The Edict

March 12, 2007
Renowned "golf architect" Cupp's love of the game, plus loads of hooks, slices, mulligans and flying divots give his debut a charming and suspenseful flair. In 15th- century Scotland, golf is popular among commoners and noblemen alike, but no one swings a club better than young shepherd Caeril Patersone. Caeril and his best friend and clubman (caddie) Micael Carrick are favored to win the annual championship tournament at St. Andrews. But a devious nobleman who has made a bad wager and his crooked moneylender set out to orchestrate an upset by enlisting Eta, the beautiful daughter of a debt-ridden family, to distract Caeril during the match. If that scheme fails, they also have a more ruthless and final solution to their problem. Caeril, Micael and Eta must act fast to save their lives, but the nobleman has one more trick to protect his wager: he must convince the king to ban golf, thus canceling the tournament before it concludes. (This true but short-lived event occurred March 4, 1457.) How the Scottish golfers prevail adds much to this lively and colorful tale of playing golf with someone who refuses to lose.

August 1, 2007
Adult/High School-On March 6, 1457, King James II of Scotland put forth an edict banning golf (and football as well) in an attempt to force Scots to spend more time and energy perfecting their archery skills and thus better defend the realm against the English. Cupp has crafted a pleasurable tale that speculates on why he chose to issue the edict on that particular date. Full of historical detail (and including an impressive bibliography indicating extensive research), "Edict" presents a story in which innocence, youth, beauty, honor, and common social status are forced to confront treachery, debauchery, deceitfulness, greed, and privilege. The central characters are expertly developed, the details of daily life fully rendered, the political and economic realities of the time cleverly intertwined with the story, and background on the sport is presented in a way that should appease experts without causing novices to be lost in a sea of jargon. The author, by turns, develops intrigue, suspense, humor, and historical curiosity that should work well for most readers. An impressive debut by a man who knows his golf."Robert Saunderson, Berkeley Public Library, CA"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.