But as the “beyond” in the title suggests, this book is more than a memoir about hockey. Beyond Ken Dryden also delves into Safdie’s family relationships and the hardships they endured, including losing their house in a fire. Safdie balances chapters about the Canadiens with chapters about his life. He takes us with him as he matures and develops a more profound understanding of what is going on in his parents’ relationship as they break up, reconcile, and then split up again. He also talks a lot about Quebec in this time period - from the rise of the Parti Quebecois and the separatist movement, to the anglophone exodus to the 1976 Olympics.
Through tumultuous times, the Canadiens provided a safety net for Safdie. Front and center most is his humble hero with the commanding presence both on and off the ice - Ken Dryden.
The book reminds me of Dave Bidini's Keon and Me as another coming of age story with hockey heroes serving as anchors in their life. Bidini's book is much meatier. Safdie's story is barely 100 pages. With great economy Safdie doesn't linger on scenes and let's the audience fill in the gaps more than books usually do. That's probably because of the play's DNA. There isn't much exploration as to why a childhood hero is important like in Bidini's book. But Safdie sincerely resonates with his offering.
Oren Safdie is a Canadian-American-Israeli playwright and screenwriter, born April 20, 1965 in Montreal. He's the son of renowned architect Moshe Safdie, and a cousin of filmmakers Josh and Benny Safdie. His stepfather is Roch Carrier, the famous writer of The Hockey Sweater.
