Bell Lap

by Tom Cola, Mikke Marttinen (Foreword)

A coming-of-age tale of self-discovery and unrealized dreams, Bell Lap is the story of Tom Cola, a young runner chasing athletic greatness while trying to find himself in the process. Coping with the death of his best friend, the loss of his fiancée, and ultimately the end of his running career, Tom searches for answers and struggles to find meaning in his life.

86 pages, Paperback

Published June 26, 2023

About the author

Tom Cola is the author of Bell Lap. Bell Lap is based on Tom’s life and his struggle to achieve success as a competitive runner. A coming-of-age story, Bell Lap transcends the world of athletics. It speaks to young people trying to navigate the perils and pitfalls of adolescence and to anyone with a dream.

Reviews

[Samuel Goldman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly, I did not have much hope for this book, as the last novella I liked was "The Old man and the Sea". A friend gave it to me and said I should read it when I have free time, (but who has that now). I happen to have it on me when the subway was stuck at the station and my battery was low. The forward was something that you don't see in most books, as it was from someone that lived through a good chunk of this with the author. Then you get to the start of the book, which unlike most books, actually starts off quiet fast and encouraged me to continue reading. The overall book was not necessarily about running, but experiences through out the author's life which they circled around running. The chapters were very short which made me think I was reading more than I was, even though this is only an 86 page book. The author makes you see what they lived through and sends a positive message to those who read it. I wouldn't take this book for a plane ride, but for a day at the beach or the pool, absolutely.

[Johnathan Shulman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely phenomenal book. I am usually not into books that are such a short read, but running has always been a passion of mine so I took a chance. Quick chapters and descriptive writing that made it easy for me to visualize myself there. Plus, there is a good message if you take the time to really read and understand the book. I would highly recommend this book for pre-teens as well as adults. (Yes, different age groups will probably get different messages from the book.)