Outcasts United by Warren St John

Outcasts United by Warren St John

The extraordinary tale of a refugee youth soccer team and the transformation of a small American town

Clarkston, Georgia, was a typical Southern town until it was designated a refugee settlement center in the 1990s, becoming the first American home for scores of families in flight from the world's war zones--from Liberia and Sudan to Iraq and Afghanistan. Suddenly Clarkston's streets were filled with women wearing the hijab, the smells of cumin and curry, and kids of all colors playing soccer in any open space they could find. The town also became home to Luma Mufleh, an American-educated Jordanian woman who founded a youth soccer team to unify Clarkston's refugee children and keep them off the streets. These kids named themselves the Fugees.

Set against the backdrop of an American town that without its consent had become a vast social experiment, Outcasts United follows a pivotal season in the life of the Fugees and their charismatic coach. Warren St. John documents the lives of a diverse group of young people as they miraculously coalesce into a band of brothers, while also drawing a fascinating portrait of a fading American town struggling to accommodate its new arrivals. At the center of the story is fiery Coach Luma, who relentlessly drives her players to success on the soccer field while holding together their lives--and the lives of their families--in the face of a series of daunting challenges.

This fast-paced chronicle of a single season is a complex and inspiring tale of a small town becoming a global community--and an account of the ingenious and complicated ways we create a home in a changing world.

Warren St.John is a New York Times reporter and the author of Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer, a national blockbuster.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780385522045
ISBN 10	0385522045
Title	Outcasts United
Author	Warren St John
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Random House USA Inc
Year published	2009-12-01
Number of pages	336
Prizes	Winner of Christopher Award 2013, Nominated for Florida Sunshine State Book Award 2014
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.