Circle of Adversaries

They’ve been friends for years. Now they suspect each other of attempted murder.

In a small southern town in 1984, another basketball season is brewing, just like the ones before. Only this time, there’s a new family in town, and Quentin Thomas becomes the first Black player on the eighth-grade team. He’s also the best player. The boys welcome him, but some parents have doubts. They don’t want Quentin to steal attention from their sons in the competitive world of North Carolina basketball. Tensions grow, parents bicker, and some try to fire the coaches. Throughout town, neighbors talk about the effect the new player has on the team.

One night, as Quentin rides his bicycle home from practice, a car hits him from behind and speeds away, leaving him broken in the road. Was it an accident or a deliberate attempt to take him off the team? If it was deliberate, who did it? Nearly everyone in town has an opinion, and most of the parents suspect each other.

Character by character, Sally Whitney expertly draws us into her story. We become part of this small southern town, diving into the viewpoints of multiple family members. We empathize with the volunteer basketball coach trying his best to resurrect a winning team. We feel for the brooding teens who train and play hard, while stoically struggling with broken homes, demanding dads, and adolescent self-doubt. Racial issues push their ugly way into the story, engaging the reader even more deeply. In all, a fascinating and thought-provoking read.

– Deborah Shouse, author of An Old Woman Walks Into a Bar

Character by character, Sally Whitney expertly draws us into her story. We become part of this small southern town, diving into the viewpoints of multiple family members. We empathize with the volunteer basketball coach trying his best to resurrect a winning team. We feel for the brooding teens who train and play hard, while stoically struggling with broken homes, demanding dads, and adolescent self-doubt. Racial issues push their ugly way into the story, engaging the reader even more deeply. In all, a fascinating and thought-provoking read.

– Deborah Shouse, author of An Old Woman Walks Into a Bar

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