{"product_id":"the-penalty-area-9781609453534b","title":"The Penalty Area","description":"\u003ci\u003eThe Penalty Area\u003c\/i\u003e is a heartwarming novel about overcoming adversity, making human connections, and playing the glorious game of soccer. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eVincent once had a shot at becoming a professional soccer player, but a career-ending injury put an end to his dreams. A tough kid from a poor family, he has become an emotionally cut-off man with frustrated hopes and limited options. He finds himself coaching an under-16 soccer club in an attempt to keep alive his only passion in life. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe team he coaches is little more than a roster of hotheaded boys, none of whom understands the on-field chemistry needed to win. Simply put, they aren't of a championship caliber. When his unemployed sister Madeleine, a single mother, dumps her thirteen-year-old son on him, Vincent panics. With no clue how to take care of a teenager, he brings his nephew to practice and eventually throws him into the scrimmage. It's then that Vincent notices there's something strange about Léonard. He has a preternatural ability for anticipating each striker's intentions, making him a remarkably talented goalkeeper, but he seems detached, absent, lost. It becomes clear that Léonard has undiagnosed Asperger's syndrome, and also that, with Léonard's abilities as a goalkeeper, Vincent's ragtag team has a chance to reach the finals. For that to happen, for the team to find a reason to rally behind this strange kid from Paris, Vincent will have to let down his guard and open his heart for the first time ever. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA warm and engaging read, The Penalty Area is about building a sense of family on your own terms.","brand":"Europa Editions","offers":[{"title":"Bargain","offer_id":42871086022736,"sku":"9781609453534B","price":6.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/8173\/5760\/files\/9781609453534-l.jpg?v=1785893469","url":"https:\/\/bookoutlet.com\/fr\/products\/the-penalty-area-9781609453534b","provider":"Book Outlet","version":"1.0","type":"link"}