Finally Free: An Autobiography

While Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Vick tells the classic story of redemption and resilience in this reflective memoir, it stops just short of being a tell-all. Vick chronicles his rise from humble beginnings as a football star at Virginia Tech to his fall from grace as an Atlanta Falcon convicted on dogfighting charges in 2007, describing himself as a gritty, modern-day Icarus. He is candid about his 23-month prison sentence and incarceration and writes with humility about areas of his life where he has been fallible. He credits Tony Dungy, the widely respected football coach, for visiting him and vouching for his sincere desire to make up for taking his fame in the NFL for granted the first time. He writes most explicitly about his anti-dogfighting activism, and those pages sometimes read like extended public service announcements. Overall, the book portrays Vick as a reformed Icarus flying at the proper altitude after too many trips near the sun. (Sept. 4)