Home Ice

September 24, 2018
Novelist Abdou (Bone Cage) takes a deep dive into world of competitive youth hockey in a memoir that is at once witty and sincere. Abdou, married with two kids in British Columbia, tells of the dizzying expenses and time commitment that go into keeping her nine-year-old son, Ollie, playing travel hockey. She touches on many aspects of youth hockey: travel logistics that have to be worked out with one’s spouse; angry parents acting out during games (some clubs in Vancouver do not allow parents to watch the games); the fear of concussions (as of 2013, body checking is not allowed until players are 13 years old); and the camaraderie of hockey families, rivals or not. “Sometimes I am the kind of hockey parent I hate,” she admits, explaining away the passion that rises to the surface during games. Throughout she writes of her brother’s encounter with hockey coach Graham James (who molested a generation of NHL hockey players as teens), as well as her own story of an online flirtation and near romance she had with an American academic as an escape from her overly scheduled life. This is a lively, honestly written account of parenting that will resonate with readers who are fully involved in their children’s sports.

Starred review from September 1, 2018
When her six-year-old son, Oliver, decided to play hockey, the author had only one firm rule: as long as he loved it, she would support him totally. But as soon as you only kind of like it, we're done. Right from the beginning, the British Columbia novelist made sure her son knew they were entering into an arrangement where both sides had to keep their promises. Abdou's book spans a full hockey season; Ollie is nine years old, still just a boy, but learning what it takes to be a man. But the book isn't just about her son's adventures in hockey; it's also about the toll being a hockey parent can take on someone's personal life (Abdou is candid about the problems in her marriage, about the way she sometimes resented being the parent who was making all the sacrifices to support their son). The author brings a novelist's eye to the story, telling it in first-person present tense; with its sharp characterizations and dialogue in place of autobiographical exposition, the book is a first-rate memoir and a fine example of narrative nonfiction. It's also a must-read for parents with youngsters who play organized sports.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)