The Boys of Riverside

A Deaf Football Team and a Quest for Glory

De: Thomas Fuller

Narrado por: Thomas Fuller

The incredible story of an all-deaf high school football team’s triumphant climb from underdog to undefeated, their inspirational brotherhood, a fascinating portrait of deafness in America, and the indefatigable head coach who spearheaded the team, by New York Times reporter and Page One Correspondent, Thomas Fuller.

"The Boys of Riverside is another example of how anyone can achieve their dreams, making what appears impossible, possible.”—Marlee Matlin, Academy Award winner

In November 2021, an obscure email from the California Department of Education landed in New York Times reporter, Thomas Fuller’s, inbox. The football team at the California School for the Deaf in Riverside, a state-run school with only 168 high school students, was having an undefeated season. After years of covering war, wildfires, pandemic, and mass shootings, Fuller was captivated by the story of this group of high school boys. It was uplifting. During the gloom of the pandemic, it was a happy story. It was a sports story but not an ordinary one, built on the chemistry between a group of underestimated boys and their superhero advocate coach, Keith Adams, a deaf former athlete himself. The team, and Adams, tackled the many stereotypes and seemed to be succeeding. Fuller packed his bags and drove seven hours to the Riverside campus.

The Boys of Riverside looks back at the historic 2021 and 2022 seasons in which the California School for the Deaf chased history. It follows the personal journeys of their dynamic deaf head coach, and a student who spent the majority of the season sleeping in his father’s car in the Target parking lot. It tells the story of a fiercely committed player who literally played through a broken leg in order not to miss a crucial game, as well as myriad other heart-wrenching and uplifting narratives of players who found common purpose. Through their eyes, Fuller reveals a portrait of high school athletics, inspiring camaraderie, and deafness in America.

©2024 Thomas Fuller (P)2024 Random House Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

A BookBub Best Book of the Year and Book Riot Best Book of the Month

"Remarkable... [Fuller] offers a new take on the classic “Friday Night Lights” story... Through the journeys of the deaf players, their coaches and their families, Mr. Fuller expands our idea of what it means to communicate. Deafness may seem like a disadvantage on the football field, but the players turn it into an asset."—Wall Street Journal

"Fuller follows two winning seasons for the Cubs, recounted in narrative nonfiction at its finest, filled with drama, detail and action... Fuller keeps the chapters short and dramatic, the pacing quick, the sentences tight. He does not hint at the outcome but lets the story unfold."—Los Angeles Times

"An irresistible tale of triumph over adversity... [Fuller] charts the Cubs’ remarkable journey from perennial losers to championship winners for the first time in the school’s 68-year history."—New York Post

Great Story

I learned some things I didn’t know before about the deaf community. It was a great TRUE story of how hard work and determination can pay off!

PERSISTENCE

Motivational, determination, courage, defeat & victorious. Truly an inspiring true story! Thank you Tom Fuller. Also, learned a lot about deafness in history. Makes me want to learn ASL.

Just the best!

I have a daughter with a hearing loss who wears a cochlear implant as described in the book. I always knew she could do anything she set her mind to, and she has proven me right. She’s also a football fan and when I finished this audiobook, I immediately sent her a printed copy.

The author’s audio performance is also outstanding.

Great read

Loved this story of honor, teamwork and true friendship as well as overcoming and dealing with life's obstacles

Good book!

I enjoyed this true story about a deaf high school football team's quest for a championship. It has a lot of interesting background on deafness, which I liked, but the first half of the book had too much of that and too little about the football players and coaches. It didn't find its rhythm until halfway through, and then the book was pretty riveting.

NEVER GIVE UP!

Being a sports enthusiast, I enjoyed reading this book because of the compelling compassion of Coach Adam's and his message to his players! I highly recommend this book!

The story was so good and inspiring

It’s a must listen. You don’t need to be a football fan to enjoy the story. It’s not just about football.

not for me

as best I can describe, a lot of the book was about deaf history, and advances that have been made to help. the rest of the book was about individual students and every single play made on the field.

Well researched and superbly told

Loved this book and getting to follow the Cubs in their incredible season. The added background of football and information about the deaf community was very interesting and supportive of the Cubs’ journey.

Not just a Sports story

Don’t think this is just a book about football!

It’s so much more than that!

It provides detailed insight into the world of the deaf athlete and how deaf people have been treated over the centuries. I had no idea any of this happened and it definitely will make you think About the disability We call deafness and how we have or have not done our best to help these people integrate themselves into the world.

And of course, the sports story could not have been made up because it actually happened. Definitely a great read.