Beneath the Blushing Sky

Set in 1965, this coming-of-age story follows the freshman year of basketball player Lee Rollins, a shy and intelligent boy who is taken in by the romantic intrigue of three popular girls. His world is further rocked when his closest teammate is sent away for delinquent behavior. Lee's realization that friendships can be forged with girls as well as boys helps him survive his turbulent year and step more boldly into the shadow of his absent friend. The story encompasses most of a school year as seen and felt by adolescents, particularly in the mind of a sensitive and taciturn young man: "You go to school for weeks and everyday it's the same routine: classes, homework, tests, classes, homework, tests. Then just when you think you can't stand it anymore, the teachers ease up, decorate their rooms, and host parties. Before you know it, school is out. Christmas holidays, midyear break! And the freedom feels great. For about a day. By the second day, you're bored to death. In Northern cities, December is not a pretty month. If there's been snow, it's been shoveled into big piles alongside the roads, a sooty mix of snow and ice, garbage and road salt. When that mix melts, re-freezes, and thaws again, you walk through a dirty slop that leaves white rings on your shoes and boots. Cars wear a cummerbund of filth. Pants can be worn only once before they need washing. Pets stay inside. And unless you love cold weather, you stay inside too. There were exceptions, of course. Little kids played in the snow, tough guys played hockey, and girls, well, girls continued to enjoy their privileged lives. At night, Lee would see them skating at the outdoor ice rink near City Hall, bundled up in their wool sweaters, colorful scarves, and oversized earmuffs, circling the rink gracefully to Christmas carols blaring from the municipal speakers. No doubt they would be looking forward to hot chocolate and marshmallows, sleepovers, and the hectic joy of helping their mothers bake cookies and complete the holiday shopping."