Fight Song: A Novel
It’s hard to believe a suburban father’s desperate quest to turn his life around could be so much fun, but that’s exactly how readers are likely to react to Mohr’s Fight Song. Bob Coffen is stuck in a stifling job and a failing marriage, and when he’s run off the road by his hypercompetitive neighbor, Bob has had enough. What follows is a brisk, contemporary Odyssey, with Cyclops and the sirens replaced by a cast of characters including a crying magician, who doubles as a marriage counselor, and a bodybuilding fast-food worker who moonlights as a phone-sex operator. Mohr, author of several offbeat novels including Termite Parade (2010), brings a dollop of David Sedaris–like humor to the pathos. While irreverent, he gets to the heart of real emotion with bracing frankness, which keeps things from getting too loony. In the midst of all the zaniness, and as you race to keep up with the piston-pumping pace, you’re rooting for Bob to take charge of his life. It’s a surprisingly sweet, rollicking tribute to anyone who’s ever needed a fight song to fight back. --Bridget Thoreson