A historical fiction novel about Eddie Roth, a young man forced to live without a mother's love, who channels his discontentment and anger into the boxing ring.
Eddie Roth was born in 1930 in Brooklyn, New York to immigrants Gussie and Sam. Sam, who came from Russia to escape the pogroms, has adapted to American life and runs his own construction company. Gussie, a refugee from Poland, stubbornly holds onto her old ways and language. Gussie never wanted Eddie and makes his life difficult as he grows up on the streets of Brooklyn. His sister Miriam, who suffers from asthma, tries to shield Eddie from their mother, but Eddie is forced to grow up with his mother's constant condemnation.
Learning to box, Eddie takes on the name of "The Blond Tiger." On the backdrop of two wars, illness, Mafia friends, and great love, Eddie's view of himself and everyone around him is turned on its head. Can Eddie find the happiness he deeply desires?
Based on real people and true events, this historical fiction novel tells a classic story of overcoming all odds to find peace and joy. This book will appeal to readers looking for a true-to-life hero traversing the turbulent 1930s and 1940s in America.