I love Emily Giffin's books. I haven't read one that I didn't love. The One and Only is no different. Except that I am fairly certain it is my favorite of all of her books. I adored this one. The people next to me at the pool today who watched me cry while I finished the book probably wondered what I was reading. I was reading an amazing love story and one which I recommend to anyone who loves a good love story, who loves football, or who loves both. Any anyone from Texas. They'd love this book just on principal. Maybe that's why I love it so much! :)
The One and Only is the story of Shea Risgby and Coach Clive Carr. Shea is a bit obsessed with both football, particularly Walker Football, and Coach Carr, her best friend's father and the head coach for Walker's football team. She knows every date, fact, and figure about Walker football and has, at age 33, not brought herself to leave the town of Walker because she loves it so very much. As the story opens the Carr family, including Shea and her mother, are mourning the loss of Coach's wife. Lucy, Shea's best friend, is trying to figure out life without her mother and Shea is doing her best to be there for her friend. It doesn't take long, however, to realize that what once was probably a school-girl crush on Coach has developed into much more for Shea. She hangs on his every word, values his opinion, and truly thinks he is the most important person in the entire world. They have a common bond in the game of football and most people to see their close relationship as solely based on the game. She would never want to cross a line with the man who was like a father to her growing up but she soon senses, now that his wife is gone, that perhaps he feels the same about her.
Regardless, knowing that she shouldn't love him, she tries her best to forge relationships that are a bit more appropriate. First with Miller, who no one likes, and second with Ryan James, Walker alum and quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. Dating the DC quarterback opens up a life for Shea that her friends and family love. Shea is sometimes impressed with Ryan's life but is more taken with who he really is and that he could really love her, after being married for a short time to someone as opposite as Shea as night and day. And just when things appear to be going well with Ryan and Shea and she's thinking that she could love him and not Coach, something crazy happens which makes Shea doubt her relationship with Ryan. I'll leave the details of the story to Giffin, who is way more skilled in telling the story than me.
In addition to the love story, let's add in an NCAA scandal side story that forces Shea to question everything she's ever thought about the game of football and every person associated with the game. As she searches for the truth, Shea is forced to admit that even the great Coach Carr might not be as squeaky clean as she once thought.
So, what made me cry at the pool today? At a certain point in the story, Coach Carr and Shea seem to be headed towards a real relationship. Ryan is out of the picture, they have admitted mutual feelings for each other and have agreed to take things slowly as they develop this new relationship, Coach Carr being the first to admit that he never expected to love anyone other than his wife. Only Lucy stands in their way. And she stands firm. And it made me cry.
I totally understand that Lucy finds it to be a bit strange, that her best friend and her father could have feelings for each other, but it's not so strange when you realize how much these two have in common and how for both of them football is life. I guess what made me the saddest today was the thought that a family could be so tough on each other. Don't you want your family to be happy? Even when it's not necessarily what you'd have wanted or expected? If you truly love them, you will want them to be happy and you won't issue ultimatums. Or give them unfair choices.
While I won't tell you how the story ends (what fun would that be?), I will tell you that the ending had me quietly sobbing at the pool. It's a beautiful story. Touchingly beautiful.
I want this one to become a movie. I'd go to see it AND I'd buy it on DVD. It's just that great.
Read this one. And don't be surprised when you see this book on my list of favorites for the year. It's just that great!
Happy reading!
:) Dodie
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