As he and the boys strive to move themselves out of the poverty and crime ridden streets of Algiers, Louisiana, across the river and in the shadow of N'orleans, life is full of deep woes and the occasional, highly valued celebration. Of chief importance, their selfless Coach Brown who sacrifices his life as he encourages, befriends, and teaches valuable life lessons.
A week ago I became immersed in Babb's deep, intimate look at the young men who were the 2019 Carr High School Football team. Attracted to "underdog" stories, I added it to my library in 2021. PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.Ĭompelling.Add this Book to Required Reading ListsĪuthor Kent Babb was interviewed on The Today Show. Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook. It offers a rich and unflinching portrait of a coach, his players, and the West Bank, a community where it’s difficult - but not impossible - to rise above the chaos, discover purpose, and find a way out. What is sure to be a classic work of sports journalism, Across the River is a necessary investigation into the serious realities of young athletes in struggling neighborhoods: gentrification, eviction, mental health issues, the drug trade, and gun violence.
In Across the River, award-winning sports journalist Kent Babb follows the Karr football team through its 2019 season as Brown and his team - perhaps the scrappiest and most rebellious group in the program’s history - vie to again succeed on and off the field. An epidemic of gun violence plagues New Orleans and its surrounding communities and has claimed many innocent lives, including Brown’s former star quarterback, Tollette “Tonka” George, shot near a local gas station. For years, this football program has brought glory to Algiers, winning three consecutive state championships and sending dozens of young men to college on football scholarships.Īlthough he is preparing for a fourth title, Head Coach Brice Brown is focused on something else: keeping his players alive. Short on hope but big on dreams, its mostly poor and marginalized residents find joy on Friday nights when the Cougars of Edna Karr High School take the field.
On the west bank of the Mississippi lies the New Orleans neighborhood of Algiers.
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