FLAT WATER TUESDAY by Ron Irwin

 The son of a working-class cabinetmaker, Rob Carrey arrives on the prestigious Fenton School's campus with a scholarship to row on the four-man team, commonly known as the God Four.  No race is more exalted than the annual Tuesday afternoon duel against their rival school, Warwick.  For months, Rob and his teammates endure grueling preparation driven by their captain Connor Payne's vicious competitive nature.  As the race nears, the lines between dedication and obsession are increasingly blurred, until no one can prevent the horrible tragedy that ensues.

Now, fifteen years later, a phone call from one of the God Four compels Rob to attend their fifteenth year reunion, and he sees the invitation as an opportunity to confront the past and perhaps even steer his own life - and love - in a new direction.

Flat Water Tuesday shares in the grand tradition of sagas about athletic young men on the brink of greatness, who either embrace their talent or are devastatingly consumed by it. As much about the art of rowing as it is a novel of finding oneself, this is a memorable and deeply moving testament to what it means to train and fight for both love and victory, in sport and in life.

Soft cover, good condition.  353 pages.