{"product_id":"heartland-a-forgotten-place-an-impossible-dream-and-the-miracle-of-larry-bird","title":"Heartland: A Forgotten Place, an Impossible Dream, and the Miracle of Larry Bird","description":"\n\u003ctable align=\"center\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"2\" cellspacing=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"productDetailSmallElements\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"There are few names in American public life that summon the kind of indomitable rural midwestern power and stoicism as the name Larry Bird. Just say it out loud. Larry. Bird. You know I'm talking about something like granite. Keith O'Brien's book carries that same power, maybe by some sort of transference, as it chronicles what it was like to become a symbol for an entire vanishing way of life. I love this book.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e -- \n\u003cb\u003eWright Thompson\u003c\/b\u003e, \n\u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \n\u003ci\u003ePappyland\u003c\/i\u003e and \n\u003ci\u003eThe Barn\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBiographical Note\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKeith O'Brien is the \n\u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \n\u003ci\u003eCharlie Hustle\u003c\/i\u003e, \n\u003ci\u003eParadise Falls\u003c\/i\u003e, \n\u003ci\u003eFly Girls\u003c\/i\u003e, and \n\u003ci\u003eOutside Shot.\u003c\/i\u003e He has won the 2025 PEN\/Jacqueline Bograd Weld award for biography; has been a finalist for the PEN\/ESPN Award for Literary Sports writing; and has written for \n\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, \n\u003ci\u003eThe\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/i\u003e, \n\u003ci\u003eThe\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eBoston Globe\u003c\/i\u003e, \n\u003ci\u003eThe\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eAtlantic\u003c\/i\u003e, \n\u003ci\u003eRolling Stone\u003c\/i\u003e, NPR, and \n\u003ci\u003eThis American Life\u003c\/i\u003e. A native of Ohio, he lives in New Hampshire.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Larry Bird isn't real. Or is he? Keith O'Brien's \n\u003ci\u003eHeartland \u003c\/i\u003eoffers the best exploration yet of this rare and strange hoop legend's origin. An unforgettable and almost unbelievable story, deeply researched and beautifully written.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e -- \n\u003cb\u003eJonathan Eig\u003c\/b\u003e, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for \n\u003ci\u003eKing: A Life \u003c\/i\u003eand author of \n\u003ci\u003eAli: A Life\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Keith O'Brien turns the mind-boggling rise of the 1978-79 Indiana State basketball team into a grand epic, with Larry Bird as the Heartland's Odysseus. As he did with Pete Rose in \n\u003ci\u003eCharlie Hustle\u003c\/i\u003e, O'Brien makes complicated characters come alive.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e -- \n\u003cb\u003eJoe Posnanski\u003c\/b\u003e, \n\u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \n\u003ci\u003eWhy We Love Baseball\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Skillful writers like Mr. O'Brien know how to find the tributaries where rich, untold material lies waiting to be excavated. Along with being the biography of a man, \n\u003ci\u003eHeartland\u003c\/i\u003e is the tale of a time long before transfer portals; before name, image and likeness deals. It's a portrait of a team assembled from spare parts and one generational talent that somehow made it all the way to the Big Game.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eThe\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Keith O'Brien's \n\u003ci\u003eHeartland\u003c\/i\u003e takes us inside the tiny towns and homespun culture that gave the basketball world one of its treasures: Larry Bird. Incredibly researched, \n\u003ci\u003eHeartland \u003c\/i\u003ehad me feeling like I was on the Springs Valley team bus with Larry and Beezer Carnes. Or maybe having a couple of 25-cent Budweisers with Joey Bird at the Jubil.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e -- \n\u003cb\u003eDan Shaughnessy\u003c\/b\u003e, author of \n\u003ci\u003eWish It Lasted Forever: Life with the Larry Bird Celtics\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"In \n\u003ci\u003eHeartland\u003c\/i\u003e, Keith O'Brien finds the true heart of the Larry Bird origin story, from his hardscrabble upbringing in rural Indiana to the brink of superstardom in the most significant NCAA championship game. It's a supremely compelling and empathetic portrait of one of the most guarded and inscrutable icons of American sports.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Steve James\u003c\/b\u003e, Academy Award-nominated filmmaker and director of \n\u003ci\u003eHoop Dreams\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Keith O'Brien's \n\u003ci\u003eHeartland\u003c\/i\u003e is a wonderfully entertaining and meticulously researched look at one of the most intriguing and important basketball stories of the past 50 years: the rise of the great and mysterious Larry Bird. It's a fascinating portrait of a time and place in which a uniquely small-town Midwestern hero becomes a national phenomenon, riveting the sports world and changing the NBA forever.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Christine Brennan\u003c\/b\u003e, \n\u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \n\u003ci\u003eOn Her Game: Caitlin Clark and the Revolution in Women's Sports\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"A smart, well-paced narrative...[O'Brien's] journalistic legwork yields colorful specifics...Expertly told.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eKirkus\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"A meticulously researched yet utterly enthralling account... [a] must-have sports title.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e -- \n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e(starred review)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"The definitive chronicle of the Sycamores' run over the three years that Bird captained the team.... \n\u003ci\u003eHeartland\u003c\/i\u003e fires on all cylinders because it is incredibly well-researched.... What is wonderful about \n\u003ci\u003eHeartland\u003c\/i\u003e is how I found myself cheering for Bird.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e -- \n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePittsburgh Post-Gazette\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"For hoop heads, \n\u003ci\u003eHeartland\u003c\/i\u003e is a deeper look at a player we think we already know. For college basketball fans, it's a reminder of what made the sport's best underdog stories so powerful in the first place. Not just a star rising, but context: Towns, coaches, teammates, timing and belief.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e--Slam\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher Marketing\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eAN INSTANT \u003ci\u003eNEW YORK TIMES\u003c\/i\u003e BESTSELLER\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eFrom the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eCharlie Hustle\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eFly Girls\u003c\/i\u003e comes one of America's greatest sports stories: the improbable rise of Larry Bird and the Indiana State Sycamores.\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn the fall 1974, Larry Bird--one of the greatest players to ever pick up a basketball--was lost, and in danger of slipping away. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e He had dropped out of Indiana University, spurning legendary Hoosiers head coach Bobby Knight. He returned home to French Lick, a tiny town in the second poorest county in Indiana, and he got a job hauling trash. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e It could have ended right there for Bird, were it not for two men: Bob King, an old coach with bad knees, and Bill Hodges, a man who knew what it was like to be poor and overlooked. In the spring of 1975, during one of the darkest chapters of Bird's life, King and Hodges convinced Bird to leave French Lick and play basketball at Indiana State University, a college that couldn't even fill its arena, much less compete with Bobby Knight. Then, while no one was watching, King and Hodges built a team of players around Bird who were just like him: they were castoffs and leftovers, ready to work. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Four years later, in March 1979, this unheralded team would put together one of the greatest seasons in American sports history. By the time it was over, more than 50 million people would tune in to watch the Indiana State Sycamores play in the NCAA finals against Magic Johnson and Michigan State. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e What happened that night would change college basketball and the NBA. Perhaps more importantly, it would change the members of this hardscrabble team, binding them together forever. In some ways, their one shining moment would never end. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Drawing on exclusive, in-depth interviews with players, coaches, and staffers, \n\u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author and PEN American Literary Award-winning biographer Keith O'Brien offers a stirring account of the mighty Indiana State Sycamores. With its unforgettable ensemble cast, \n\u003ci\u003eHeartland\u003c\/i\u003e is more than just a sports book. It's the story of a group of young men who achieved the greatest feat of all: immortality.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/span\u003e 01\/15\/2026 (EAN 9781668211700, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eBooklist\u003c\/span\u003e 02\/01\/2026 (EAN 9781668211700, Hardcover) - *Starred Review\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eContributor Bio:\u003c\/strong\u003eO'Brien, Keith\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKeith O'Brien is the \n\u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \n\u003ci\u003eCharlie Hustle\u003c\/i\u003e, \n\u003ci\u003eParadise Falls\u003c\/i\u003e, \n\u003ci\u003eFly Girls\u003c\/i\u003e, and \n\u003ci\u003eOutside Shot.\u003c\/i\u003e He has won the 2025 PEN\/Jacqueline Bograd Weld award for biography; has been a finalist for the PEN\/ESPN Award for Literary Sports writing; and has written for \n\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, \n\u003ci\u003eThe\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/i\u003e, \n\u003ci\u003eThe\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eBoston Globe\u003c\/i\u003e, \n\u003ci\u003eThe\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eAtlantic\u003c\/i\u003e, \n\u003ci\u003eRolling Stone\u003c\/i\u003e, NPR, and \n\u003ci\u003eThis American Life\u003c\/i\u003e. A native of Ohio, he lives in New Hampshire.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n","brand":"Atria Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51496141095190,"sku":"9781668211700","price":36.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0857\/9910\/8886\/files\/9781668211700.jpg?v=1783053860","url":"https:\/\/lusper.myshopify.com\/products\/heartland-a-forgotten-place-an-impossible-dream-and-the-miracle-of-larry-bird","provider":"Lusperbooks","version":"1.0","type":"link"}