shriver shows in a masterstroke why character is fate and how sport reveals it new york times book reviewfrom the author of the new york times bestseller the postbirthday world and the international bestseller we need to talk about kevin comes a brilliant and unflinching novel about the devastating cost of prizing achievement over lovetennis has been willy novinskys one love ever since she first picked up a racquet at the age of four a middleranked pro at twentythree shes met her match in eric oberdorf a lowranked untested princeton grad who also intends to make his mark on the international tennis circuit eric becomes willys first passion off the court and eventually they marry but while wedded life begins well fulltilt competition soon puts a strain on their relationshipand an unexpected accident sends driven and gifted willy sliding irrevocably toward resentment tragedy and despair