Save Me, Joe Louis — Madison Smartt Bell

One fateful decision pushes a soldier from a life of stifling order to a life of freedom as doomed as it is thrillingMacrae, a nice kid from a small town in Tennessee, joins the army only because the boys he grew up with enlisted before him. But when military life doesn t suit the young dreamer, he goes AWOL, and his wanderlust leads him to New York and a partnership with a charismatic hustler named Charlie. Soon the toxic chemistry between the two makes trouble for both, and the stakes of their petty crimes increase. When the partners find themselves on the run and back in Tennessee, Macrae must come to grips with the man he s become.Engrossing and unforgettable," " "Save Me, Joe Louis" is a powerful psychological study, and a tour de force by an American master at his best."