Saved [Hardcover]

Jack Falla (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 8, 2008

Veteran Boston goaltender Jean Pierre Savard sees stardom and the money it brings as fate’s make-up call for a life in which he lost his father, his wife, and most of his self confidence for anything not involving saves or sex. 

Now late in his career, Savard and his teammate and best friend, Cam Carter, are trying to fulfill their boyhood dreams of winning a Stanley Cup before they retire. A surprise late-season trade pits the friends against each other in a playoff series both could lose but only one can win. 

Saved takes the reader into the rinks, dressing rooms, planes, buses, and hotels that are the backdrop to the long grind of an NHL season. That grind is made bearable by the likes of players such as Bruno Govoni, whose cell phone ring tone is the orgasmic moaning of a porn star Loretta (Lash) LaRue; of Phil “Flipside” Palmer, the only person besides the Kingsmen who knows all the words to “Louie Louie” or that “Child of the Moon” was the flipside of the Rolling Stones’ “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”; and team enforcer Kevin Quigley, who claims all his fights are retaliations, “but sometimes I retaliate first.”

Most sports novels bring the game to the reader. Saved brings the reader to the game.

Praise for Jack Falla

 

“Falla’s graphic portrayal of a violent sport (and its colorful players) and his insider’s view of how hockey is played, coached, and officiated is exciting, surefire entertainment.”

-- Publishers Weekly on Saved

 

“Literary hot chocolate that will warm your heart.”

---Robert Lipsyte, The New York Times, on Home Ice

 

“The best hockey book ever.”

---John Buccigross, ESPN sportscaster, on Home Ice

 

 

“Possibly the best hockey book since Ken Dryden’s The Game.”

 ---Toronto Globe and Mail, on Home Ice

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sportswriter Falla knows a lot about hockey, and this novel is a hilarious look at how players, coaches and owners get through a grueling season in their quest for the trophy. Boston Bruins goaltender Jean Pierre Savard has no illusions about the hockey profession, and at age 31, Savard knows this year may be his best (and last) chance to win the Stanley Cup. He must deal with age, injuries and the grief of losing his young wife to cancer as he and best friend/teammate Cam Carter swagger across locker rooms and rink ice, avoiding hip checks and rocket slap shots. Savard and Carter have been tight for years and always thought they would win the Stanley Cup together, but when Savard is unexpectedly traded to the Montreal Canadiens, the two friends must play against each other in a rivalry neither likes. Savard's life gets more complicated when he suffers two concussions, his hated and estranged father reappears and his girlfriend cross-checks their romance with an unexpected career move. Falla's graphic portrayal of a violent sport (and its colorful players) and his insider's view of how hockey is played, coached and officiated is exciting, surefire entertainment. (Jan.)
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About the Author

Jack Falla is the author of five books, most notably Home Ice, an essay collection. He covered the NHL for Sports Illustrated for many years, and during that time wrote two cover stories on Wayne Gretzky. His work has also been published in USA Today, Boston Magazine, and USA Hockey.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books; 1st edition (January 8, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312368267
• ISBN-13: 978-0312368265
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,050,650 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Falla's "Saved" Hits Home, January 11, 2008

By 

Kevin M. Greenstein (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Saved (Hardcover)

With his first novel, Saved, legendary hockey writer Jack Falla (author of Home Ice) takes us behind the scenes for a season in the life of the Boston Bruins and, in particular, fictional starting goaltender Jean Pierre Savard. Drawing from his experience covering the NHL for Sports Illustrated [1-year Subscription], Falla brings the reader on a roller-coaster ride, humanizing the NHL experience in ways that are likely to make passionate fans care even more about Savard's real-life counterparts.

From the wacky and competitive relationships between both teammates and rivals to the unique challenges players face in their off-ice relationships, Falla's three-dimensional characters are extremely likable, their melange of attributes and flaws giving the reader a real sense of what life in the NHL is like. In particular, Falla's account of the trade deadline (and trades in general) will give diehard fans a whole new way to look at things when they're cavalierly posting trade rumors on their favorite hockey message board.

Falla's love for hockey is evident from cover to cover, the spirit of his backyard rink present in every on-ice scene. And where during his days with Sports Illustrated [1-year Subscription] Falla might have been limited in which stories he could--and couldn't--share with readers, the world in Saved is presented filter-free. From the frank depiction of the locker-room atmosphere to the unofficial code of conduct between teammates, Saved gives readers a unique opportunity to see the NHL in an entirely new way.

Although it's quite unlikely that anyone will feel much sympathy for Savard as he evaluates his multi-million dollar contract options, particularly in the wake of Alexander Ovechkin's landmark 13-year, $124 million deal with the Washington Capitals, it is refreshing to see that dollars and cents aren't the only factors when a player chooses where to play.

Perhaps the most controversial subject Falla broaches in Saved is that of concussions. Head injuries are a huge issue in sports at all levels, and Falla delicately toes the line between the player's desire to return to action and the prudence of keeping the player off the ice until all post-concussion symptoms have vanished. The urge to ignore the warning signs is often driven by a combination of loyalty to the team and machismo, but the lure of the Stanley Cup and the possibility of a huge offseason payday certainly exert tremendous influence as well.

A wonderful read for hockey fans from age 15 to 105, Saved captures the essence of the sport in all its glory. Combining the spirit of Home Ice (a collection of stories about his backyard rink) with the knock-down, drag-'em-out energy of the NHL, Saved is great fun from start to finish.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars There is NO better book out there for those who love hockey!, March 12, 2008

By 

Melissa Capo Murray "Ice Terror" (Chicago) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Saved (Hardcover)

This book is GREAT! I immediately wanted to fly to Boston to try to find JP and crew. Jack Falla has created the kind of characters you will think about long after you've finished this hysterical, action packed and yes, heartwarming book. Heartwarming? Hockey? YES - they can go together! Not to give anything away, but JP's life outside of hockey will make you cry (just a little), laugh (a lot) and make a die hard Blackhawks fan root for Boston.. AND Montreal! It's that good. All hockey fans out there - you must make your linemates read this book. I loved every, single page.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Falla adds to legend with this gem!, September 24, 2008

By 

Kirk L. (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Saved (Hardcover)

I write this review with bittersweet feelings, as Jack Falla's recent passing has left a void in the hockey community. I don't know of many authors more qualified to touch on the subjects covered in "Saved" than the esteemed Boston University journalism professor, who touched so many lives with his professional writing skills and love of the sport. Although I met him only briefly a few years ago, he made my year when he recognized my name and acknowledged my own meager contributions to sports journalism.

"Saved" is the tale of a veteran NHL goaltender who is still trying to find his balance several years after losing his wife, an aging talent who realizes that his opportunities to win the coveted Stanley Cup are dwindling. Throughout the course of this fictional season, JP Savard will have his world turned upside down both on and off the ice, as he deals with positive changes in his life (a new love) along with challenges he never really seriously considered (an unexpected trade to a bitter rival).

Falla's intricate knowledge of the sport, the position (he was a goalie) and its real-life characters serve him well in this tale of modern athletes who are in many ways, still reflective of the old time hockey pro hockey players Falla grew up admiring/folllowing and later covering as Sports Illustrated's NHL correspondent. As a kid growing up near Boston in the 70's and 80's, I was a fanatical devotee of the Boston Bruins and can readily identify with so many of the themes and storylines surrounding the team in Falla's fictional yarn (the bottom-line conscious billionaire owner, the curmudgeonly, set-in-his-ways GM, the heart-and-soul captain who has never won a championship and desperately wants to before he can no longer play, the team that always comes up short to the hated Montreal Canadiens [sorry Habs fans]). I was (and am still) a hockey goalie, so Falla's book is especially meaningful to me, as I have quite a bit in common with JP Savard from a playing standpoint.

I wasn't good enough to pursue a professional hockey career, but my love of the game never subsided. Through Jack Falla's timeless hockey classic, I got to live vicariously through JP Savard and thoroughly enjoyed his quirky, yet honest NHL journey as if it had been my own.

RIP, Professor. You are dearly missed, but your spirit lives on this great book.