Right of the bat I am going to admit that I am not into sports novels or sports stories. However, Grisham has once again sucked me into a book that I would normally not read or even pick up off the shelf. Football is the overlying theme with good, no…. great food. It must have been the great Italian food and wine that kept me reading… right?As we learn about Rick Dockery’s pathetic football carrier which continues through much of the first half of the book, you have to wonder if anyone who plays a sport so poorly and for the NFL could actually exist. Throughout the novel, Rick grows in so many different directions. Italy will certainly leave a permanent mark on this character. He finds friends, a great girl, contentment, and even improves his game. There is truly growth in his character leaving us to wonder where his next adventure will lead.
Throughout this novel, and through Rick, the reader learns a little about the NFL, but mostly about Italian football, life, food, wine and sites. This short novel is quickly paced and I found I was eager to continue on with Rick and his adventures throughout Italy.
Unlike Grisham’s normal crime, court and lawyer novels, “Playing for Pizza” proved to be a wonderful short read that inspires us to keep working hard, even if we are struggling and want to give up.
“Playing for Pizza”
By John Grisham
Publisher: Doubleday
ISBN: 978-0-385-52500-8
