Rub of the Green - Hardcover

I have grown up as a fan of sports. I love running and playing tennis, in addition to viewing most major sports on television or in person.

However, I do not consider myself a golfer, although I have played once or twice (and even enjoyed it). Golfers are usually fanatical about their sport and can easily get lost in their enthusiasm for the game when talking about it with other golfers. I am a firsthand witness to this, because my husband, two brothers, one brother-in-law, and several friends are golfers.

So, I picked up THE RUB OF THE GREEN, by William Hallberg, thinking it sounded interesting. It's a humorous novel not just about golf, but about life in general--its hopelessness at times, as well as its triumphs on other occasions. When I saw quotes of praise on the back cover and the first page of the book from author Walker Percy, who I have read and enjoyed before, I knew this would be a worthwhile read.

Without knowing that much about golf, I could still relate to the "salvation" the main character found in his sport. I may not know all of the technicalities of the game, but to me, all sports have the same inherent benefits. They teach self-discipline, build self-esteem, foster physical fitness, and can be an oasis in a desert of despair during painful times in people's lives.

And I got all of that from this book about golf, without even being a golfer!

Bernice McManus
Ballantine Books
Production Coordinator

"An unusual and ultimately captivating story . . . Exhilarating."
--Chicago Tribune

"POIGNANT, BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN."
--The New York Times Book Review

"MARVELOUS--EVEN RHAPSODIC."
--Kirkus Reviews