Spinner

by Ron Elliott

Twelve-year-old David Donald is a simple boy with an amazing gift—he is a spinner: a sportsman who becomes the stuff of legend. His guardian, Uncle Michael, is a spinner as well, though a different kind— a trickster, a shyster, and a mythmaker. Set between the wars at the beginning of a drought and a great depression, this David-and-Goliath story tells how a talented young boy beat the English at their own game. Exploring the violence and conflict, the honor and deep bonds created by war and sport within men, this unique fable investigates the tale teller who spins lies to reveal the truth.

472 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely story!

[Sarah Shrubb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started off lukewarm, but it grew on me. It does indeed help if you know a little something about cricket, but our lead character is a terrific young man, and some of the other characters, especially the other lead, his Uncle Michael, developed well as the book progressed. The unlikeliness of the whle scenario worried me for a while, but if you let yourself go with it, it works. And the book gives a fine picture of Australia not long after WWI, and of those wo returned relatively whole physically, but not so whole emotionally. Packed quite a punch, though a quiet and measured one, in the end.

[Trisha]

absorbing, like a good cricket match (except most of them, aren't really, are they?)

[Danny Fahey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful tale for anyone, not just lovers of cricket.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fabulous book! See my review http://anzlitlovers.wordpress.com/201...