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Hi, all:

I bring you another book I’ve discovered thanks to Rosie’s Book Review Team, and I enjoyed it enormously. Another new author to follow for me!

Throwing the Hammer by Gary J. Kirchner

Paranoid administrators, interdepartmental feuds, quirky staff members, and an eccentric headmaster: welcome to Winston Grant High School.
Mark Patterson has a master’s degree in physics, wants to do nothing more than surf and ski, and believes that high school teaching will be the cushy job of his dreams. He receives a rude awakening when he becomes a physics teacher at Winston Grant, a begrudging little brother amidst rival private school heavyweights.
From the outset, Mark must tiptoe through a virtual minefield of Procrustean rules, coddling parents, scheming colleagues, and, of course, teen-aged students.
Things don’t go well, inside or outside the classroom. His students call him Mr. Goofegg. His football team is pathetic. His lunch-table kids behave like Neanderthals. His teaching supervisor, aka the “education implementation strategist,” criticizes him for using equations. His colleagues have even organized a betting pool for when he will get fired.
And when Mark discovers that a weak student in his class is a physics genius, he finds himself caught in the middle of a conflict between father and son, a conflict which could destroy the young man’s potential. Or help Mark find his.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/246371092-throwing-the-hammer?

About the author:

Gary J. Kirchner studied physics at McGill University and did his Master’s work in sports biomechanics. He also played football with the McGill Redmen and continued as a coach with the team for many years after he graduated. In 1993 he was a recipient of Football Canada’s Gino Fracas Award.

Kirchner taught physics at several Montreal area high schools as well as at John Abbott College. In 2014 he was awarded La Mention d’honneur de l’Association québécoise de pédagogie collégiale for teaching excellence.

He is also a flute-player, amateur astronomer, and keeps physically active as an avid cross-country skier, curler, and triathlon participant.

Kirchner lives in Dorval, Quebec, with his Estonian wife Hille. He is the author of five novels.

My review:

I write this review as a member of Rosie’s Book Review Team (author, check here if you are interested in getting your book reviewed) and thank her and the author for this opportunity.

This novel, the author’s fifth, is a humorous account of a year in the life of Mark, a young married man with a master’s degree in physics who has ended up teaching Physics because he thought it would be easy, not out of any vocation or interest. He loves surfing, being a beach bum, and having an easy life. And he loves his wife, Mel, who had been a high achiever all her life until she met him, and now is happy (?) as a waitress. You won’t be surprised if I “reveal” that her father is less than enamoured of his son-in-law. But thanks to his intervention, Mark gets a job teaching physics at a private high school, and the future of the couple looks a bit more settled and brighter than before.

He didn’t bargain on what else he would have to do in his new role (becoming a football and wrestling coach without any experience of either sport is only the beginning of an odd variety of demands from the headmaster, who insists on calling him ‘Bruce’ because he likes the name).

The novel, set in Canada and told in the first-person by Mark, is very funny, and the school is full of great characters: teachers, students, admin staff, and even a Russian maintenance man who insists on teaching Mark how to throw the hammer. (Another great reveal: he isn’t particularly good at it, but…). We shouldn’t forget the relatives of the main character, and of his students, who are often a force to be reckoned with, even when Mark is doing a good job, which is not always the case.

The funny adventures come fast and thick, and hardly anybody bets on him lasting the whole year at this peculiar institution. You’ll have to read the novel to find out what happens, although I think most readers will enjoy the ending.

Beyond the laughs and humour, the story is also an adult coming-of-age of sorts, as Mark grows up a big deal, becomes less selfish, braver, and learns a lot about himself, being a teacher, his own priorities, and what really matters in life. Readers also get to share in some very inspiring moments for Mark, his students, and other characters.

The book is also peppered with interesting and entertaining explanations of concepts of physics, including demonstrations and experiments, although no expertise is needed to follow the story and enjoy it.

It is evident that the character and the story come from a deep understanding of physics and a love of teaching and coaching, as the author’s biography confirms. I have loved every minute of this mad adventure and hope to catch up on more of the author’s books. Recommended to all readers, especially those looking for a fun and heart-warming story full of memorable characters.

I thank the author for this wonderful book, Rosie and the members of her team for their support and hard work, and, of course, all of you for visiting, reading, sharing, commenting, and always being here. Don’t forget to keep smiling and always be safe!

Oh, and I’ve closed the comments because I am not sure how well connected I’ll be to the internet while the building where we live is being refurbished. I didn’t want you to worry if I didn’t reply to comments. And, don’t worry if you don’t see me around much, because it will probably be for technical reasons.