Book Review

Playing the Moldovans at Tennis- Tony Hawks, Ebury Publishing, £7.99

Tony Hawks’ second book, Playing the Moldovans at Tennis, sees comedian Tony Hawks once again travelling to any length in a foolhardy attempt to win a bet. This time he travels to Moldova to beat the entire national Moldovan football team at tennis. What begins as a light-hearted bet however, gradually transforms into a life-changing impact for Hawks as he learns about the plights of both capitalism and communism on the Moldovan people.

Despite the stark hardships of poverty, government corruption, and substandard living the characters frequently discuss, do not be led to think this is a gritty, intense novel. Tony Hawks’ light-hearted demeanour and glass-half-full outlook is apparent throughout the novel, and provides a balance view of troubles he sees in Moldova. Moreover, his frequent comedic anecdotes and the hilarious predicaments he gets himself into shows Tony Hawks can find humour and optimism in even the bleakest of places.

In particular, his relaxed, yet insightful writing style makes this book accessible to a wide range of readers. His personable approach to conversations and characters allows the reader to capture Hawks’ development of his relationships with them, whilst his reel of inner thoughts and philosophies provides the book with further depth than initially thought possible.

What first appears as a light-hearted story develops by the end into something poignant and thoughtful. For those looking for a read that is entertaining yet contains substance, Playing the Moldovans at Tennis ticks all those boxes. And for those who lack the patience to sit through the pages, Playing the Moldovans at Tennis is currently in production for a feature length film!