Steal Away Home by Billy Coffey

“This is a powerful story of grief, love, forgiveness, and holy mystery, and I loved it. Billy Coffey is a master storyteller.” —Lauren Denton, USA Today bestselling author of The Hideaway

Owen Cross grew up with two loves: one a game, the other a girl. One of his loves ruined him. Now he’s counting on the other to save him.

Owen Cross’s father is a hard man, proud in his brokenness, who wants nothing more than for Owen to succeed where he failed. With his innate talents and his father’s firm hand guiding him, Owen goes to college with dreams of the major leagues—and an emptiness full of a girl named Micky Dullahan.

Owen loved Micky from the first time they met on the hill between their two worlds: his middle-class home and her troubled Shantytown. Years later he leaves her for the dugouts and the autographs, but their days together follow him. When he finally returns home, he discovers that even peace comes at a cost. And that the hardest things to say are to the ones we love the most.

From bestselling author Billy Coffey comes a haunting story of small-town love, blinding ambition, and the risk of giving it all for one last chance.

“In one evening, a single baseball game, Coffey invites us into a lifetime. With lyrical prose and aching description we join Owen Cross on a journey of love, loss, faith, the unexpected—and America’s favorite pastime.” —Katherine Reay, author of Dear Mr. Knightley and The Austen Escape @goodreads 

This is a book about Owen Cross and his life in the past and present. I did get confused at times the way this went back and forth. It seemed suddenly to me and I had to play catch up. 

I don't like baseball so those parts were boring to me. I enjoyed all of the meaningful things in the book. 

EXCERPT: 

The memory of crumpling those two pieces of paper and tossing them into the trash has followed me like a curse. The crinkle of the pages in my hand; the edge of Dad's letter nicking the side of my forefinger, drawing blood; the faint smell of Mom's perfume. None of it mattered to me then, non of it felt real. I slipped down the hallway and fell to bed, forgetting how far that ball had traveled and how proud my mother would be regardless. I could have gon oh-for-five that afternoon and sacrificed a puppy between innings, she still would have left me a note that said, Love Mom. 

It meant little to me then. It means near everything now that she's gone. 

The above excerpt I can totally relate to. There are many times I think back over my life that I got rid of things that I would give anything to get back now. Things that may have seemed little but are so much more important now. I try not to do that now. 

I was a little confused with the relationship with Micky and Owen. I guess he wasn't supposed to be with someone lower than him. I'm not really sure. But she loved him and I know he loved her. 

I also love how the author writes some lyrical words. 

EXCERPT: 

Micky went rigid with wonder. Her hand thrummed in my own. Our eyes met, and in them we each beheld entire worlds. Her lips parted to breaths that came in the soft noise of joy wedded to bliss, leaving her own golden suns to rupture and race. When that breath crossed my path, I felt every ripple and hidden atom. They caressed me like a mother's touch, the tickle of a dandelion held at your chin. What felt like warm water flooded down my arm into Micky's. Tingling, almost probing me, the way a fish will nibble at your toes when you dangle them just over a pond's surface. That arm rose as Micky lifted the hand I held. It came into sight bathed in the train's honey-yellow-lights--all the outside world the bubble allowed to penetrate. Our fingers were laced, and with a terrible awe two joined objects so filled of wonder and horror that I felt my mind strain and bend and finally snap. 

Those words seem magical to me. 

I think Micky was trying to be a really good person even though she had a horrible father. Just because your family is bad doesn't mean you have to be. I think she tried so hard to help others that were in the poor community she was in. 

EXCERPT: 

"I tried telling y'all this, though I don't think I been too good at it. But the Shantie fold know. It's easier for the poor folk to hear the truth of things. They ain't got as much to lose. We got a new church out there called the Fellowship of the Lost, since that's what we was. And I want to invite y'all. Don't matter to us who you are, you're welcome. I guess I'll be the one to preach. You'll hear much of what I told you today."

I think a lot of people will love this book and that is wonderful. It really is a good book, especially if you love baseball and people that are real. 

*Thank you to BookLookBloggers for a print copy of this book.*