Strike Two, You're Out

In his first novel, Tim Hassett-Salley introduces the reader to young Joe Davis who has coasted through his seemingly banal childhood as the younger brother of a loving family in a rural New England town in the early 1970's. A combination of bad choices, bad luck, and at times, a bad attitude conspire to crumble the cortex of his personality. Joe tumbles through his conflicted life seemingly oblivious to ample life lessons he could be learning. A lack of introspection throughout most of his life compounds Joe's relationship difficulties, neither healing his psyche enough to live a genuine life nor allowing him to move past the bad choices and traumatic events of his earlier years. Joe survives Vietnam, a few cycles of love lost and love found, organized religion, racism, and even the Catholic clergy sexual abuse scandal. He is focused on his future, but his past is ever present. Joe is in a race against time and fate, and time is running out.