This is one of the best books I have read in ten years. It is set in Willow Creek, Montana, which is a real place, but the rest of the story is fiction.

The book opens violently. Read past that part. It continues to be slow for the first 100 pages due to the fact that there is a long exposition to introduce all of the characters and give the background of the social situation and dynamics of the characters in Willow Creek.

The plot line follows the year of an improbable basketball season with improbable coaches and an improbable team. As the team and the coaches (and consequently the townspeople) rally behind their team as the team starts to win games, the plot quickens, more character secrets are revealed and the book becomes better with almost every turn of a page.

This is not a book for high school students.

It was recommended to me by my daughter Samantha and she will never let me forget that it took me two years to finally get around to reading this book.

I hope you don't take that long; this is really and outstanding book on every level.