NEVER RAN, NEVER WILL Boyhood and Football in a Changing American Inner City

Albert Samaha tackles the narration of his audiobook with the heart and soul of the youth football team he writes about, Mo Better Jaguars. He describes the team as a haven in Brownsville, Brooklyn, a sometimes violent, always dangerous place to live. Samaha follows three of the Mo Better players--Oomz, Gio, and Hart. Their talent is their "golden ticket." With it they can go to a better high school and get college scholarships, but without it circumstances in their lives outside Mo Better can lure them into one of many gangs. The boys' stories include occasional street talk, but it doesn't detract from a stellar heartfelt performance. Samaha's compassion and hope for these 12-year-old boys is evident in his presentation. E.E.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2019]