A powerful debut novel. Booklist starred reviewThe crowded bar had made space an I could hear other people screaming byt noone came near me. It was a smaller ci... » 

A powerful debut novel. Booklist starred reviewThe crowded bar had made space an I could hear other people screaming byt noone came near me. It was a smaller circle than the one I had wrestled in but itwas a circle and I went to work. I turned him around and pulled him to me puta half nelson on him forced his neck down. The circle opened up. There was afree space at the bar and I drove him forward drove his face into the side ofthe bar. I moved my hand down his back and between his legs picked him up andheld him there feeling his weight above my head feeling the power in mymuscles and I threw him to the floor. I wiped my shoe across the blood liftedmy foot and brought it down and brought it down triumphant foot on the backof a fallen opponent like a classical statue like in the pictures my collegewrestling coach showed the team at the beginning of each new season. Whitemarble figures graceful in victory. from Headlock «