[.ca] Home Ice: Reflections on Backyard Rinks and Frozen Ponds (ISBN 0771031149)

Amazon.ca:
Anyone who's ever played hockey in the open air will treasure Jack Falla's warm, witty memoir, Home Ice. The New England sports journalist describes how building his backyard rink became a yearly ritual, drawing him closer to family and friends as he "descended the ladder of sports evolution" toward the heart of the game he loves. Falla quotes with approval his 8-year-old daughter, who turns down his offer of figure skating lessons-- "I want to have my own fun, not somebody else's fun." Wonderful moments are captured: an afternoon after a desultory indoor practice when the teenage team he coaches finds a stretch of frozen river on the way home and rediscovers the joy of playing; Falla and his wife together on the rink at midnight, welcoming in the new millennium. We see the rink becoming his best way to connect with the world, a place where friends play shinny, unwind, and reveal their characters by the degree of their willingness to shovel the ice. Near the end he even offers useful instructions on the best way to set up a backyard rink of one's own. Home Ice is an unassuming classic, indispensable for anyone who wants to really understand the world's greatest game. --David Gowdey

Pure delight:
I have been enchanted by this book. A newcomer to hockey, as both fan and player, I have been soaking up information and lore eagerly. This book satisfies both the urge to learn about hockey, and my wish to experience more of the true joy of the game. Taken out of the huge arenas with the expensive nachos and plentiful beer, there is a game that generations have loved to play and perfect. There are kids playing here, and adults, men and women. There are friends who help shovel the backyard rink, and those who show up later. And there are stories of other backyard rinks, of ponds, and of pros. If you like hockey, I don't see how you could go wrong with this book.

Home Ice truly takes us home.:
Home Ice is one of those books you want to read in one sitting without putting it down. Even if you have never skated on natural ice, or never skated at all for that matter, you will relate to this book. In building his own backyard rink several years ago, Falla discovered a venue which brings family and friends together time and time again. Just as a campfire in the woods draws people to it, the rink has drawn family and friends to his home. It is a place where differences are forgotten, where strangers become companions, where a rhythm of living takes over, and where a natural order pervails. Falla has been able to capture the anticipation of looking forward to that first ice, that first time of the season when you lace up the blades, step onto the ice, and find that you have come home. This book should be on everyone's shelf.

Heart Warming thought:
I have to say in my 28 years of being alive I can count on one hand the amount of books I have read on my own. But I recieved this book from my wife for christmas this year. I guess she had hopes on me reading more. Well she was right. I picked up the book thrusday morning about 11:00 am and finished it that afternoon. I really enjoyed reading this book. It actually took me back to when I was really young and skated on a small lake my grandparents lived on in Kinston Ontario. I feel almost compelled to build my own rink in my back yard this winter. I won't but it would be great to do it. Thanks