Playing by Heart

Mateer (Wings of a Dream) takes readers back to Dunn, Oklahoma, and waxes poetical about a time filled with hope, fear, and charm. As World War I rages overseas, Lula Bowman leaves behind a prestigious and burgeoning career in academia to return home and assume care of her newly widowed sister, Jewel, and Jewel’s four children. Cognizant of her new role as the family’s chief breadwinner, Lula accepts a high school teaching position that comes with a little something extra—responsibility for coaching the ladies basketball team—a sport about which she knows nothing. With the help of the handsome men’s basketball coach, Chet Vaughn, Lula falls in love of the sport and rediscovers things long since forgotten about herself. Filled with warmth and faith, this tale of perseverance and grace serves as a reminder of a more innocent time where, despite life’s difficulties, strength was derived from the joys (and amusements) found in a small, close-knit community. (Sept.)