A review by jaclyncrupi
The Throwback Special by Chris Bachelder

4.0

I avoided this book for a few reasons namely that the cover looked exactly like The Art of Fielding and I thought it would be a poor imitation of that excellent book and I'm an Australian with zero interest in or knowledge of American football (the exception being Friday Night Lights which, of course, is not about football at all). But when it was longlisted for the National Book Award I thought I'd give it a try. So glad I did or I would have missed out on this tender and joyful delight. This is not a book about football or about reenactment. It's about ritual and tradition. These 22 men meet each year to reenact a NFL play that leaves the quarterback with a badly broken leg. They take this reenactment seriously and Bachelder clearly loves each of these men and so did I. The scene where three of the men meet at the usual spot where they smoke, each too embarrassed to tell the others he's actually quit smoking was tender and perfect. As was the moment after breakfast where they stayed in each other's company oblivious to the fact that they were having the time of their lives. Bachelder is a witty observer and I clearly need to go and read everything he's ever written. Also, the tailback is named Riggins!
'It could be said of Steven, as it could be said of each man, that he was the plant manager of a sophisticated psychological refinery, capable of converting vast quantities of crude ridicule into tiny, glittering nuggets of sentiment. And vice versa, as necessary.'