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MWSA Review
Ahab: A Hockey Story is very good exposition of what the average person knows nothing about: service in "the rear." We often hear vaguely about the bureaucratic nature of the services and the VA, but few of us have to deal with the ossified regulations which frustrate the average citizen—especially twenty-year-olds. The unfairness of Foley’s injury and the tragedy of his amputation was vivid and real. The narrative following his amputation—and his communication with his father—was disappointing; I would expect more from his father.
The book is a fast read, and I learned a lot about hockey tactics. Foley’s teammates' quirks and personalities could have been expounded more fully, as competition brings out the good and lacking in most people. The ending at the Boston Garden with Foley's hero, Bobby Orr, was a surprise—as was the tragedy of his father's amputation: an interesting touch.
Review by Patrick Ritchen (April 2022)
Author's Synopsis
Ahab tells the gripping story of Corporal Will Foley, a young paratrooper stationed in Bavaria. Injured in a training jump in early 2013, he rehabs in Landstuhl and later with the 173rd Airborne Brigade’s rear detachment in Grafenwöhr. He manages to reconnect with his hard-boiled father through their shared love of Boston Bruins hockey. Then, with the help of a high-tech prosthetic, Will skates with the post hockey team and finds safe harbor at the local ice rink.
Will tells his story firsthand and in the present tense. This puts readers in the middle of the fast-paced action on and off the ice. The pacing is as quick as a slap shot and as intense as a bench clearing brawl, but the story manages to go far beyond being an exciting hockey adventure by confronting the tough issues of loss, exclusion, and suicide head-on.
The Bavarian settings are vivid, the hockey scenes are thrilling, and Corporal Foley and his friends are unforgettable, making this novel a must read for anyone who cares deeply about the physical, mental, and emotional healing of our wounded warriors.
Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle
Review Genre: Fiction—Literary Fiction
Number of Pages: 376