Book Description
Austin Sinclair and Jack Winston grew up together on the poor side of town. One quiet, sober, and tenacious; the
other a reckless charmer, always seeking a challenge. Together, they shared a love for tennis that forged an unlikely
bond and incited a fierce rivalry between them. Chancing upon the game in high school, they mastered it, each nurturing
secret dreams of fame, wealth, women and glory on the championship circuit. Then adult life took them in different
directions.
Jack and Austin haven't spoken in years. Now they are grown men: mature, accomplished and middle-aged. And a
chance reunion in a crowded restaurant results in a friendly, fateful invitation to compete once again at Austin's
exclusive tennis club. But from the first serve on an impeccable clay court to the final, breathless point of a truly
unforgettable match, unresolved resentments and tensions will determine the pace of the play.
For every lob and backhand, every point surrendered or won, brings with it serious questions about the
past and the choices made. With each set comes potentially explosive revelations about love, money, and the nature of
competition. And by match's end, Austin and Jack will know more about themselves, their game, and their friendship than
they knew at the onset... and their lives will have changed forever
About The Author
Sheelagh Mawe was born in Hertfordshire, England. She subsequently lived in France where she worked first as a tour
guide for Champagne Mercier in Epernay and then as a bilingual secretary for the American Express Company in Paris.
Moving to Florida some years later with her three children, she became a tennis enthusiast and worked as General Manager
of a tennis club. She now lives in Orlando, FL.
Testimonials
"This story unfolds with compelling suspense. Readers may shudder at what is happening on the court but
they will not look away. It is a fine story full of awakennings, surprises, and analogies." - Naples Daily News
"A pair of tennis rivals, competing again for the first time in thirty years, attempt to trash out some of the
questions and conflicts of middle age and come to terms with the road not taken." - Publisher's Weekly
"The narrative viewpoint in this novel bounces across the net with every volley, as we gradually realize how much
is at stake for each player. Delivered with all the style and pace of a Henman backhand." - London Daily Mirror
"Two guys work through their respective mid-life crises by renewing a long-dead rivalry during which each
finds the resolve to change his life in a way he had thought impossible." - Kirkus Reviews
"In the noonday Florida sun, two old rivals play a tennis match to the brink of exhaustion. Each sees the
match as an opportunity to redeem a lifetime of perceived failure. An exciting and compelling story." - Orlando Sentinel
"When two middle-aged men who were fierce competitors as youths resume their competition after thirty years,
the game of tennis takes on a greater significance, with each man confronting what the other represents to
him - the path not taken, and the fear that he is really not happy with his life choices."
- Amazon.com
"To bring two men through the harrowing experience of self-analysis to turning-point decisions within the framework
of an intense, physically draining tennis match is a daunting task. Mawe has successfully met the challenge in a
truly unique, beautifully written, absorbing story." - D. Walker - Fort Myers, FL
