After the Lights Go Out
A blistering and gritty sports drama about a biracial MMA fighter battling with dementia
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- £5.99
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- £5.99
Publisher Description
'Thrums with authenticity' The Times
'Powerful, bruising and beautiful' Chris Whitaker
A bleak, brilliant slice of American noir' Daily Mail
The latest novel from the CWA-shortlisted author of Three-Fifths – a Sunday Times, Guardian and Financial Times Book of the Year
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IT'S NOT A COMEBACK. IT'S A FIGHT FOR HIS LIFE.
Xavier "Scarecrow" Wallace is a biracial Black MMA fighter on the wrong side of thirty, who's been given a last-ditch chance to break into the big leagues. He is also losing his battle with pugilistic dementia, a struggle he is desperate to hide.
In the nursing home of his father, a white man suffering from Alzheimer's, Xavier witnesses shocking episodes that expose ugly truths about his family and his past.
As the big fight draws near, Xavier is faced with a dangerous dilemma: throw his match or suffer the deadly consequences.
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FURTHER PRAISE FOR JOHN VERCHER
'John Vercher could well be the next great American novelist' Kia Abdullah
'Shrewd and explosive' New York Times
'Vercher writes with the intensity of championship round' Kevin Powers, author of The Yellow Birds
'A stunning, stone-cold knockout' P. J. Vernon, author of Bath Haus
'Think Warrior by way of Fat City' William Boyle, author of Shoot the Moonlight Out
'John Vercher writes like a fighter, a dancer, an athlete' Wiley Cash, author of A Land More Kind than Home
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Vercher (Three-Fifths) strides back in the ring with the explosive story of a troubled Philadelphia MMA fighter whose career has stalled. When 30-something Xavier Wallace gets the call to participate in a contender fight after being sidelined for months following a bust for accidentally taking a banned substance, he jumps at the chance. Xavier's pride is on the line, as a brain injury has been robbing him of memory and cognitive function. His career is managed by champion boxer Shot, his glass-eyed cousin who owns the gym where he trains and to whom Xavier owes a huge debt. Xavier's family, meanwhile, was fractured after his Black mother, Evelyn, left him and his white father, Sam, when Xavier was a child. The truth about why Evelyn left is finally revealed by a racist Sam, who suffers from dementia. The crux of the story lies in Xavier's seemingly final chance to show his mettle despite a cacophony of personal issues, physical challenges, and an emotionally draining reunion with Evelyn. Adding complexity and depth is Xavier's internal monologue ("You were born for violence, my guy. We all are. Just some of us are more attuned to it than others"), which alternates between motivation, reflection, and self-sabotage. Vercher expertly captures the brashness and discipline of combat sports as well as the harsh realities of the fighting life, delivering all of it in a swiftly paced triumph complete with a surprising one-two punch of a conclusion. This is simply brilliant.
