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Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
The Day It Matters by Troy Patoine follows Thomas Atherton, a retired runner, on a fateful morning when he finds himself in an unexpected rupture in time. As the miles accumulate in a sustained run, moments from Tom’s life surface through motion and dialogue, shaped by running as a lifelong constant. Running becomes the structure through which his experiences continue, carrying him through relationships formed over decades, plus the marks left by mentorship, then marriage. The book traces a man proceeding step by step through a single day that reframes his life in a series of visuals, but he is unaware of where the route he is running truly leads. “Was it really possible that for Tom, running had become more than a sport—an extension of his developing persona, even a primary interface with the world?”
Troy Patoine’s The Day It Matters is literary fiction that I initially picked up as a former D1 track and cross country runner, but fell in love with a story that would have touched me the same way had the protagonist, Tom, been rowing a boat. Patoine has created Tom as a person who feels completely real and whose decency comes across as authentic. His kindness shines through his habits, some relatable and others less so, his gentle jokes, and his devotion to the community. His modesty limits any self-recognition, but he finds renewal when he accepts how others have carried him forward. It's an arc that Patoine develops well, alongside settings that have tactile detail. Pleasant Lake glows through deck conversations, steam, and dusk light, while the misted roadside and Memorial Field scene are hauntingly atmospheric. Overall, this is a tenderly written, literary story that is well worth the read. Very highly recommended.
