The Choice

Dublin soccer star McMahon lost his brother, John, to heroin in 2012. In this profound memoir, McMahon traces his and John's paths, from his earliest recollections of their childhood through the maelstrom of Ireland's heroin epidemic. He considers the relationships, arguments, and chance occurrences that pushed them in different directions: Philly to university, the boardroom and the hallowed turf of Croke Park; John to exile, heartbreak and, ultimately, tragedy. Raw, vivid, and intensely moving, The Choice is many things - an epic story of triumph in the face of adversity, a family saga, and a tribute to the redemptive power of sport - but above all it's a meditation on the role compassion plays in shaping our lives.