WELCOME SUNDAYS

by Norman Keifetz ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 11, 1979

Keifetz (The Sensation, 1975) now turns from low-life baseball to big-time football. Clay Hooten, super-coach and head of the Bethlehem Union of Baptists, is bringing the Atlanta Bulldogs, an NFL disaster, back into contention--by giving wash-ups a second chance and by giving overpaid, under-motivated regulars a shot of born-again Christianity so subtle and effective that they find themselves playing for Christ despite themselves. The media buzzes around very rich Coach Hooten, pesteringly searching for flaws that don't obligingly appear; what they can't deny is that he is getting the Bulldogs to win. But then come phone calls anonymously threatening Hooten's life. And, as the season progresses, Keifetz juices up the suspense, culminating in an assassin-in-the-stands, with both police and the Mafia rushing to keep Hooten safe for their own separate purposes. Why would someone want to knock off this evangelical blue-chip? The answer involves a hidden identity of distinctly minor impact, the weakest part of a generally creaky plot. But fans and a few others will appreciate the well-buttoned handling of the enigmatic coach and the whole football scene.

Pub Date: April 11, 1979

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Putnam

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1979

Categories: FICTION