Breaking Back, by James Blake
Sat., July 25, 12:35 PM
“Breaking back” is a tennis term. Since I neither play tennis nor follow it, I didn’t know that. I believe that, if you like tennis, you will enjoy this book.
I picked this up for two reasons: I like biographies, and James Blake is considered local. Certainly, he is a favorite in southern Connecticut and one of the few current tennis names I recognize. (Most of the other names I recognize only because they appeared in a headline with Blake. I really don’t follow the game.)
The full title is Breaking Back: How I Lost Everything and Won Back My Life. That turns out to be the real appeal of this story; James lost a great deal of important things in his life a few years ago. He played tennis since he was a child and had turned professional after just two years at Harvard. No one would have faulted him if he had just decided to give up the game and go back to school. Instead, somehow he managed to turn the game into a metaphor for his life. If you like stories of inspiration, I think this one will appeal to you.
The book includes a tennis glossary, which is useful, but I would have appreciated an index. I lose focus very easily these days, and I often find that I have lost the thread about a given person — “who is that again?” It would be a lot easier to pick it up if there were an index.
As I read, I kept thinking of people I know who would enjoy such a book, and I finally decided to tell all of you. I know I will be watching the news about James Blake in next month’s tennis tournament in New Haven. Besides, wait until you look at the pictures. The kid is cute!
