Review of Pacer Coulee Chronicles
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Review of Pacer Coulee Chronicles
In Pacer Coulee Chronicles by Wayne Edwards, the Pacer Coulee High school needed new coaches for their football and female basketball teams. Luke Carter was hired to coach the football team. Luke was recovering from divorcing his unfaithful wife and was more than ready to settle into this unfamiliar small-town environment. That was not the case for Madison Danielsen, who had lived in Whitewater, a small town as well. Madison was hired to coach the female basketball team. Both coaches' lives became entwined with a similar purpose. For Luke, it was to defeat the "Goddamn Catholics," the team's biggest rivals, or answer to the town's matriarch, Edna Coffman.
Edwards's book was a heartwarming story, which was not surprising, as small-town stories would usually be so. The story had familiar elements that we might have seen on our screens in movies like The Blind Side and Undefeated, but it was not a corny cliché. One common thing about sports stories would be their ability to teach deeper life lessons and inspire. This was a quality that Pacer Coulee Chronicles delivered, with the story plot itself and its characters. We saw this in the character of Edna Coffman and her commitment to building the kids academically and mentally. She taught the kids to make something of themselves despite the hand they had been dealt in life and leave no time for pity parties. This was one of the many life lessons that readers would learn from this story.
Pacer Coulee Chronicles presented these sports (football and basketball) as a transformative and healing tool that provided succor for the wounded and traumatized. The author postured these sports as a source of purpose to its players, teaching them grit and discipline. It elevated football and basketball from just some form of physical activity to something more profound and impactful. I identified emotionally with the way the teams and the town accommodated the needs of those struggling among them with kindness. This showed selflessness and unity. The extra Cupid activity made the story even more enticing.
I also loved this book because the author gave us insights into the thoughts of some characters in specific conversations they had. The way he described their expressions sometimes came off as humorous. An example was seen in the character of Lester Brewster and his usual exasperated but indulging thoughts on Edna Coffman's usual obstinacy.
Edwards managed to incorporate domestic violence, sexual assault, and the adverse effects of dysfunctional homes in our society into this story. Edwards's story promised hope for readers under this category and showed them that the circumstances of their upbringing should not define them. He used the character of the teenage football player, Tank Hollister, to show that people could be better than the twisted narratives about them.
Edwards created a beautiful mesh of sports, love, and strength. It was a story about second chances, and the author delivered authenticity, especially with his characters. If you love sports and stories about breaking limits, you would most likely love this book.
Unfortunately, I'd rate this book three out of four stars because of the number of errors. The errors in themselves were minor hyphenation errors. However, they were so many that I had to deduct a star from the rating. Other than this, there was nothing I found off-putting about the book.
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Pacer Coulee Chronicles
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