Over the Counter #464

What book caught my eye this week as it passed over the library counter and under my scanner? A timely story that says so much....

One Goal: A Coach, a Team, and the Game That Brought a Divided Town Together by Amy Bass.

From Hachette Books:

"In the tradition of Friday Night Lights and Outcasts United, One Goal tells the inspiring story of the soccer team in a town bristling with racial tension that united Somali refugees and multi-generation Mainers in their quest for state–and ultimately national - glory.

When thousands of Somali refugees resettled in Lewiston, Maine, a struggling, overwhelmingly white town, longtime residents grew uneasy. Then the mayor wrote a letter asking Somalis to stop coming, which became a national story. While scandal threatened to subsume the town, its high school’s soccer coach integrated Somali kids onto his team, and their passion began to heal old wounds. Taking readers behind the tumult of this controversial team - and onto the pitch where the teammates vied to become state champions and achieved a vital sense of understanding - One Goal is a timely story about overcoming the prejudices that divide us."

(Over the Counter is a regular feature at A Bookworm's World. I've sadly come the realization that I cannot physically read every book that catches my interest as it crosses over my counter at the library. But...I can mention them and maybe one of them will catch your eye as well. See if your local library has them on their shelves!)