Review of Black Overalls and Max

[Shirley Ann Riddern Labzentis]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Black Overalls and Max" by Tom Donaldson.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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There are very few books that I have read that blew me away, but this one did. When I selected this book to review, I wasn’t interested in reading it as I thought it was all about football. I don’t watch football, probably because I don’t understand it much. There weren’t any other books that stood out to me, so I thought, what the heck, I’ll give this one a chance. The first few pages bored me as I did not know what they were talking about. Something told me to keep reading, and I did. Boy, was I surprised! This was one of the best books that I have ever read! It’s not a classic, but it is a genuine make-you-feel-good-at-the-end book. It is a slow burner initially but builds up and wallops you at the end. Wow!

It starts with Roy Worlow, who becomes a journalist. Roy wants to write a piece on football for Sports Week, and his idol is Jerry Williams, who plays for the Vikings. Jerry could do no wrong in Roy’s eyes, but he heard him say that there was one guy he could not cover on the field. That guy was Bill Robbins. Who? Roy had never heard of him, but he decided to research and find out who this guy was that the famous Jerry Williams could not cover. He found out that Bill Robbins lived in Kirby, Texas, and so off Roy went to Kirby. Roy started interviewing people in Kirby to find out what he could about this football player who was the greatest anyone had seen on the field but never became famous. He talked to the principal of the high school, Gary Howard, who told him a lot about the town, the football team, Bill Robbins, and also Max, Bill's black lab. He returned to the 1950s when everything was good in the town and its people.

Then, in the 1960s, everything changed as the drought started and lasted for years. Kirby was a farming town, and most of the people were farmers. You cannot imagine the downward spiral that the town and its people took and how it affected everyone and everything.

This book, Black Overalls & Max, had three different storylines, but they were all connected by Football and Max. Max was the best and most well-behaved dog that anyone could own. He not only was the best dog, but he was also a best friend. You didn’t need anyone else as long as you had Max. You must read the book to discover how Max is connected, who wears black overalls and why.

I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this book. It left me with a good feeling, and it’s a book that I will never forget. The author did a great job of weaving the three storylines together. He also did a great job of developing the characters so much that you felt like you knew them and were a part of the people of the town of Kirby. The book's editing was flawless, as I encountered no errors. There was very little profanity and no sexual scenes to be uncomfortable with. There was nothing to dislike about the book. The beginning of the book was boring to me, but that was because of my ignorance about football. Those who love football will love this book. I recommend this book to anyone who loves the game, animal lovers and anyone who wants a feel-good read. I happily rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. I hope that you will love this book as much as I did.

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Black Overalls and Max
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[Maria Loukaidou]

Your review has so many details in it. It is so good.

[Yasmine ZM]

This review is so intriguing. The book has so much mystery. What is the link between football, black overalls and a dog named Max.
But above all, I like the setting of the storylines (the review mentions three storylines!). I am glad you finished the book despite that it didn't interest you at first, now you let us know about it . I am adding this book to my shelves.