Rivals and Friends

I never thought I would read or like a book about ice hockey. I don't know anything about the sport. But I picked up the book "Us against You" because I had read another book ("A Man Called Ove") by the same author, Fredrik Backman. Actually the book is more about human relationships than about hockey.

There are two rival hockey teams in two small towns, Beartown and Hed, but the relationships of the team members and their families and friends is what held my attention. The book deals with rape, homosexuality, death, marital tensions, alcoholism, local politics, friendship and leadership. The author explores these situations with honesty and realism. There is never any sentimentality or condemnation.

Backman shows the weaknesses as well as the strengths of the characters. He makes the reader care about what happens to them. One of my favorite characters is Ana, whose boyfriend is a member of the opposing team. She is strong and independent as she deals with rejection by her best friend, her father's drinking, and death. Another interesting character is Kira, a mother who tries to balance a law career, her husband's hockey management and her children's needs.

Even if you don't like ice hockey, you might enjoy this book. The story line has a lot of subplots to keep building the suspense of how these two teams end up. But it's the growth of the characters that is the most captivating part of the story.