Overview

The Assist is a gripping, surprising story about fathers, sons, and surrogates, all confronting the narrow margins of urban life. At its center are the interwoven lives of OBrien and two of his stars, easygoing Ridley Johnson and fierce Jason Hood White. The book follows Ridley and Hood on their hunt for a state title. But it also stays with them, to see how young men who seldom get second chances survive without their coach hovering over them-and how he survives without them. A minister friend once said OBrien does the Lords work filling the space in these boys lives. But OBrien is no saint. Saints give without expecting anything in return. OBrien needs his players and their problems as much as they need him.

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9781586484699

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Friday Night Lights meets Boyz n the Hood on the mean streets of Boston.Obsessive basketball coach Jack O'Brien was a beloved mainstay at Charlestown High School, leading its team to multiple championships. What made his accomplishments so impressive was the fact that his team was comprised of young men from the projects who were bussed into school. During the 2004-05 season documented here, Charlestown was led by Jason Hood White, a cornrowed guard who, when he was three, was run over and almost killed by a crackhead on her way to get a fix. As important as it was for O'Brien to take another title, it was just as vital that his players get into college or, at the very least, survive the streets. If that meant helping Hood navigate his way through the Massachusetts court system, so be it. Award-winning Boston Globe Magazine staff writer Swidey comes from a hard-news background, which proves a double-edged sword in executing this hoops-in-the-hood book. His straight journalistic chops infuse the legal proceedings and the player profiles with a higher-than-expected level of gravitas, but his depictions of the games are less than gripping. Since basketball was the primary raison d'etre for O'Brien and his brood, the lack of fire in the sports reporting diminishes its significance. (Swidey could take some lessons in suspense from Jack McCallum's Seven Seconds or Less, 2006.) Perhaps the author seeks to emphasize that basketball should enhance people's lives, not overwhelm them - a fair sentiment, but it doesn't make for the kind of book that will resonate beyond a niche audience.A noble debut with its heart in the right place, but lacking the substance of its spiritual cousin, Hoop Dreams. (Kirkus Reviews)

Author Information

Neil Swidey is a staff writer for The Boston Globe Magazine. His writing has won the National Headliner Award and has been anthologized in The Best American Science Writing and The Best American Crime Writing. He lives outside Boston with his wife and their three daughters.

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