Today Dienece Darling is reviewing The Fullback’s Try by Caroline Johnston, a newly released Contemporary Fiction set in South Africa.
Book Description:
The Fullback’s Try: What does their future look like when they dare to dream?
When injuries sideline professional rugby player Lourie Steenekamp, his backup plan takes him to Cedarfontein, where the rugby club owner installs him as coach of the Under-20s team. Will the role prove professional rugby isn’t finished with him yet?
Joshua McVitty embarks on the biggest adventure of his life, leaving Eden Cove, England for a year-long traineeship at the Cedarfontein Rugby Club in South Africa. Will his gap year teach his sport-loving heart lessons beyond the playing field?
Join Lourie and Joshua as these two men learn what it means to dare to dream.
Dienece’s Review:
This book is full of energy, life, and joy–even in the serious moments. Caroline obviously had a lot of fun writing it, and that spilled out over onto the page.
The Fullback’s Try follows mentor Lourie and mentee Joshua through a yearlong rugby exchange program. Neither of them have their future figured out, and I loved the focus on the Parable of the Talents in this book as they work out what to do about the future.
How do you work out what your talents are and put them to use?
Figuring out your future based on using your talents for God’s glory was a great focus for this book, and a great encouragement if you have some people in your life who are struggling with this too.
It’s written in a very relatable way for both a teenager and a young man in his twenties.
Another thing I like was that there wasn’t an expectation placed on Joshua to do well in something just because someone else can’t do it anymore.
Lourie can’t play rugby anymore, and yet at no time was there pressure put on Joshua as if he “has to” play rugby just because Lourie can’t. I really appreciated the message the author was sending in choosing not to put that into the story.
The mood of the book
This is a very uplifting, energetic read. It was enjoyable and encouraging while staying light and easy.
Joshua has such life and joy, and the way he is with kids is awesome. I also like that he’s a frustrated teenager who doesn’t know what he’s supposed to do in life, and it annoys him how much people keep pressuring him to figure it out when all he wants to do is enjoy life!
And then there is Lourie, Joshua’s coach, mentor, and host for the year. Lourie is trying to figure out what his talents are so he can use them for the Lord. And he is facing a “lost” talent. One that has been taken away from him, and even his backup plan job may be in a jeopardy. Facing a possible third career choice by your late twenties is a bit daunting.
Yet, even as Lourie works through this lost talent and dream, it doesn’t bring down the tone of the book. It remains an uplifting read.
One of my favourite scenes is the high school war cry for rugby. Caroline really brought this to life. It was an awesome scene!
I had no idea how much rugby meant to South Africans until I read this book.
Then I interviewed Caroline on my blog and watched a podcast interview of her too. And then she shared a YouTube video in a special Reader’s group for fans of the Our House Series of a South African war cry training day (yes, they have dedicated training days for this). Wow, they are epic!
These war cries are so intense, and Caroline captured that perfectly in the book even before I ever watched a video. I really got to see this part of their culture in the book, and I loved it!
Is this book a standalone?
Yes, strictly speaking.
The Fullback’s Try is a part of a multi-author, multi-genre series called Our House on Jakaranda Laan (which is the South African spelling for Jacaranda Lane), but each book in the series works as a standalone. They do connect to each other through various means, such as mentioning other people’s characters or settings as they are all set in one fictional town called, Cederfountain, but they are all standalone novellas.
You do not need to have read the other books to enjoy The Fullback’s Try.
I do have a slight caveat to this though.
This does work as a standalone, but it also connects to other books Caroline has written.
The first chapter and the final chapter of the book are written from Joshua’s mother’s point of view. Those chapters may not mean as much to someone who hasn’t met Miranda in other books Caroline has written about the McVitty family.
Here are the McVitty books in order:
Our House on Sycamore Street – The Mother’s Song – Miranda (the mother) and Naomi McVitty (oldest daughter)
Our House on Heather Wynd – The Tea Maker’s Blend – Rebecca McVitty (middle child)
Our House on Jakaranda Laan – The Fullback’s Try – Joshua McVitty (youngest son. Plus an update from Miranda!)
Anyone who does know Miranda will really enjoy the sneak peek back into her life and what it is like now without any kids at home, but you don’t need to have read Miranda’s book to read this book.
Final thoughts
This is contemporary fiction with a slight romance thread for both boys. Lourie reconnects with an old flame, and Joshua falls in love with Lourie’s little sister. That last one was especially fun!
I’ll end with one of my favourite lines from Joshua that made me laugh and feel for him all at once.
“Grownups had been talking about me. And I was coming across as competent. No wonder I didn’t know how to respond.” Joshua from The Fullback’s Try by Caroline Johnston
Poor guy, but he figures it out. And it was a joy to watch him find his place!
If you love Contemporary Fiction with energy, life, and faith with a light sprinkling of romance, I recommend The Fullback’s Try.
Meet Caroline
I’ve started up Author Interviews on my person blog where I had the pleasure of chatting with Caroline. She shared pictures of Highland cows, an epic horseback riding story, her faith, and books!
Why not pop over and meet Caroline here!