Readers' rating:
Published Aug 2005
320 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
The time is 1969. Scooter Riley is a regular kid growing up in the Bronx, on
Shakespeare Avenue, just north of Yankee Stadium. His father, Patrick Riley,
is a New York City cop; his beat is Harlem, streets that are getting rougher
by the day in the wake of the assassinations of Dr. King and Bobby Kennedy.
Riley's Spartan code of ethics and unwavering sense of duty to his
neighborhood and the Force will carry him through; neither homicide nor drugs
are going to get in his way, even if his wife does want them to get the hell
out of the Bronx and for him to take a "safe" job somewhere in the suburbs.
He's happy with things as they are and wants to make time stand still, going
to Yankee games in the neighborhood as he did growing up (as a boy he'd waited
for hours to meet Joe D.—the great Yankee Clipper—and collected two decades of
Yankee autographs of Yogi, Larson, Lopat, Mantle, too; on yearbooks,
scorecards, ticket stubs, Spaldeens). Riley wants his son, Scooter—named after
Yankee shortstop Phil Rizzuto, MVP, 1950—to have a childhood just like his
own.....
'Former pro wrestler Foley proves his authorial chops with this hard-edged
coming-of-age tale (after Tietam Brown) about a turbulent childhood
amid the decay of the Bronx in the late '60s and '70s.' - PW.
'Foley has yet to learn the art of the telling detail (he prefers to summarize
everything, sometimes twice). Readers may actually become nostalgic for
Tietam Brown (Foley's first novel), which at least featured a clear
conflict and one unforgettable character. But, again, expect demand because of
print run and publicity--because the author once terrorized the ring, not
readers.' - Booklist.
This information about Scooter was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Mick Foley (Michael Francis "Mick" Foley Sr.) was born June 7, 1965 and grew up in East Setauket, New York. He is a retired American professional wrestler, author, comedian, color commentator, actor, and voice actor.
Foley is the author of Tietam Brown, Foley Is Good: And the Real World Is Faker Than Wrestling and Have a Nice Day!: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks, as well as three children's books. He wrestled professionally for fifteen years and was a three-time WWE champion. Foley lives with his wife and four children on Long Island.
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