by Grant Wahl
First published 2021
Michael MacCambridge writes from Austin while Neil Atkinson responds from Liverpool as their beloved club chases its first Premier League championship. MacCambridge follows every match from Texas, while Atkinson holds season tickets at Anfield and hosts The Anfield Wrap podcast. Week after week during the 2019-20 season, they share their hopes and fears as Liverpool builds toward glory under Jurgen Klopp. Their correspondence captures how soccer obsession shapes daily life on both sides of the Atlantic. The friends compare American and British fan cultures while Liverpool dominates with its most exciting team in decades. Then COVID-19 arrives in March, threatening to cancel the season Liverpool supporters have waited a generation to see. Through their real-time letters, MacCambridge and Atkinson document both triumph and uncertainty as the pandemic reshapes sports worldwide, all while their team stands on the brink of historic success.
Genres: contemporary, sports, non-fiction, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, friendship
Setting: Austin, Liverpool, Anfield, Texas
Period: 2019-20, March 2020
463 pages · Kindle Edition · University of Nebraska Press