The Unoriginal Sinner and the Ice-cream God (Loyola Classics)

The concluding novel in John R. Powers's memorable trilogy set in mid-twentieth century South Side Chicago is the poignant tale of an ambitious and gifted young man from a blue-collar neighborhood who struggles to find his place in a world that seems riddled with insincerity. He narrates his bittersweet battles with God, sex, career, and family in a voice that evokes an Irish-Catholic Holden Caufield. The first two novels in Powers's trilogy have also been reissued in the Loyola Classics series.