As a homeschool mom, one might assume that I have endless opportunities to read, and yes, that is true, in part. Our home has no shortage of books, good ones, great ones even. Most weeks, my time is spent on lessons, schoolwork, and making sure that it is my daughters who are reading. I do love to read though, and being a reviewer occasionally provides me with a selection of genres that I might not have gone out of my way to choose. This book, A Pawn's Journey - Transforming Lives One Move at A Time, by Elliot Neff, is one such title, and what a wonderful, and inspiring story it is.

Are you acquainted with the author, Elliot Neff? I was not, but he is a National Master Chess player, and CEO for Chess4Life, which offers classes for kids, with the purpose of teaching life skills, through chess. After you read this review, visit the author's site and the Chess4Life site to learn more, as it is amazing.

My daughters have had a mild interest in the game of chess, so that was what first caught my interest in this book. Initially, I thought that this was a sort of self-help read that would incorporate techniques from the game. This is a fictional story, inspired by students whose lives had been radically affected by none other than the game of chess.

The tale revolves around April, a sophomore in High School. She is one of three children, settling in as the middle child. Her parents, as many do, struggle with balancing demanding work requirements and household responsibilities. April's older brother is an excellent student and athlete, leaving her often feeling overshadowed. Even her younger brother Max, whom she frequently babysits, seems to have more natural skills than she does.

Cathy is a staff member for the school district. She is an innovative leader, launching various student clubs, including STEM. She has a great way about her, and the ability to connect with the students. She happens to meet a forlorn looking April in the school hallway one day. April had overheard her parents’ conversation regarding how they might afford college tuition for April. Her older brother has no worries, as he would be receiving a full scholarship. But April, with no seemingly exceptional talent, wonders what she might do to earn a scholarship?

When Cathy introduces April to Gabe, a "differently abled" young man, April, without knowing it, begins a journey that will alter her life course. Amazingly, to me anyway, it is the game of chess that provides so many lessons. I had no idea how many life skills can be gleaned through the game. There were principles that jumped out at me as well, including respect in the way one treats others, possessions, and the world, a can-do attitude, excellence in everything, focus, and being better together.

A Pawn's Journey takes you through April's transformation from an insecure, wandering teen, to a confident, goal oriented young woman. There are aspects of this story where I thought that I could predict the outcome, only to be pleasantly surprised by a twist here, or a turn there. For example, I was concerned at how the book was presenting the family dynamic between April and her parents, with April seeking to reach a goal in order to gain her parents' approval. I was happy to see that resolve itself in a way that taught healthy relationships for parents and children. I apologize if that sounds vague, but I would hate to ruin the story for you.

I looked at this story from several viewpoints, that of a former student, parent, and teacher. Any person in any of these categories can find inspiration, and a life lesson.  I found myself inspired to not only improve in the disciplines that I have learned through the years, but to also develop ways to inspire my daughters, and maybe even other students. For this review, I read the book, but I am now adding it to the book list for my teenagers. The book has twenty-one chapters and is a pretty easy read. If you have the time, and are a fair reader, you could tackle the book in a half of a day. An appendix offers the life skills applications that are featured in this book, and the website even offers a template for you. This is a worthwhile read, that I heartily recommend, and while I'm at it, I think I'll go dust off our chess board.

-Product review by Laurie Gauger, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, January 2019