The Greyhound God
by Keith Lee Morris
On This Page
Description
A restless man obsessed with dog races embarks on a cross-country journey leading to his Idaho hometown in this debut novel reminiscent of Catcher in the Rye. Luke Rivers is a part-time bartender and full-time gambler who dreams of scoring big at the dog races. He travels the greyhound circuit with his wife, Jenny, and their young son, Jake, until one morning he wakes up in a motel in Rapid City, South Dakota, to discover that Jenny has left him and taken Jake with her. Now, for the first show more time, Luke must confront both the tragic family past that led him to gambling and the uncertain future that lies ahead. Morris evokes with deft intelligence the colorful world of dog racing and the characters, human and canine, who inhabit it. But this is merely a background for the travails of Luke and his little family, the cheap motels and dusty dreams, the tensions between Luke's tender love for his son and his obsession with his betting "system." Luke's dilemma--whether to pursue Jenny or continue gambling--is complicated further by his painful memories of family tragedy and personal breakdowns, and by a seemingly miraculous winning streak at the track. show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Recommendations
Member Reviews
Luke Rivers used to believe in God. Now he believes in the Greyhound God. He travels the Northwest with his wife and young son, betting on dogs all the way. He loses enough to make it uncomfortable. Luke still agonizes over the murder of his younger brother Mark when they were both children – and over his subsequent loss of faith.
Luke’s wife, Jenny, leaves with their son, Jake, at the beginning of a lucky streak that results in Luke winning more money than he ever has. She’s tired of moving and following the dogs. The streak and her leaving causes Luke to question most of what he knows. “It’s all you have, really – that connection with the people you’re close to.”
The Greyhound God explores loss and the question of how to show more carry on with meaning. show less
Luke’s wife, Jenny, leaves with their son, Jake, at the beginning of a lucky streak that results in Luke winning more money than he ever has. She’s tired of moving and following the dogs. The streak and her leaving causes Luke to question most of what he knows. “It’s all you have, really – that connection with the people you’re close to.”
The Greyhound God explores loss and the question of how to show more carry on with meaning. show less
Ratings
Members
- Recently Added By
Author Information
7+ Works 247 Members
Keith Lee Morris has been a journalist, playwright, and actor. He is currently assistant professor of creative writing at Clemson University
Series
Belongs to Publisher Series
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Greyhound God
- Important places
- USA; Idaho, USA
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 18
- Popularity
- 1,385,072
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (4.17)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 1
