"STERLING BRIDGE," by Chad Robert Parker, Bonneville Books, $11.99, 116 pages (f)
In the mid-1920s, the Utah town of Tooele was divided into two parts: Oldtown, the descendants of the Mormon pioneers who founded the city, and Newtown, the foreigners who settled in the area to find work or to farm.
It is in this setting that author Chad Robert Parker shares how a football coach worked tirelessly to bridge this divide in "Sterling Bridge," based on Sterling Harris' life and experiences.
"Sterling Bridge" opens at the funeral for Sterling and flashes back to when Peter Joseph "Joe" Lacey Jr. met Sterling and the young man's impressions, observations and interactions with Sterling.
Joe was 12 years old when he first met Harris, and Joe didn't feel he fit in on either side of town because his mother is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and his father isn't. They've recently moved back to Oldtown and Joe is dreading his first day of school as a newcomer there when he meets Harris, who is also new in town, and he is the football coach.
It's through Joe's story that Parker shares how Harris gradually bridged the gaps between the communities through football, including several championship teams; the team members' educations; community events; and successful ideas for giving assistance during the Depression.
“Sterling Bridge” is an excellent example of historical fiction that is also inspirational and is a sports and religious story. It is also a story of inspiration, redemption and hope.
Parker does a great job in giving a feel for small-town life in Tooele in the mid-1920s, including how much of a melting pot Tooele was then. Families from various countries in Europe were trying to get along with the Oldtowners who were more than a little suspicious. The feeling of friction between the two groups is easy to understand.
It's a book that doesn't have any swearing, described violence or sexual content.
Parker, who is a member of LDS Church, lives in Saratoga Springs, and he is an avid sports fan and works in the Brigham Young University library.
Kent Larson is from Phoenix and has teaching for 28 years. His website is at kentalarson.wordpress.com.