PLAYING FOR PIZZA

Rick Dockery is an NFL quarterback for America's most famous football team, when he arguably gave his worst performance in his league's history. Overnight he became a laughing stock and unemployable in his own country. But all Rick knows is football and he needs to find a team. Against all odds he gets his break as star quarterback for the Panthers of Parma, Italy. Unlike America with a salary, the Italian players only get paid in free meals. Rick doesn't speak a word of Italian and the crowds there aren't exactly NFL standard, but football americano is about more than fame, and home comes in the most unlikely of packages. What follows is a delightful, heartwarming story of an innocent abroad and Grisham shows a gift for coming up with twists and appealing minor characters. 325pp in paperback reprint of the 2007 original.