Congratulations to Luke Beling and Vine Leaves Press on the release of Beling's new novel, The Field of Plenty, in which a star kicker uncovers dark family secrets after losing a crucial football game and after the death of his father.
★★★★★ “A winner on the football gridiron and beyond.” ~Paul Volponi, author of The Final Four
The Field of Plenty
NEW RELEASE: October 22, 2024Genre: Literary Fiction
4.9 stars, 8 ratings on Goodreads
Paperback: $17.99
Ebook: From $5.99
Mitchell Baker’s meteoric rise as a star punter and field-goal kicker stunned everyone—except his father, Ken, who had meticulously groomed Mitch into an athletic sensation. But just as Mitch’s career peaks, tragedy strikes: Mitch loses the most crucial game of his high school career, and shortly after his father dies. Struggling to cope, Mitch falls into a pill addiction and reconnects with Uncle Paul, a mysterious family friend and self-proclaimed miracle worker.
Unraveling a web of deceit spun by Uncle Paul and his late father, Mitch confronts the painful truths about his past. He’s thrust into a dilemma—questioning the very foundation of his upbringing. In this turbulent journey, Mitch faces off against his rival Teddy Jones and finds an unlikely ally in the troubled yet captivating Bianca Black.
Confronted with the raw realities of his own broken self-identity, Mitch navigates the chaos of loss both on and off the field, and he must determine what’s real…and what’s worth fighting for.
Praise for The Field of Plenty
★★★★★ “A gritty, character-led sports novel packed full of hard-hitting drama. Highly recommended!” ~The Wishing Shelf
★★★★★ “A deep meditation on loss, grief, family legacy, and the ways in which human beings heal.” ~Geoff Herbach, author of Cracking the Bell
★★★★★ “A poignant debut from an author to watch. Heartfelt prose threaded with hope about lessons learned—for better or worse—about the power of identity.” ~T.L. Simpson, Strong Like You
★★★★★ “Immersive and intelligent.” ~Craig Leener, There’s No Basketball on Mars
About the Author
Luke Beling is a South African-born author and singer-songwriter who grew up listening to music from the ’60s and ’70s, influenced by records his father played and the surrounding struggle of his native country. As a twenty-something, Beling developed a fond taste for subversive literature, fiction defending the outcast, stories highlighting the grit of the human spirit. Beling believes art should embody both the miracle and labor of life. Everyday tales borne from world wandering, Beling’s songs and stories hope to impart deep pockets of truth.Luke lives on the Big Island of Hawaii with his wife and four daughters, is the director of tennis for a private club, and is an author and alternative/folk singer-songwriter. Learn more at LukeBeling.com.
About the Publisher
Vine Leaves Press likes to blur the line between commercial and experimental works. They publish book-length vignette collections, writing reference books, short story collections, memoir/autobiography, and character-driven novels with a literary bent. Subscribe to the Vine Leaves Press newsletter to receive FREE advanced review copies of upcoming new releases, news about their authors and subscribers, and/or to read the monthly opinion column, SPILL IT! or a daily dose of 50-word stories. Learn more at VineLeavesPress.com.