The Heart of the Order

Professional ballplayer Blake Alexander--"Xandy" to his teammates and fans--is the starting left fielder for the Carolina Birds of the National League South, until a severe knee injury in Cincinnati leaves him facing a summer of rehab. Eager to occupy himself around game time, Xandy trades his glove for an Acer-brand laptop, and each night before first pitch, he settles into a lounger behind his borrowed Florida house to write. What emerges from Xandy's patio sessions is a series of reflections on the game he loves and everything in between--from losing streaks to bullpen phones to his beguiling physical therapist, Jenn, who (like a third-base coach) keeps giving him signs he can't quite read. A winning narrator, with an observational style honed from years spent reading the spin on fly balls, Xandy emerges as a fresh and memorable voice in American fiction.