"East Angels," by Brad Douglas, paperback, 176 pages, $11.95

It might be one of the worst nightmares a star high school basketball player can have -- aside from a season-ending injury.

You're all set for your senior season, and your team is expected to dominate the league. You're the point guard, and you've put in months of hard work honing your skills.

Then, one letter before school starts changes your life.

That's the situation in 1974 for Brigham Donovan in "East Angels," by Kaysville, Utah, author Brad Douglas.

The letter that arrives is from the Denver Public School System and addressed to "The Parents of Brigham Donovan." The message: Brig will be bused to an inner-city high school because the courts have mandated the desegregation of the school system.

Lucky him. That blows up his plans for a championship season with his teammates at Thomas Jefferson High.

"East Angels" is a fictionalized account of the author's senior year at East High School in Denver, starting with the long bus ride on his first day. Thomas Jefferson was a nice school; East was dingy and menacing at first.

Douglas uses a series of flashbacks as the adult Brig remembers East. The memories return as he interviews Martin Johnson for a job -- and Martin turns out to be the son of Douglas Johnson, manager of the East basketball team when Brig played.

Brig remembers his fears at East, how a few students and teachers went out of their way to befriend him, how he had to try out for the basketball team, how it was when he went back to Thomas Jefferson for activities, how the basketball season went and how he came to value his time at East. On his first day, he said, "This was not my school. No way." By the end of the school year, it was, "Brotherhood, all for one, these were the things that mattered most."

Along the way, he was helped by the counsel of his Mormon bishop: "Push forward and trust that things will work out."

Douglas captures high school life before the time of cell phones and texts. Kids actually passed written notes back and forth. Teachers caught them. And many of the teachers and coaches showed their care for students, just as many do today.

"East Angels" is a self-published book, but it rises above many others of that kind.

Some of the transitions from real time to flashback are a bit rough. But it's obvious that Douglas believes his time at East High was one of the defining moments of life to be treasured, and his account is an engaging read.

"East Angels" is available at amazon.com or eastangels.com.

E-mail: rwalsh@desnews.com