The Black Rose examines the lives of three seemingly different people - a white father and his daughter and a black male - during summer basketball games and their drinking together afterwards. These seemingly meaningless pick-up games and their bellying-up to the bar while still dripping in sweat are filled with racial tension, personal discovery and inter-generational friction that spark spiritual growth. The idiosyncratic characters - Byrd, Pete and Andie - share a sad combination of disappointment in their current circumstances and resignation of a future that falls short of their dreams and aspirations. They are what America has become. The theme of the novel is about acceptance and non-acceptance of race, religion and sexuality in America over the last five decades. The story is set in real-life places around Sea Isle City and Avalon, NJ under the backdrop of 50-year-old childhood friends still playing pick-up basketball games down "at the courts" and how they are now joined by their 18-year-old sons - and the main character's daughter - who are turning out just like them. The fictional characters are from the Philadelphia suburbs and attended Ursinus College, where their kids are going. Real life former players at Aronimink swim club like Eddie Hastings and Tom Ingelsby along with their great Villanova team are used as reference characters. The Black Rose offers how to better understand race differences in America by simple one-on-one interaction. By portraying seemingly different characters - just like black and white people in America - it shows how a black young man, Nate, and an old white man, Pete, can not only coexist, but grow to love each other and that better days can be ahead through hope and a Christian connection to the cross.
About the Author: Mr. Kevin Callahan is in his 34th year writing sports, travel and outdoor stories, focusing in and around South Jersey and Philadelphia. He currently is a writer for the Philadelphia 76ers website and South Jersey Sports Digest after 33 years writing for the Camden Courier-Post newspaper, a Gannett publication. The Black Rose, which takes place over four years from 2012 to 2016, is the first book of a completed trilogy. The second book, The Fish Finder, which is set in Cape May, takes place over four months in 2015 while The Chess Game, the third book of the trilogy, takes place over one day - June 16, 2015 - in Camden, New Jersey. The Fish Finder is planned to be released Labor Day weekend while The Chess Game is planned to be released Thanksgiving Day weekend. Callahan is a graduate of Camden Catholic High School and Ursinus College, where he was a basketball captain as a senior at both schools. The Medford resident has covered the World Series, NBA playoffs, Stanley Cup playoffs, NFL conference championship and playoffs, professional golf, NCAA men and women basketball national tournament games, NCAA football bowl games, boxing title fights and the Penn Relays as well as high school and college sports. Callahan was a featured columnist for the Courier-Post, writing commentary on the four Philadelphia professional sports teams. He was the Eagles Beat Writer from 1992 to 2001. He is a member of the Baseball Writers Association of America and the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association. Callahan has coached basketball for the Catholic Partnership Schools in Camden (2010 to 2016), St. Mary of the Lakes in Medford (2002 to 2009) and Camden Catholic High School (1983 to 1991). The 56-year-old Callahan played three years of varsity basketball and was a two-year starter at Ursinus. He played on the NCAA Division III Final Four team in 1981 and the Elite Eight team in 1982. He played three years of varsity basketball and was a two-year starter at Camden Catholic. He was chosen to play in the South Jersey all-star game in 1979 and was named first-team All-Parochial. Callahan, who grew up in Pennsauken, was elected into the Al Carino Basketball Club of South Jersey Hall of Fame in 2015 and was inducted into the Camden Catholic High School Basketball Hall of Fame in 1989. You can follow him on his two personal Twitter accounts: @CP_KCallahan (Callahan's Playground on sports) and @IntotheOUTsides on playing outdoors and travel.