Third and Long

De: Bob Katz

Narrado por: Arthur Morton

Can the handsome, haunted stranger with a mysterious past save the soul of a dying Midwest factory town? This novel is so good-hearted, so life-affirming, it’s a joy to listen to....

Meet Nick Remke, a damaged former Notre Dame football star desperate for a job and, maybe, redemption.

It’s 1997. Longview, Ohio, USA. Nick finally gets his chance when he’s hired to run Made Right, a family-owned clothing factory severely threatened by offshore competition. The entire town depends on the fragile fortunes of the overworked factory. All eyes now turn to Nick.

Marie Zanay is among them. A single mother whose son stars on the Longview High football team, she’s spent a lifetime rooting for her hometown and is acutely aware of the overwhelming odds against it. Still, Marie is forced to admit that Nick the newcomer suddenly has the townsfolk feeling inspired. Is that hope misplaced, or is it possibly real?

For Nick, it’s been a long, winding, rocky road filled with disappointment and doubt. Becoming MVP of a small town on the Ohio River was never his goal...until it became his dream.

Third and Long is the saga of a vanishing America hanging by a thread, with perhaps just enough time remaining for one last Hail Mary. Think Friday Night Lights meets It’s a Wonderful Life. With a cast of characters both unforgettable and strikingly familiar, Third and Long takes you on a poignant, emotional journey across an iconic American landscape.

“Third and Long is an American classic. It’s a story about hope and possibilities, crumbled dreams, and surprising redemption. I loved it!” Listen to Third and Long today!

Third and Long is the winner of the Independent Book Publishers Association Popular Fiction award.

©2010 Bob Katz (P)2021 Bob Katz

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Narrator Arthur Morton introduces 1990s Longview, Ohio, a small town that could be Anywhere, USA. This story, told from the viewpoints of various residents, is enhanced by Morton's realistic character portrayals and irresistible descriptive powers. Desperate Nick Remke, who has just arrived in town, hopes to land a job at the Made Right Clothing Factory. Nick, who has a pronounced limp, is so relatable that an attractive secretary suggests he tell the sports-obsessed factory owner that he has a Notre Dame football injury. Nick gets the job and is also persuaded to coach the struggling local football team, which wins the town's affection. But when his deception is discovered, he's forced to leave everything he's grown to cherish. This novel's hopeful conclusion is ideal for challenging times." (S.G.B., AudioFile Magazine, Portland, Maine, published: January 2022)

Hooked me on a number of levels!

I was familiar with Bob Katz’s insightful and clever journalism pieces but this was my first venture into one of his novels. He hooks you immediately with some nostalgic Amtrak travel from Southern California to the Midwest. The character development is a slow build but by the middle of the novel I was going on longer and longer walks to extend my listening opportunities. I enjoyed Kaitz’s blend of globalization impacts, adolescent angst and small town culture that values that Bruce Springsteen ballad moxie.

Redemption, suspense in a small town

As a longtime resident of a very small town where high school football is king and newcomers are often regarded with suspicion, I loved Bob Katz’s “Third and Long.”

It is a fascinating, perceptive and suspenseful tale that gripped me page after page. In fictitious Longview, Ohio, I saw characters I had come to know well in nearly four decades covering the news in my Sierra foothill community: chamber-of-commerce types, car dealers, school teachers, business executives, city council members, factory workers, American Legionnaires, bartenders and blowhards.

With this cast, Katz tells the gripping story of Nick Remke, who arrives by train on a September night to begin a new life in Longview. Questions immediately abound: Who is this guy? Where did he come from? And will this newly hired plant manager and rookie high school football coach win his new neighbors over? Or will a closely held secret in the end betray him?

Aided by an unnamed but highly perceptive hometown narrator who knows Longview inside and out, Nick’s story tantalizingly unfolds chapter by chapter as the town’s high school team advances against odds toward the championship game.

With cameo appearances by Jay Leno and Hall of Fame NFL quarterback Dan Marino, who actually makes a surprise visit to Longview, Katz’s “Third and Long” winds to its unlikely conclusion like a back-and-forth football game headed toward multiple overtimes.

You won’t want to leave your seat.

Chris Bateman, semi-retired journalist, Sonora CA.

Listen to this book

This is a really good book. The story of a man who shows up in a small Ohio town where everyone knows everyone else to become manager of a family-owned clothing factory. As the story unfurls, we learn who he is and what it’s like being in a town devastated by businesses moving overseas or to non-union states. The story moves quickly, and the writing is evocative. I listen to audio books while I’m working out and walking the dog, but I found myself looking for excuses to listen.

A book not to be missed

Bob Katz takes us on a trip to life in a small fictional , one company economic base town in southeast Ohio . He introduces us fully to the town’s personality and character - its restaurants , retail , high school football and local politics .
Once we are immersed in the town , the writer unfolds his wonderful all-American story of new resident Nick seeking his home in this town . But for me , the most interesting character in Third and Long is the town of Longview itself . Bob Katz does a masterful job of doing Longview justice , and leaving me with a smile on my face .

Third and Long Scores a Touchdown

Bob Katz scored a touchdown with Third and Long. More than tell an exciting sports story, this book offers a thoughtful, sensitive view of small town life in Middle America. Narrator Arthur Morton perfectly captures the cadences and overtones of the townspeople.

Even those initially unfamiliar with the football expression ‘third and long’ will appreciate how perfectly this image describes the behavior of the central character, a descent man desperate to succeed. This story invites deep reflection about human behavior. I strongly recommend this book.