Crossing the Line by David Sherman
Book launch Sat. Oct. 29 in Morin Heights
“They could’ve added pain meds to the post-game table: grilled chicken, pizza, wings, pasta, Oxycodone, Empracet and Indocin. Who didn’t hurt after a game?”— Crossing the Line
INDYPress drops the puck on October 29 with David Sherman’s Crossing the Line, a breakaway novel that exposes the seamier side of our national obsession: a love story, a story of uneasy stardom, and of tawdry truths beneath Canada’s preoccupation with hockey. The book is as riveting as overtime in a Stanley Cup final. This is the inaugural release from INDYPress, with more to come this spring by the two other co-founders, Guy Sprung and Susan Kastner. Join INDYPress for readings, a Q&A and wine at the launch of Crossing the Line on Oct. 29, 2 pm, at the Morin Heights Public Library.
For dazzling up-and-comer Blake Fowler, hockey has been his life and his escape, scoring sublimely through the bruising and bone-breaking. Traded to his native Montreal, where the fans expect, even demand, he leads the team to the Stanley Cup, he confronts the ghosts of his childhood and the racism, sexism and inequities inherent in pro sports, as well as the balm of true love.
The novel offers a deeper look into a sport often seen as just a game, “The story running through Crossing the Line is an absorbing way to discuss the joys and struggles of real life,” said Sherman. “It reveals the obsession and dedication of pro sports as well as the physical and mental toll it takes on those who earn a king’s riches to play 15-25 minutes a few times a week, while society can’t cope with the unhoused and the hungry.”
“This is an NHL insider as you’ve never imagined. In Crossing the Line, David Sherman captures the harsh underbelly of pro hockey, the language and humour of the game – and tells a charming love story at the same time.”– Roy MacGregor – author, member of the Order of Canada, Dean of Canadian hockey writers
There is no adult fiction using hockey as a motif; Sherman’s social realism with hockey as a backdrop is unique. He elaborates on themes that make Crossing the Line different, “The book is a tale of struggling working people and a young star athlete now back in his hometown. Here, his consciousness is raised by all the poverty he sees. He battles with himself about making so much money to play when so many are fighting to survive, including his own extended family.”
“The best stories in the world of pro hockey are usually from off the ice as players deal with fame, fortune, friends and love, while trying to stay focused on the game on the ice to keep that lifestyle going. David Sherman has captured the life of a pro hockey player that fans don’t normally get to see.”–Stu Cowan, Montreal Gazette sports columnist
Books are available direct from the publisher for $30 ($20 for book/$10 postage & handling), eBook $12.95, at www.indypub.ca/order-form and on Amazon.
Book launch: Sat. Oct. 29, 2 pm, Morin Heights Public Library, 823 Village Road, J0R 1H0
