Audiobook Sample
Listen to the sample to experience the story.
Please wait while we verify your browser...
- Title: Sooley: A Novel
- Author: John Grisham
- Narrator: Dion Graham
- Length: 10:27:07
- Version: Abridged
- Release Date: 27/04/2021
- Publisher: Random House (Audio)
- Genre: Fiction & Literature, Action & Adventure, Coming of Age
- ISBN13: 9.78E+12
It’s not every day you stumble across a tale that sweeps you up like a warm trade wind and carries you across continents, courts, and cultures. John Grisham’s “Sooley: A Novel”, narrated with soul-stirring depth by Dion Graham, is one of those rare audiobook experiences that lingers long after the final chapter fades. As I listened, I found myself transported – not just to the basketball courts of Durham or the war-torn villages of South Sudan, but back to my own winding roads, where stories have always been my compass.
The story unfolds like a dusty trail opening up to a breathtaking vista. Samuel ‘Sooley’ Sooleymon, a seventeen-year-old from South Sudan, steps onto the global stage with nothing but raw talent and a heart full of dreams. Grisham, known for his legal thrillers, trades the courtroom for the basketball court here, and it’s a pivot that works. Sooley’s journey begins with a once-in-a-lifetime chance to play in a U.S. showcase tournament, but it’s the weight of what he leaves behind – a family caught in civil war – that gives this coming-of-age tale its emotional heft. You can almost feel the squeak of sneakers on hardwood, the sting of sweat, and the ache of a kid torn between ambition and survival.
For me, it reminds me of a time when I was driving through Chile’s Atacama Desert, the driest place on Earth, listening to “One Hundred Years of Solitude”. The narrator’s voice back then wove magic into that barren expanse, much like Dion Graham does here. Graham’s performance is a masterclass – his cadence shifts effortlessly from the youthful exuberance of Sooley’s hoop dreams to the gravelly despair of a refugee camp. It’s intimate, like those evenings in Oaxaca when a grandmother spun tales under a flickering lantern, her pauses as powerful as her words. Graham doesn’t just read; he embodies Sooley, making every dunk, every heartbreak, feel personal.
The audiobook experience shines brightest in its pacing. At just over 10 hours, it’s brisk but never rushed, building to a climax that’s as gripping as Grisham promises. Sooley’s transformation from an unpolished talent to a college basketball legend is electric – his dawn shooting sessions, his relentless grit, they pull you in. Yet, it’s the off-court stakes that hit hardest. The news of his father’s death and his sister’s disappearance lands like a punch, and Grisham doesn’t shy away from the messiness of hope amid chaos. It’s action and adventure, sure, but wrapped in a coming-of-age story that’s raw and real.
That said, it’s not flawless. The basketball scenes can feel overly detailed for those who don’t live and breathe the sport – sometimes I wanted less play-by-play and more of Sooley’s inner world. And while Graham’s narration is stellar, there are moments where the secondary characters’ voices blend together, losing some distinction. Still, these are minor stumbles on an otherwise captivating journey.
What makes “Sooley” stick with me is how it mirrors the human connections I chase in my travels. I’ve sat with families in far-flung places – whether it’s sharing mole in Oaxaca or sipping mate in Argentina – and felt that same fierce determination Sooley has to protect what matters. I once met a young man in a Moroccan medina, selling rugs to send money home, his eyes bright with dreams despite the odds. Sooley feels like his literary kin, a reminder that stories of resilience are universal.
Compared to Grisham’s other works, “Sooley” trades legal intrigue for something more visceral. It’s less “The Firm” and more akin to “A Painted House”, with its focus on personal stakes over systemic ones. In the audiobook realm, it sits comfortably beside “The Alchemist” narrated by Jeremy Irons – both are tales of quests, narrated with a voice that elevates the prose to poetry.
If you’re a listener who loves fiction that blends action with heart, or if you’re drawn to stories of outsiders defying the odds, this one’s for you. The audio quality is crisp, the narration top-notch, and the emotional pull undeniable. And here’s the kicker – if you hunt around, you might snag this audiobook free through platforms like Audiobooks.com or library services. A free download for a story this rich? That’s a steal.
Reflecting on it now, “Sooley” feels like a road trip companion – one that keeps you company through the long stretches and leaves you with a fuller heart at the end. It’s not just about basketball; it’s about the distances we’ll go for family, the leaps we take for ourselves. As someone who’s spent years chasing hidden histories and human triumphs, I can tell you: this is Grisham at his storytelling peak, brought to life by a narrator who knows how to make every mile count.
Until our next adventure, stay curious and keep listening,
Marcus Rivera
