everyone is eager to see him, despite what theyve read in the news. In high school and college, Jim had been a star athlete. After a stint in the Army, he took a job as a college basketball coach. Although the teams and leagues changed over the years, Keatings passion for basketball and commitment to the players he coached never faltered. Recognizing this, an old friend makes Jim an offer designed to help him restart his career.
Soon, Jim finds himself in Burundi, Africa, where he is to create a basketball league that will bring two warring tribesthe Hutus and the Tutsistogether peacefully. These tribes have been in a civil war for years, and government officials believe one of the ways to guide them to peace is through sports. In Burundi, Jim has the chance to recommit himself to basketball, rediscover his true self, and bring peace to a nation in turmoil.
Reviews
My friend Dan wasn't a really good rebounder in b-ball, but he's hit a homerun here. A wonderfully told sports story that teaches us a very profound and compelling life lesson. --Bob Cousy
Author Bio
Dan Doyle traveled to Burundi, Africa, in 1990 to help develop Project Burundi alongside US diplomats. He is the founder and executive director of the Institute for International Sport. While in this position, Doyle founded the World Scholar-Athlete Games, National Sportsmanship Day, and the Center for Sports Parenting. A former high school and intercollegiate men's basketball coach, he achieved a career record of 142-45 and led the Trinity College men's team to national success. He lives in Kingston, Rhode Island.
