Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

The Mighty Oak
The Mighty Oak
The Mighty Oak
Ebook273 pages4 hours

The Mighty Oak

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

Read preview

About this ebook

Tim O’Connor is paid to be violent. He plays for the El Paso Storm in the West Texas Hockey League. People call him Oak. He’s been an enforcer for longer than his hip or shoulder or back have been able to hold together. He is a broken machine of gristle and rage. And he has been away from home for too long.

He’s called back to Boston by his mother’s death. There he confronts a life he failed to live, a daughter he doesn’t know, and a body that is quickly breaking down. Still, he can’t conceive of a future without hockey, even as he chews oxycodone and Adderall to numb his injuries and steady his brain. When a brutal encounter with the police places him in the path of Joan Linney, a haunted public defender, and Kip, a boy with a brave face, Oak and his chance companions roam cold streets from Castle Island to Quincy Point, struggling to believe in a different future.

In spare, potent language, Jeff W. Bens builds a remarkable character from the skates up. The Mighty Oak is a visceral and emotional experience. The fact of Oak’s physical existence is powerfully rendered, and the bone-deep transformation of his character is one you will not soon forget.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateJun 15, 2021
ISBN9781982604158
The Mighty Oak
Author

Jeff W. Bens

Jeff W. Bens is the author of the novel Albert, Himself. He teaches at Manhattanville College in Purchase, New York.

Related to The Mighty Oak

Related ebooks

General Fiction For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for The Mighty Oak

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5

1 rating0 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

    Book preview

    The Mighty Oak - Jeff W. Bens

    `book_preview_excerpt.html\ے6;흘'BlEH;y*H.QO3/{%ddu˳[A '~6=u1ճz,1?Sw0`zܥ*uiz{?޷1zjUrk5}!߱T޵unXu_5n>Wg|*t\5_}&wTX5^djڶ}_d>wU!u5ǵOX!?2Z<ן A^ջÏat}?IV^w_̩k=&A&zy.njzշ՛k,3`XyyNc]9iƠA>8nLMV#e 5'eszL틴bXgE;}dˇ12wq@ZZ_MrFm/C"i*=1\2zp{D/DW ~w3eW4z90g)U‚\ZTF\DT鹜?fIյpY˃,*4EN?򗴓~CcT!fEyq([M>y1_WWkcȂtG3U|{*:ɋf}kֻ)ԉV>=¬e>1V|"PYԻǤ;o*EOqD_|Lgyk~LO*7uʐ(k-Zv<{SZD= 4.Oa\y#m? D$r}s9,x?$Ǖ?$&r Sy<6D2!&6t_WZ%V؇,ðُFr& efF Q.fMHGF'ɔ u% bq(<,b%CI3Ҳ&}aP<m@~B"AGCĂk0w >TF7Ey͡ś\Iyf~$ v6H]4ރN 2hش aDP{$ $bi21]FM{=H=? DЁ娢ċd#c2WI7mGI~)F2^c_R.)_!O+H9Fa͡_HaT߹MQ[ C~P}H,#@9}Ǝ 1\ ^ہ\ÅF'!_P2s*9.uH TH܊;c@pynh񁧄 Wr_\ >]>^~+m}!QYc% Lw5ׯr&|Q[}/^Xה,'՟4 `TX38C KX'xAS[t.;KݰPquB=euS$w=>S3{ H7/Iq_=cIUˏ/*1l>MtиF|nq61<{ޟV)*0?ɶinf}!_4!(6;<$WZoR[bQ{Eaѷ RAȆ\X*CR֜}hλw/̕+99ԠXp˙=Ú۱ckN,2oG'*>;N1pJC8#=ʾ">1 r*q4)g P0`Kf]s(0d lcriO>/Hkpd9o覤p\঱5%EgO0,e ) F$lHJ(a ZNxauKH_)_EU+cM f 2LӍSȕr# agmi ҵ=?2aumAzZH7c\nґ O۳SZW jrR'aZLI$cP>,$U_~"v/_忨it꘣N MJBH,)#Mw :;ơ!̈)xdl;O#˾N!򒡟(ԨCsptȟr)G3f ݬ`܇EiuS Y~q[1$v_ׄ+(d&0d[㠑M}xv}(ޜʄ䴬F/un`ĭ~qho4taP-*+Rx$.ZMC^;?'-0할LmPt9Xğ]Q0?͡*v_$7d`hwv㖻':gޝ:x  WmȸL Y&TTV Sk0O| `aJƹ65 @D/sM{,b)]$mg:Q366s[F.sν0R]n$R[x-w}o&D /̙,_d [X@ksYilnx wLㄳ*mӨL0EV͍Arno RE 'T@(.%''I)BmvZL%t0Ԩ k5'U!ZHQ\{kDdےfbfA]cNNhŒ~r Ձb|sáBԨAGKP<& d-*S\-$NTuQnƨM7]6Nw@!AQ I:w,iX3ܖkޗuGC-BBC)֚oۻ!c?wBeeXH'NNHXIW8{$o7vu R[DĺpZɻi;}/h`+P6AN%D-hرhGҁW+ue6G޵ pXbf7hѓLmgąA>gW3/} fP&62hk>mCI4; Ai^$OioS/ cv7J˒⪯8!vA-c!'+y& 8:OwMJ0her5/d  lVsl=z[mx9C^d+YC8 ;vHɻ3ΘٚWCTqZFL6/äPȺ+-ej-MVƣh"iZhPJ ,@vCNz>[}.;Jԇ omu,(׆ֹL 0P XQOE6_ $5U%>)@&JhoVė<, deWh2-\_FQgv<˗ܺm66ʵz0+Jb.?ĵ,\xV9G ZD,dewrs9:z߫ۚK vD5= 0n dQ+Y%D3C_YkS k6Ke5 hMfj4w3'i+&2%VoAA*wdAOOYݨ@g?Sq~>AOQ ;ex2~^2~ ʡk-38CL8nn_9 Z+/?/c&{^џW`9%m?K#"vگ.VP^u=QszPkl]&V;:M@]3@m*}Ewbxcq;7FCP S(C Ų =hdXyC+N"WȔ*Jά=__i G(10ml䠺Seש35U)8sg t
    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1