"Shriver shows in a masterstroke why character is fate and how sport
reveals it." --New York Times Book Review
From the author of the New York Times bestseller The Post-Birthday
World, and the international bestseller We Need to Talk About Kevin
comes a brilliant and unflinching novel about the devastating cost of
prizing achievement over love
Tennis has been Willy Novinsky's one love ever since she first picked up
a racquet at the age of four. A middle-ranked pro at twenty-three, she's
met her match in Eric Oberdorf, a low-ranked, untested Princeton grad
who also intends to make his mark on the international tennis circuit.
Eric becomes Willy's first passion off the court, and eventually they
marry. But while wedded life begins well, full-tilt competition soon
puts a strain on their relationship--and an unexpected accident sends
driven and gifted Willy sliding irrevocably toward resentment, tragedy,
and despair.