I often write so I don’t forget. But there’s one story I’ll never need to write down. There’s no forgetting this one. One that reminds me of Beartown. A team where athletes are seen as gods. A championship on the line. A nightmare you can’t wake up from. One person’s word against another’s. Thrown out clothes. Shame. And then acceptance… that this is the world we live in. A world that will do everything it can to protect certain men. Especially the ones it can’t afford to let fall. For the good of the team, right?

Fictional stories are often inspired by true ones. You could say this book is about a sports team where one night changes everything.

It took me a long time to get through. The pace was incredibly slow, and it’s heavy. Halfway through, I wasn’t sure I’d finish it or even recommend it. The last 25% of the book changed my mind. I understand now why people love this author’s work. I still don’t know what star rating I’d give it. But I do think it’s required reading.

“She will not forgive him, she will not pardon him, but she will spare him. And he will always know that.”