Miracle on the 17th Green by James Patterson

"I put such a pure sweet roll on it, the ball traveled over the grass like a bead of mercury rolls across the floor after you break a thermometer. The beginning of a miracle. A harbinger. A sign. The little white ball dropped into the little white cup for eagle... I must tell you right now, however, that this isn't the so called Miracle on 17. Not even close."

- Travis McKinley

I don't know golf. I can't play it. I don't know the lingo or specifics on how to play other than hitting a tiny ball with a metal stick all so that it can reach a tiny hole. And I think the least amount of hits it takes you to reach the hole, the better? And I'm pretty sure there are birds involved? I don't know.

So when I picked this book while in line at Borders with 4 others in my arms, I was skeptical. Not that it would be good, but that I'd like it and/or understand it. But I had faith in James; he's proven me wrong a time before.

I can't say I was thrilled and engaged the entire time I read it, however. For a book that is half the size of books I normally read, it should have taken me only a week to read it. But instead, it took me a month or so. The problem was that when I started reading it I had this idea of what it was going to be about and when it became pretty clear that it wasn't entirely what I'd imagined, it was a lot easier to leave it on my night stand and "save it for another night."

But miracles do happen...

Half way through it, in fact, just yesterday, I sat and something was different. By golly the book got good! I sat for a couple of hours and devoured it; finished the whole thing in the blink of an eye. I knew it wasn't exactly what I thought but it was good. It IS good!

Doesn't matter if you know a thing about golf. Doesn't even matter if you like it. James explores the reevaluation and rediscovery of a character we all can relate to. So I say go for it! Couldn't hurt.

Happy reading.