SMiLeS: What Makes You Smile
Reading is one of the things that makes me smile. As a writer, and a reader, it is imperative to always be branching out and widening what you read and experience. It was through our SMiLeS Project that I was introduced to a book that not only challenged me as a reader, but enthralled me on every emotional level. Tackling Foul, by Mica Vujicic, is set in the last decade of the twentieth century, focusing on one family and their struggles to adapt to the changing culture around them. Told through soccer references, Tackling Foul is a fluid and vibrant tale of family and love.
I fell in love with Tackling Foul for a number of reasons, starting with the beautiful prose and expanding to the core values that the story promotes, but I connected with it through soccer. I was raised in a household of soccer players, and even dabbled in the sport at one time myself, and this allowed me to connect with the characters on a level I wasn’t even aware existed. I found myself laughing despite the heartbreak, and smiling through my tears.
I have always believed that it is important to read translated literature, and working on the SMiLeS Project has only reinforced this ideal. Falling in love with Tackling Foul opened up a whole new world of literary adventure, and now all I have to do is flip the page. If you love a thought provoking read, and fancy to watch a soccer match now and again, you should pick up Tackling Foul. Allow yourself to fall in love with these characters, as I did, and let them make you smile.
