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More copies of this ISBNThis title in other editionsA Door in the Ocean: A Memoirby David Mcglynn
Synopses & ReviewsReview:"When McGlynn's close friend and high school swim teammate Jeremy is murdered 'execution-style' on a fall evening in Texas in 1991, the young man is left floundering to make sense of the tragedy. In this heartfelt coming-of-age memoir, McGlynn (The End of the Straight and Narrow, a story collection) details his emotionally grueling journey. Of the days before the killing, he writes that 'It was the last time ordinariness would feel, well, ordinary.' McGlynn candidly explores his struggle to come to terms with his own shameful revelry in the resulting attention lavished upon him by classmates and the likelihood that the crime would go unsolved, and describes his eventual adherence to evangelical Christianity, whereupon he took a vow of celibacy and assumed the mantle of missionary. McGlynn recounts his ongoing commitment to swimming (he describes 'the water like a drug') and his constant wrestling with his faith, but after another tragedy, he would find himself searching yet again. Although the narrative is slowed by extraneous detail, McGlynn is an astute observer of relationships, and proffers insightful commentary on the power of memory to simultaneously burden and enrich the present. Beyond that, the sheer ease of his prose and the honesty of his journey are enough to keep readers moved and moving. (July)" Publishers Weekly Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Synopsis:On a warm September night in 1991, in a quiet neighborhood north of Houston, Texas, David McGlynns closest friend and teammate on the high school swimming team is found murdered on his living room floor. As the crime goes unsolved and his friends turn to drugs and violence, McGlynn is vulnerable, rootless, searching for answers. He is drawn into the eccentric and often radical world of evangelical Christianity—a journey that leads him to a proselytizing campus fellowship in Southern California, on a mission to Australia, and to Salt Lake City, where a second swimming–related tragedy leaves him doubting the authenticity of his beliefs. In his post–evangelical life, he finds himself exiled from his parents, plunged into financial chaos, and caught off–guard by the prospect of fatherhood. A new job offers hope for a new beginning, until the possibility of losing his newborn son forces him to confront the nature of everything he believes. The memoirs concluding chapter, which appeared in The Best American Sports Writing 2009, celebrates the authors love for swimming, the enduring metaphor for his faith and the setting for many of his lifes momentous occasions. Rough Water charts the violent origins of one young mans faith and the struggle to find meaning in the midst of lifes painful uncertainties. About the AuthorDavid McGlynn grew up in Houston, Texas, and Southern California. His story collection, The End of the Straight and Narrow, won the 2008 Utah Book Award and was named an “Outstanding Achievement” by the Wisconsin Librarians Association. His stories and essays have appeared in Mens Health, The Huffington Post, Best American Sports Writing, and numerous literary journals. He teaches at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, where he lives with his wife and sons. A lifelong swimmer, he captured a national championship in the 500-yard freestyle at the 2001 United States Masters National Championships. He continues to compete in open-water swimming races all across the country, and on most mornings is the first one in the pool. What Our Readers Are SayingBe the first to add a comment for a chance to win!Product Details
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