Review: Opur's Blade and Interview With Author James Ross

[Norm Goldman]

Author: James Ross

ISBN: 9781933449876

Publisher: Nightengale Press

For some people golf may seem to be a silly game involving a bunch of guys and gals walking around a beautifully landscaped venue trying to hit a tiny white ball into a
hole. However, after you read James Ross's fourth novel, Opur's Blade,
you will no doubt agree that the lessons emanating from golf
parallel those from the game of life where we learn a great deal
about ourselves as well as others.

Ross steps inside his comfort zone with his recent novel that focuses on a young lad, Owen Purler Jr., who was introduced to golf at the age of twelve, just as the author
himself took up golf at the same age when his family moved to a golf
course development in the western suburbs of St. Louis. And as Ross's
love for the game grew from that moment on, similarly, Owen's golf
passion took over his life even to the extent of curing his
stuttering problem. Although much credit for Owen's success can be
attributed to his unyielding perseverance, not to be forgotten is the
immeasurable value of his excellent mentor, J Dub Schroeder
(nicknamed J Dub), the golf pro at the Prairie Winds Golf Course
located east of St. Louis in southern Illinois, where Owen first took
up the sport. Dub was astonished as to his protege's natural golf
talents and his innate ability to sink putts with an old, worn-out
putter that Dub found in a lost-and-found barrel, earning him the
name Opur.

As the story unfolds, we follow Opur's growing up, his close relationship with his mother Raylene, his parents divorce, and his experiences with some unsavory characters
that were introduced to him by J Dub, who wanted to give him a taste
of the scruffier side of life. Through all of his, Opur becomes a
successful golfer, eventually leading him to compete against the
world's number one golfer, Tank Oglethorpe in the coveted Classic
golf tournament that, as we discover, winds up being the fight of
his life in more ways than one. And it is during this important
competition where the many important principles of golf that he
learned during his young life such as focusing, going with the
flow, patience, discipline, accepting the good with the bad, creative
and analytical thinking, following through and not quitting, all come
together in helping him face some overwhelming and compelling
challenges.

Even if you don't understand every detail about golf, the fact that it is cleverly interwoven, gives this absorbing novel, with its balanced amalgam of action and
philosophy, a strong dimension. Moreover, Opur's Blade feels so real
that you actually want to believe that it is true, particularly the
match between Opur and Tank, where Ross recreates a blow-by-blow
account of all eighteen holes and the drama that ensues. In addition,
the author's talent in revealing character in small gestures and
touching reflection adds to the authenticity.

James Ross is also the author ofLifetime Loser, Finish Line, Tuey's Course. His fifth novel, Pabby's Score is underway for a 2011 release. Ross informs us that when he is
not writing he is always out looking for a golf game around town or
traveling to some warm weather destination to enjoy an amazing life.

CLICK HERE TO READ NORM'S INTERVIEW WITH JAMES ROSS