Saturday, September 30, 2006

Pound For Pound by F.X. Toole

This was a brilliant first and (sadly) last novel by F.X. Toole. In addition to having published a collection of short stories that included "Million Dollar Baby" he left this manuscript behind. I can't say that I would have picked this up on my own but I am really glad that I read it. It has all the elements of a good boxing novel.

Underdogs, shady promoters, and fixed fights have left gifted boxer Eduardo "Chicky" Garza y Duffy ready to give up on his Olympic dreams to return home to the family farm. Dan Cooley is the older gentleman trainer who has lost his loved ones and has given up on life, until he meets a dog and the young up-and-coming fighter. The messages of honesty, honor and learning your craft make this an uplifting novel that is a hallmark of all of the greatest sports stories.

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