The Cardturner

The Cardturner follows seventeen-year-old Alton Richards as he becomes the cardturner for his wealthy, blind Uncle Lester during summer break. His role involves reading cards aloud during bridge games for his uncle, who is a skilled player close to achieving Grand Life Master status. The teen enters the complex world of competitive bridge while navigating personal challenges, including his best friend dating his ex-girlfriend and his mother's persistence in securing his uncle's favor. He meets Toni Castenada, the previous cardturner who was dismissed for questioning his uncle's plays, and begins to learn the intricacies of the game himself. The story explores themes of family dynamics, the unexpected connections that form through shared passion, and the bridge between youth and age. It presents bridge as more than a card game - as a lens through which to view relationships, strategy, and life choices.

Readers describe the book as an unexpected blend of teen coming-of-age story and bridge gameplay instruction. Many note being skeptical about a novel centered on bridge but finding themselves drawn in by the characters and relationships. Liked: - Clear explanations of bridge strategy with "whale" symbols warning readers who want to skip technical sections - The relationship between Alton and his great-uncle - Humor and natural dialogue - Makes bridge accessible to young readers Disliked: - Bridge sections too complex/frequent for some readers - Romance subplot feels underdeveloped - Slow pacing in middle sections - Some found the ending rushed Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (5,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (180+ ratings) Common reader comment: "I never thought I'd enjoy a book about bridge this much." Several reviewers noted learning basic bridge strategy from the book and being inspired to try playing.

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🎴 Louis Sachar wrote this novel after becoming an avid bridge player himself, spending years learning the game to ensure authentic representation 🎴 The book includes special "whale" symbols that alert readers to upcoming bridge-related technical explanations, allowing them to skip these sections if desired 🎴 Duplicate bridge, featured prominently in the book, was invented in 1891 by John T. Mitchell and is now the most common form of competitive bridge worldwide 🎴 Bridge evolved from the game Whist in the late 1800s, and became immensely popular among wealthy socialites during the 1920s and 1930s 🎴 The author incorporated elements of magical realism into the story, inspired by the mystical connections some bridge players claim to experience with their partners during games