The Beautiful Dream
A Memoir
-
- 11,99 €
Publisher Description
NATIONAL BESTSELLER
“A captivating read from one of our country’s greatest athletes.”
―Christine Sinclair, former captain of the Canadian Women's National Soccer Team and National Bestselling Author of Playing the Long Game
Out of the Toronto suburb of Brampton comes an irresistible story of trials, perseverance, the limelight of international soccer, and—above all—heart.
Despite debuting on Canada’s senior national soccer team 20 years ago, scarce is known of Atiba Hutchinson. We’ve watched him win Canadian Men’s Player of the Year six times; celebrated his club team championships; and mourned his injuries. We’ve lamented the state of Canadian soccer and cursed the lost potential—and years. Yet, we know little about Atiba’s personal life, or how he rose from suburban Brampton to becoming Canada’s most-capped national men’s team player, often described as the country’s greatest athlete you haven’t heard about.
For the first time, Atiba is ready to share the extraordinary story of his ascent to the heights of professional soccer, nationally and internationally, and what he believes makes a true champion. The Beautiful Dream is an intimate account of Atiba’s awe-inspiring career, from his humble beginnings to playing across Europe; the crushing disappointment of failing national team competitions in the 2010s that nearly led to his resignation from the national program; all the way to his triumphant arrival in Qatar to face off against 31 other nations at the world’s most pre-eminent soccer competition. He has strived to better not only his own game but the landscape of Canadian soccer for over two decades, culminating in Canada’s first trip to the FIFA World Cup since 1986. Yet, as the reflective midfielder shows, this isn’t just his story: The Beautiful Dream is the story of countless Canadians, who strive and scrape for a seemingly unreachable dream—until their fingertips finally graze the surface. It’s a lesson about the unyielding belief required when taking the long road to success. Atiba's journey mirrors the progression of Canadian soccer, and the story of Canada itself: goals that may begin as outsized but as we work towards them, our world changes with us.
Atiba’s journey of hope, belief, and resilience connects the country’s modest soccer past to a bold, exciting future in the game. It’s a story that transcends the pitch, exploring what it means to be a kid who dares to dream of achieving the impossible, and the man who perseveres to get there.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Normally reticent soccer star Atiba Hutchinson provides an all-encompassing look back at his storied career. Taught to love the game by his Trinidadian father while growing up in Brampton, he worked his way up the ranks to become one of Canada’s best players and appeared in more than 100 matches for his homeland. His time as a professional in Denmark, the Netherlands, and Türkiye, among other outposts, showcases the frequently nomadic life of international players. The glimpses into his personal life—including a story of him losing his future wife’s dog on their first date—are sweet reminders that there’s more to life than the pitch. It’s his love for Canada, though, that stands out the most, and his joy at being part of the national team’s 2022 World Cup run is palpable. The Beautiful Dream provides a charming final note to Hutchinson’s exemplary 20-plus-year career.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Canadian soccer player Hutchinson delivers a rote rundown of his path to athletic stardom in this unremarkable autobiography. Hutchinson was born in Ontario in 1983 and grew to love soccer thanks to his father, Dalton, who played recreationally in Trinidad. Dalton's advice that Hutchinson approach soccer in a "more cerebral way" than his peers (anticipating rather than reacting; moving into position even when he didn't have the ball) paid off—at 19, Hutchinson joined the Toronto Lynx, one of Canada's newest A-League teams. Still, he played to many sparsely populated stadiums during his 20s, spending seasons in Sweden and Denmark before returning to Canada and being named the country's player of the year several times in a row. The "beautiful dream" of the title describes Hutchinson's invitation, in 2022, to play for Canada in the World Cup, despite pushing 40. Unfortunately, his flat description of the gameplay fails to capture the weight of his accomplishment ("It felt good to score for Canada again"). Descriptions of Hutchinson's personal life, including marrying and starting a family, follow suit, with little wit or insight to enliven them. Even Hutchinson's admirers are likely to find this lacking.
