BREAKING THE CHAIN: A STORY ABOUT FRIENDSHIP, LIFE, AND FOOTBALL

by Mike Bertok

"It's often said that certain books are hard to put down, this one truly is."
Jeff Rogers - Executive Director, Illinois Press Foundation/Founding Editor, Capitol News Illinois

"The Rowdies will linger long after you've closed the book on the clever Last Chapter."
Lonny Cain - Ret. Managing Editor, Columnist, Shaw Media

The Rowdies never had it easy, but they had something no one could take away—a belief in themselves. Was that enough to rewrite history?

Pat, Mitch, Morgan, Johnny, and Frank grew up in Chicago’s tough East Island neighborhood in the seventies, where a high school football championship was a dream reserved for other kids, the ones from wealthier schools. At Colehour High, the only thing more common than losing was being ignored. No Chicago public school had ever won a state championship, and with a washed-up coach and a combustible roster that was more trouble than talent, no one expected that to change.

Except Pat Brogan. He believed they had something special – a spark that could ignite greatness. But chasing that dream meant surviving more than just grueling practices. It meant navigating the mess of teenage wild pranks, first loves, and neighborhood feuds.

Could they really break the chain and make history, or would the weight of their past pull them under?

The Rowdies were ready to find out.


"Everyone loves an underdog story and this one is a gem!"
Wayne Weiten - Ret. Professor, UNLV; author of Themes and Variations

295 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 4, 2023

Reviews

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it in two days! This book had me laughing, crying and I reminiscing. I played football in high school. Despite the fact that we didn’t have a winning record, I was able to identify with the characters in the story and for 271 pages, I was in high school again, transported back in time to a special place in my memory. I enjoyed being there. It made me remember a lot of things that I hadn’t thought about in 40 years. For me, this book was “unputdownable.” Thanks Mike for sharing this wonderful story with the world. I can’t speak for anyone but me, but your book made me happy.
I hope everyone who picks it up has as nice a journey through it’s pages as I did!!

[Lonny Cain · Rating 5 out of 5]

No matter how old you get there are memories that linger about growing up with a tight circle of friends, the crazy kid stuff you did and the dreams you shared. In Mike Bertok's debut novel, "Breaking The Chain," those kids are the "Rowdies." They hail from a slice of Chicago called "East Island" where they constantly huddle around the game of football, interrupted only by life — a little shoplifting, pranks, bullies, girls, and dripping, wet underwear flying through the air. But football is their bond and winning is the dream. They struggle, however, against doubt and the loser label — a chain holding them back. This story was personal for Bertok for the same reasons you will enjoy it. The Rowdies will remind you of the importance of early friendships, coaches who make a difference, the meaning of teamwork and the kind of drive needed to break that chain to reach any kind of end zone. And like those early memories, the Rowdies will linger long after you've closed the book on the clever "Last Chapter." If you love high school football, this is a must read. Of course, it's about a lot more than that. Mr. Bertok deserves a hearty "Boo yah!"

[Joellyn Horvath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartwarming story of a group of “rowdies” from the southeast side of a Chicago.