Review of "This is Panther Country"

It isn't often that when I read a book involving sports, the stories that are not about the game but that are about other parts of life are what I enjoy.  This book falls into that category and it made for a very good book.  

Title/Author:

“This is Panther Country: A Memoir of Youth, Underdog Spirit and Basketball Glory” by Tom McKeown

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Some people will look back on their days in junior and senior high school with fond memories.  Some are glad they are far away in the rear-view mirror.  Tom McKeown is part of that first group, especially during his year in 8^th grade (1974-75) when his local high school, the Babylon Panthers, overcame long odds to win the Long Island basketball championship.

McKeown was a player for his junior high team but was injured for most of the season. That didn’t dampen his enthusiasm for the game as he wrote about his experience at every game the Panthers varsity team played and the action he describes is as good as any professional game. One of the playoff games went into triple overtime and the reader will be sweating out every word as much as the fans at the gym were sweating out every possession.

More than basketball, what makes this book a joy to read is just seeing the world through the eyes of an 8^th grader and for a grown adult to write in this manner nearly 50 years after experiencing it was quite a change from most memoirs.  It got to the point that more than the Panthers basketball team, I was rooting for McKeown to win over the girl he was crushing on, Virgina. Sadly, unlike the Panthers, Virginia started going out with another boy. The way McKeown wrote this side story, along with others such as after game parties, was excellent and was a great portrayal of his entire school year, with the basketball championship an extra bonus. 

If a reader enjoys reading stories like this, whether as YA fiction or memoirs like this, then pick up this book and enjoy the life of a huge basketball fan in junior high and what it was like to root for a championship team.

I wish to thank the author for providing a copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.

Link: Amazon.com: This Is Panther Country: A Memoir of Youth, Underdog Spirit, and Basketball Glory eBook : McKeown, Tom: Kindle Store