by Monte Burke
First published 2006
George Washington Perry pulled a twenty-two pound, four ounce largemouth bass from Georgia waters in 1932. The catch became the world record that has never been broken. Decades later, fishermen across America still hunt for "Sowbelly," the mythical fish they believe can top Perry's legendary bass. An LAPD officer gets tantalizingly close, missing the record by mere ounces. An Alabama angler loses his wife and daughter to his relentless pursuit of the perfect catch. Burke follows these obsessed men as they sacrifice everything for a chance at fishing immortality. Their quest reveals how a single fish can consume entire lives, driving ordinary people to extraordinary lengths in pursuit of a dream that may be impossible to achieve.
Genres: nature, american-fiction, adventure, sports, biography-memoir
Vibes: emotional, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: obsession, quest
Setting: Georgia, LAPD, Alabama
Period: 1932, Decades Later
273 pages · Paperback · Penguin Publishing Group