The third novel by Raymond DeCapite (1924?2009), Pat the Lion on the Head tells the story of Christy, an aging veteran who sweeps up at an outdoor fruit-and-vegetable market in 1960s Cleveland. Christy and his city are made real in the hands of DeCapite, an author whose devoted following is continually refreshed as he is discovered by new generations of readers. Through pitch-perfect banter with neighbors, bosses, workers, and family, Christy emerges as an indelible character forced ultimately to rely on his memories, his sense of self, and his appetite for life.
