We Ride Upon Sticks

January 20, 2020
Quan (She Weeps Every Time You’re Born) takes a playful, nostalgic run through 1980s suburbia in this tale of witches and field hockey. In 1989, the Danvers Falcons, a high school field hockey team, are on a losing streak. After a depressing defeat, and thinking of the women who were tried for witchcraft three centuries earlier in nearby Salem, Mass., the members pledge allegiance to the devil in exchange for victory. They write their names in a notebook bearing the likeness of Emilio Estevez and wear a raggedy blue tube sock around their arms to mark their pact to an “alternative god” (as termed by team member Heather Houston), which also includes an agreement to follow “any urges you might get all the way to the end no matter what.” As the season proceeds, with the team racking up wins at every game, the 10 girls and one boy begin to act on their desires, leading to several losses of virginity, a book burning, bouts of naked dancing in the woods, delusions of grandeur inspired by Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, and Heather’s crisis of conscience. Barry handles a large cast of characters nimbly and affectionately, allowing each to take a turn or two in the spotlight. Readers with fond, or even not so fond, memories of the 1980s are bound to be entertained.

Narrator Isabel Keating demonstrates her ability to differentiate characters in this quirky story of a 1989 high school field hockey team. In Danvers, Massachusetts--formerly Salem Village--the perennially losing team finds a book describing the infamous trials. Players begin recording a book of their "sinful" acts, which they name "Emilio." Their luck changes, and they start winning while causing havoc around town as the book "Emilio" grows. As the season progresses and listeners hear from all the girls, Keating deftly changes her accent and pitch to signal who is speaking. At times, Keating's pace is plodding, contrasting with the light and witty writing. Still, this is a great audiobook, which doesn't seem preachy while giving an honest view of the past. S.K.G. � AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine