Today’s book is an odd one but a good one. I can legitimately say that this is possibly the only one I’ve come across that falls into this particular unique mix of genres. It is a ghost story that is neither horror nor mystery. At the same time it is a story about sport, specifically soccer or football as it is more commonly known, and about what it means to play. I am willing to guess that very few of you have any idea what book I am talking about. The book is Keeper by Mal Peet. It tells the story of a conversation, well more of an interview really, between the sportswriter Paul Faustino and the legendary goalkeeper known as El Gato, the cat. Gato and his team have just won the world cup and Faustino is trying to interview Gato about that. However, Gato decides, much to Faustino’s surprise and growing disbelief, that he wants to tell a story. Gato takes Faustino back to when he was just a child growing up in a remote logging town deep in the Amazon rainforest. A place where the kids played soccer every chance they got, every kid except for El Gato. He had been a skinny awkward child with little skill who had been laughed out of the game by his peers who called him El Ciguena, the stork. Faustino is rather surprised when Gato states, rather bluntly, that it was only after he stopped playing that he learned to play. Not having anything to do without playing soccer, Gato started exploring the nearby forest until one day he stumbled on a clearing. It was an empty soccer field, complete with nets, buried in the rainforest. It was there, on that field, that he learned to play. His instructor was a man, a ghost actually, that Gato only ever knew as Keeper. It was him who taught him everything he needed to know about being a goalkeeper.
This is a unique book in many ways as it is a unusual blend of genres and themes. It is part ghost story and part fictional sports memoir that have been expertly blended together to create a beautiful, haunting, and yet compelling story. And perhaps the most intriguing part of it is the title. It could be referring to El Gato, the goalkeeper who is finally telling his story. It could be this mysterious ghostly keeper deep in the rainforest. I like to think it is actually more of a mix of those two as well as referring to the underlying theme of what is a keeper. This is something that is continually referenced by the keeper in his training with Gato. Another thing that is interesting is that we don’t know how much of what Gato is saying is true. The story narrates an interview between Gato and Faustino but it is told only from Faustino’s perspective. We are reading his recounting of Gato’s recounting of events. This adds greatly to the element of uncertainty about the veracity or truthfulness of the story. I said before that this was a beautiful, haunting and compelling story and it is just that. It is beautiful and compelling because it relates just how El Gato became El Gato. Yet at the same time, it is haunting because it is, at its core, a ghost story. I think the cover really says it all with the phrase, “Haunted by the spirit of the game.” As such it definitely earns its 4.5 out of 5 stars.
This is a tricky one when I think about who would potentially enjoy it. Ultimately, I think it would appeal to anybody who enjoys books about sports, specifically soccer or football, along with those who enjoy a good ghost story. It would probably not appeal to those who prefer only horror or Gothic fiction as this story has little of that in it, despite the ghost. In terms of age range, it is aimed at kids actually but I think it could hold considerable appeal to any age range. There are a few dark moments but not necessarily anything that children couldn’t handle if it is discussed with them afterward. Overall, I really enjoy this book and hope others will be tempted to read it. If you do, consider letting me know what you thought in the comments.