Road to Redemption
Published on 15. July 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
288 pages
979-8-9892569-8-3 (ISBN)
Description
Toeing the start line of the 1983 Boston Marathon, Cooper McKenzie finds himself in a race to make meaning of his troubled, unimpressive life.
Cooper McKenzie is contending with the stark realities of middle age—he is fully disenchanted with his career, he is struggling to meet the financial needs of his young family, and he has accumulated an unbearable number of “what ifs” and regrets.
Staring down a serious medical diagnosis, Cooper takes inventory of the pivotal moments of his life—things left unfinished, unfortunate outcomes, and a negative sense of self. He resolves to rewrite his script of failure even as his own body is failing him.
A story of resilience builds as Cooper makes his way to the start of the Boston Marathon to run a distance he has never attempted, let alone completed. His reasons for risking it all to finish are painfully clear, but with such high stakes, finishing could mean the end.
The Road to Redemption captures a personal journey that is altogether universal. We must traverse our lived experience, particularly those moments of vulnerability and shame, to reach the end goal of knowing the truth of what we can do and who we are.
Cooper McKenzie is contending with the stark realities of middle age—he is fully disenchanted with his career, he is struggling to meet the financial needs of his young family, and he has accumulated an unbearable number of “what ifs” and regrets.
Staring down a serious medical diagnosis, Cooper takes inventory of the pivotal moments of his life—things left unfinished, unfortunate outcomes, and a negative sense of self. He resolves to rewrite his script of failure even as his own body is failing him.
A story of resilience builds as Cooper makes his way to the start of the Boston Marathon to run a distance he has never attempted, let alone completed. His reasons for risking it all to finish are painfully clear, but with such high stakes, finishing could mean the end.
The Road to Redemption captures a personal journey that is altogether universal. We must traverse our lived experience, particularly those moments of vulnerability and shame, to reach the end goal of knowing the truth of what we can do and who we are.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Dimensions
Height: 226 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
544 gr
ISBN-13
979-8-9892569-8-3 (9798989256983)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
In a career spanning more than a half-century, Tom Fitzgerald has authored a wide-ranging collection of impactful books, including the bestselling novel Chocolate Charlie, the popular fitness title Get Tough!, and the critically acclaimed Poor Richard's Lament.
Raised in Upstate New York on the St. Lawrence River, Fitzgerald completed a series of solo open-water swims in his late teens and early 20s before joining the United States Navy and serving in Vietnam as a member of the Special Forces. He later ran the Boston Marathon three times.
Fitzgerald began working on Road to Redemption (originally titled A Private Agony) in 1982, completing the novel after a lengthy hiatus at the urging of the second of his three sons, Matt Fitzgerald, himself the author of many books on running.
Raised in Upstate New York on the St. Lawrence River, Fitzgerald completed a series of solo open-water swims in his late teens and early 20s before joining the United States Navy and serving in Vietnam as a member of the Special Forces. He later ran the Boston Marathon three times.
Fitzgerald began working on Road to Redemption (originally titled A Private Agony) in 1982, completing the novel after a lengthy hiatus at the urging of the second of his three sons, Matt Fitzgerald, himself the author of many books on running.