The Circle Home

Book excerpt: "Set against the backdrop of the streets of New York City, the fishing wharfs of Boston in the fifties, and the prizefighting gyms of both cities, Denny Kelly's life is on the skids. He's down and out and falling fast. Kelly is a has-been who isn't ready to give up. He wants to prizefight again, to regain that illusory sense of power and grace. He's too old to be fighting, but it's the only thing he knows how to do. He's walked out on his wife and daughter, has destroyed everything important in his life, yet all he ever really lived for was his moment of glory in the ring--the gladiatorial triumph that makes bearable every defeat, every humiliation. Hoagland takes us deep into the prizefighter's hopes and struggles. We smell the blood and sweat of the gym, meet the wildly eccentric trainers, managers, and fighters, and sense the crackling tension of the ring. And keenly, we feel the burden of Kelly's mistakes and the pain he's caused those who have tried to get close to him. We live Kelly's dreams and wince at his failures, and our heart aches for him. We know his time is running out, and we are with him in the end--as he goes full circle, and finally comes home."--Goodreads