A Life Intercepted

July 1, 2014

Matthew Rising was born with a prophetic name, as his abilities with a football through high school and college set his star to rise as a top NFL draft pick. The kid from Gardi, GA, seemed to have it all: two Heisman trophies, a beautiful and supportive wife, and a perfect future with clear sailing ahead. Chapter two of Martin's (Unwritten; Thunder and Rain) tenth novel begins as 34-year-old Matthew "the Rocket" Rising leaves the Wiregrass Correctional Penitentiary after serving 12 years of a 20-year sentence for rape and sexual deviancy with a minor. Where did it all go wrong? This tale of love and inner strength within the construct of a sports story will entice readers to examine their own hearts. Should hatred ever be the answer when life turns upside down? The author's treatise covers many topics--football being uppermost but also gardening and bird behavior--enriching the lives of those who enter his world. Despite the locker-room camaraderie among the characters, the book eschews profanity. VERDICT Highly recommended for all collections, but football fans especially will love Martin's perspective. Touchdown! [See Editors' Picks, "Books for the Masses," p. 31.]--Bette-Lee Fox, Library Journal

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2014
High-school and college football phenom Matthew Rising had spent his life relentlessly pursuing two things: a career in professional sports and the love of his high-school sweetheart, Audrey. Dedicated, talented, almost squeaky-clean, Matthew was about to walk away with everything he ever dreamed of on the night the NFL draft picks were announced. Instead, he found himself dragged away from his hotel room in handcuffs, charged with heinous sexual crimes against two underage girls and a woman he had known all his life. Released after 12 years in prison, Matthew must, ignominiously, register as a sexual offender wherever he lives. The last place anyone would expect that to be is his hometown of Gardi, Georgia, where he is reviled by locals and shunned by his estranged wife, who puts his freedom at risk when she asks him to coach a rising young player. In this sports-focused parable based on events from his own past, Martin (Where the River Ends, 2008) offers a touching tale of love, loss, and redemption.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)