Barry Locke, half-back

A little about the story

Fifteen-year-old Barry Locke arrives in the Connecticut village of Wessex with the ordinary hopes of a boy beginning life at a new school. He expects football, companionship, and a chance to establish himself, but even the arrangements for his lodgings introduce disappointments and delicate social negotiations. Broadmoor’s friendships are not as straightforward as they first appear, and being welcomed by one person does not mean being understood by everyone else.

As Barry becomes involved with the team and the people around it, the story connects athletic ability with a less visible test of character. School rivalries, personal loyalties, and questions about how outsiders should be treated make his decisions matter away from the field. Barbour balances training and match excitement with an interest in ordinary acts of helpfulness. The result is a school adventure in which sporting success provides momentum, but the more revealing question concerns what sort of companion Barry will become when friendliness and loyalty begin to demand something practical from him.

Things You May Not Know About Barry Locke, half-back

• A 1925 school story. The source title page names The Century Co. as publisher and dates the copyright to 1925.
• An illustrated edition. C. M. Relyea supplies the illustrations, which are listed separately from the chapter contents in the original volume.
• A specifically American game. Half-back refers to Barry’s position in American football, rather than suggesting that the novel concerns association football or rugby.
• A Connecticut arrival. The opening places Barry’s arrival in Wessex, giving the school adventure a particular New England setting rather than an unnamed boarding-school world.
• More than match chapters. The contents include episodes involving a typewriter, an old desk, and a mystery, showing how everyday events accompany the football narrative.