Review of
Defending a Ghost,
by John P. Derryberry ISBN 9781365347580
Four out of five stars
A virtual, rather than a real ghost
This largely
autobiographical book features a male adolescent who lost his father and
separate best friend within a short period of time. He goes through a great
deal of extreme grief, even to the point where he is verbally abusive to his
mother. Sports are somewhat of a release, yet since his father coached, talked
and played sports with him, they were also a reminder of his loss.
At times
overwhelmed with anger at his situation, the main character finally reaches the
point where he is enjoying playing basketball again. He is good enough to play
at the small college level, and the rendition moves back and forth from his
adolescent years to his first years of college ball.
The ghost in
this case is virtual rather than a “real” one. The main character struggles to
emerge from the great sense of loss, looking and doing almost anything brings
back a memory of his father. Anyone that has struggled to emerge from the grief
process based on an early death will relate to this book.
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