Customer Reviews

Let's Go, Gaels

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In the humble opinion of this former English Major, this 57 page book is a literary masterpiece. The prose is spare. So was Lincoln's, referring here to the real Gettysburg Address, not the version "Gail Wells" giggled through. It is poignant, funny, sweet, engaging, charming. If you fail to recognize any of the characters you will nonetheless find yourself laughing and crying on nearly every page.

But knowing the characters makes it ever so much more fun. Nearly every phrase brought back a hundred related memories of that oh-so-innocent era of SMI and Market Hill in 1964; the paper routes, the class assignments, the movie theaters, the smell of the locker room at the Armory, the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat, the intricate plans the guys would make to casually and accidentally bump into a favorite girl, the incredible sentiment attached to a single thread, and the very special memory of an adorable happy little four-year-old girl whose sudden death is at the center of the piece.

Most of all it is a tribute to a wonderful family, made all the more exceptional precisely because the LaBates were not atypical. They were (and are) one of many wonderful families and folks in this town. The book reminded me of so many of them: the Welches, the Borwhats, the Petrucciones, Father Glavin, Doc Cortese and his work among the poor in Central America, the Gormans and Blanchfields and Cushings and Rileys and all those haunts of my youth like Mac and Tom's (and Mac's. And Tom's.) and Fariello's, all of whom and which made Amsterdam such a great place to grow up, and made our decision to raise our family here so easy. ( No offense intended for anyone I left out. Jumbo left me out, too, thank God.)

Finally, and unwittingly, this book is a tribute to the Author, for in its pages Jim LaBate comes through as the sensitive, funny, shy and sweet guy that we always knew. I reveal here for the first time that when the nasty girls in our class were writing their "slam books" rating their classmates, I took a different approach and privately made up a list of all the people of whom I could think of nothing bad to say, putting great stock in the virtue of Nice. Jim LaBate was at the top of the list. In the 34 years that have passed since, no one has come remotely close to knocking him off.

Let's Go, Gaels. Read it. Cherish it. Pass it down to your grandchildren.

Jim LaBate has written a poignant, fully-realized tale of loss and redemption as seen through the eyes of a 12-year-old boy. LaBate eloquently captures the language of youth and the moment-by-moment realities of his young narrator as his world is shattered by an unexpected tragedy. This is that rare coming-of-age story which does not sacrifice innocence. Rather, it reaffirms the values and beliefs that form the foundation of the innocence that is threatened during the one week that is relived in the pages of this book. This gently-told tale is tender but not sentimental and is guaranteed to touch the hearts of readers of all ages. Highly recommended.

"Let's Go, Gaels" is an impressive debut and a wonderful coming-of-age story. Set in 1964, the main themes -- love, loss, family and friendships -- are relevant no matter what the timeframe. A tragic event changes the 12-year-old narrator's outlook on life, forcing him to grow up quick. I found myself fighting off tears as the world got bigger for him, as it became about more than just school and weekend basketball games. Mr. LaBate does a wonderful job capturing the difficulties and joys of being a teenager, especially a teenager coping with loss. His narrator is fascinated with the opposite sex, secretely wonders if the tragedy that his impacted his family could somehow be his fault, and is mature enough to put what was once was an all-important basketball game in perspective. "Let's Go, Gaels" made me remember being a teenager and dealing with the death of a family member, trying to make sense of it. Anybody's who's ever been young, who's had to grow up, or who is still growing up, will enjoy and identify with "Let's Go, Gaels".