Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel
In November, we met to discuss Karen's pick, Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel. The novel is structured like a sports tournament, with each chapter representing a match between two young women boxers. In fact, before the book begins, there is a bracket with the names of the teenagers who face each other. The author even fills in the names of the later matches so the author is aware that the reader will know who wins the first round of fights.
The book inspired quite a bit of discussion. In general we liked the fresh topic, interesting structure, and writing style of book. However, the physical violence of boxing disturbed some readers. We agreed that the structure was interesting. The flow of each chapter reflected the act of fighting. As the girls found gaps in the bodily form of the other and took opportunities to hit each other back and forth, likewise, the point of view of the narrative shifts back and forth between the characters. As each fight unfolds, we observe the inner thoughts of the two boxers, their back stories, motivating influences, and even future stories including the their occupations, relationships, and attitudes. Interestingly, many of the characters hardly remember the time of their lives detailed in the book. In a sense, we start to understand how each character is fighting her own demons in the ring.
The setting was also a topic of discussion. The ring is in a run-down building in Reno with half-interested and sometimes shared coaches. The winner trophy is cheap and can hardly hold water. The reader gets an understanding of the lack of support for this women's sport and the girls' deep determination just to be present at this tournament. Overall, we gave it a thumbs up.
As with all bookclubs, we ended our meeting catching up with each other and discussing current events such as the upcoming election and more personal topics. We missed Liz and hope to see her at the next bookclub, which will be the final meeting of the year (where did the year go?)