“There’s a warmth and geniality in the prose that’s quite effective in Working the Glass: A Novel. Andrew is telling an exciting story with a likeable character in Frank. This writer took charge and did the rebounding to craft a successful narrative.”
—Doug Dorst, author of the novel S, Amazon.com’s #1 bestseller in mashup fiction
“Kloak’s writing style is terrific. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel set in Chicago and the Czech Republic. The owner of the Svet basketball sports club gives Frank a raw deal. But deep down, our exciting hero has the attitude of a winner and the heart of a champion.”
—A. John Popp, MD, FACS, winner of the Cushing Medal, the highest award in organized neurosurgery
“Readers demand a foreign love interest in a story like this. You also need enough sports scenes/action to make it credible and satisfying. Playing for Pizza by John Grisham has a similar premise but Andrew surpasses that and more in this book.”
—Skip Horack, author of The Other Joseph and The Eden Hunter, a New York Times Editors’ Choice
“I love Frank’s character and we see him grow and expand with each chapter. He’s a character that shows us how he feels on the inside. When he takes the floor, it’s exciting and riveting. I was completely engrossed in this novel.”
—Heather Haven, author Death of a Clown, Winner of the IPPY Silver for Best Mystery/Thriller
This is a wonderful glimpse into European basketball and Chicago—especially Ethnic Chicago. The story in the beginning of the novel of the cedar boards rubber-banded to the boys’ hands is quite magical; it combines flawlessly the father’s love and his impossible standards.”
—Rob Ehle, Wallace Stegner Writing Fellow at Stanford
September 1993. Ferenc “Frank” Savek, a gritty rebounder and defensive specialist from Chicago’s Czech neighborhoods, seizes his last chance at basketball glory by impersonating his Australia-bound brother, Josef on a struggling Czech superliga team mid-way through the season. The Svet Lions, situated in the Czech Republic’s glass-making region, have never beaten championship-caliber teams since the league’s formation in the Soviet era.
Frank and Jaroslav, a scrappy six-foot point guard from Plzeň, play well together. Their forceful efforts lead a turnaround for Svet. The other superliga players furiously try to defeat the surging Svet Lions.
Working the Glass tells a story of love, redemption and second chances. A literary narrative of brothers whose bonds cannot be broken. This is the tale of one man's journey home...
