About the book
Finalist for the 2013 ForeWord IndieFab Book of the Year Award in the Literary Category
Finalist for the 2013 CASEY Award presented by Spitball: The Literary Baseball Magazine
Going the Distance is a baseball novel with a difference; a multilayered love story, a celebration of both America's game and the New York landscape. John \"Jack\" Flynn was a major league pitcher with all-star promise. But on the day of the 1979 All-Star game, he finds himself back in the North Country of New York where he was born, his career cut short by an injury, no recollection as to how he came to be back there with a beautiful woman he doesn't recognize beside him in the passenger seat of his car. The mystery of this passenger is but the first of many mysteries in this richly poetic, deeply moving, and sometimes comic novel.
Flynn faces losses much greater than the end of an athletic career. In a journey both to recover his past and to find a place and time to begin life anew, he faces perhaps the most difficult decision a human being must make. In the process he garners support from a band of magical characters: a mystical girl who tells fortunes with baseball cards; a onetime \"bird dog\" baseball scout who dresses in a hazmat body suit to avoid polluting himself with human contact; a former teammate, a homerun hitter and juju man who comes to the rescue from the sky; and, most of all, that woman beside Flynn who teaches him how to love again, or perhaps for the first time.
Editions of Going the Distance
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781438447988
- PDF
- ISBN 9781438447971
Read an Excerpt
Finalist for the 2013 ForeWord IndieFab Book of the Year Award in the Literary Category
Finalist for the 2013 CASEY Award presented by Spitball: The Literary Baseball Magazine
Going the Distance is a baseball novel with a difference; a multilayered love story, a celebration of both America's game and the New York landscape. John \"Jack\" Flynn was a major league pitcher with all-star promise. But on the day of the 1979 All-Star game, he finds himself back in the North Country of New York where he was born, his career cut short by an injury, no recollection as to how he came to be back there with a beautiful woman he doesn't recognize beside him in the passenger seat of his car. The mystery of this passenger is but the first of many mysteries in this richly poetic, deeply moving, and sometimes comic novel.
Flynn faces losses much greater than the end of an athletic career. In a journey both to recover his past and to find a place and time to begin life anew, he faces perhaps the most difficult decision a human being must make. In the process he garners support from a band of magical characters: a mystical girl who tells fortunes with baseball cards; a onetime \"bird dog\" baseball scout who dresses in a hazmat body suit to avoid polluting himself with human contact; a former teammate, a homerun hitter and juju man who comes to the rescue from the sky; and, most of all, that woman beside Flynn who teaches him how to love again, or perhaps for the first time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Going the Distance about?
Finalist for the 2013 ForeWord IndieFab Book of the Year Award in the Literary Category
Finalist for the 2013 CASEY Award presented by Spitball: The Literary Baseball Magazine
Going the Distance is a baseball novel with a difference; a multilayered love story, a celebration of both America's game and the New York landscape. John \"Jack\" Flynn was a major league pitcher with all-star promise. But on the day of the 1979 All-Star game, he finds himself back in the North Country of New York where he was born, his career cut short by an injury, no recollection as to how he came to be back there with a beautiful woman he doesn't recognize beside him in the passenger seat of his car. The mystery of this passenger is but the first of many mysteries in this richly poetic, deeply moving, and sometimes comic novel.
Flynn faces losses much greater than the end of an athletic career. In a journey both to recover his past and to find a place and time to begin life anew, he faces perhaps the most difficult decision a human being must make. In the process he garners support from a band of magical characters: a mystical girl who tells fortunes with baseball cards; a onetime \"bird dog\" baseball scout who dresses in a hazmat body suit to avoid polluting himself with human contact; a former teammate, a homerun hitter and juju man who comes to the rescue from the sky; and, most of all, that woman beside Flynn who teaches him how to love again, or perhaps for the first time.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Going the Distance?
Fiction > Sports fiction
Where can I read a sample of Going the Distance?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781438447988
How long is Going the Distance and how many pages does it have?
Going the Distance has 246 page(s)
Is Going the Distance part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?
Yes it is a part of series Excelsior Editions
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Going the Distance?
Michael Joyce
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Going the Distance is available as paperback(ISBN 9781438447988) and pdf(ISBN 9781438447971)
Where can I buy Going the Distance online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Going the Distance from below
Where can I buy Going the Distance?