Overview

A gritty, heartfelt story of second chances, lost dreams, and the game that just might save a life. In the summer of 1997, Atlantic City is booming - a glittering playground for the rich and reckless. But for Timmy Davenport, it's just home. And he wants out. Once hailed as a ""can't miss"" basketball prospect, Timmy seemed destined to escape the streets that shaped him. But after a disastrous sophomore year derails his college career, he returns to the city he tried to leave behind - broke, broken, and battling his demons. Addiction, self-destruction, and the weight of expectations hang over him like a storm. Over one sweltering summer, Timmy confronts the people and places that defined him: street courts buzzing with talent and trash talk, old friends swallowed by the underworld, and a fractured family he can't quite reach. As he prepares for a high-stakes tournament that could revive his basketball dreams, he stumbles into a love that might finally anchor him - if he doesn't lose himself first. Raw, emotional, and unflinching, Saints of the Asphalt is more than a sports novel - it's a powerful coming-of-age story about redemption, resilience, and the fight to reclaim your future when the past won't let go.

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Reviews

""...The story was so beautifully executed thanks to the writing of Michael Downing. It was gritty and gripping. The arch happened exactly as I hoped it would. It wasn't pushy at all. It unfolded so naturally, I was never taken out of the story."" ""...I couldn't put the book down until I knew the result. That is amazing writing, people! ...What kept me glued to the pages is Tim's desperate obsession. He throws himself in the game like others skydive. On the basketball court he is in control. Round his family, in town, in the world, not so much. That's where drugs, alcohol, corruption, and lack of love reside. For Tim, the court is clarity. An escape too, of course, and that's the danger, because he can't live on the court forever, no matter how hard he tries. ""Saints of the Asphalt"" is the heartfelt portrait of a talented kid at risk of getting lost."" ""...this book is brutally honest and thought provoking."" ""...the gritty side of life in Atlantic City superbly portrayed -- call it basketball noir . . .""

Author Information

Michael Downing is a writer who lives in Georgia. His short fiction, which has twice been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, has appeared in a number of publications and anthologies. Find out more about his and his writing at www.downingfiction.com

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