“Bring One Home” to be released November 1, 2025

Author Thomas L. Pelissero is excited to announce the official release of his debut memoir, Bring One Home: A Memoir of Boyhood, Basketball, and Hometown Spirit, on November 1, 2025.

Bring One Home is an in-depth look at the true story of the struggles the Bessemer Speedboys high school basketball team faced in the 1960s. Their difficulties at times mirrored the town’s economic challenges of the same period, marked by mine closures, job losses, and the fading of long-held prosperity. The story that unfolds is a powerful test of resilience, revealing the true spirit and character of a community facing hardship both on and off the court.

Pelissero, who grew up in Bessemer and currently resides in Erwin Township, was inspired to write the book after flipping through his old scrapbook and seeing a newspaper clipping featuring the Bessemer Speedboys cutting down the net after ending their prolonged losing streak. As he was remembering that night and those wonderful memories, the historian in him asked, “What was the root cause of the Speedboys long losing streak?”

“I started asking questions of boys who were on that team back in the 1960’s, and the more I asked questions, the more intriguing the story,” said Pelissero. “This led to years of investigating and writing about Bessemer.”

Pelissero hopes readers will leave with a deep sense of nostalgia about life in the 1960’s and identify with the characters and themes within.

Bring One Home will be available November 1 to order online via Amazon or to purchase in person at The Leather and Gift Shop in Bessemer, Michigan.