Steeped in Science, Submersed in Story

I found The Last Season an enjoyable, easy read, full of football, family, and Mississippi history. There isn't a whole lot of Stuart Stevens' character in here -- he doesn't dominate his own narrative. But his parents do, and I really enjoyed spending time with his parents and hearing their thoughts. They seemed very consistent, the same people in their advanced retirement as they were in when Stuart was young, and sure of who they are and what their roles in the community are.

There were several things that kept this from being a 5-star "amazing" read for me, though. Everything here is a before and after shot, from Stuart's childhood to 2013, with little in-between. That works because of the football theme. They haven't been to an Ole Miss season since he was a kid, so his thoughts are running in a before-and-after mode. But because the last 40 years of his life is missing, it feels like he's resisting doing much personal reflection, which is kinda weird in a memoir like this. And he doesn't reflect on the football itself and how it affects the players, the SEC/college football culture, etc. He's set out to do one particular kind of reflection, and that's all that gets through. So it's somewhat unsatisfying if you're used to thoughtful memoirs. But...like I said, it's an easy, enjoyable read. Just don't expect any epiphanies...

I got a free copy of this through First to Read.