Pyron, Bobbie.  The Ring. 2009.  253p.  Westside Books, $15.95.  (978-1-934813-09-6).

Angry to the point of self-destruction, 15-year-old Mardie loses her resentment of her “perfect” older brother, Michael, when she takes up boxing and then discovers that Michael is gay.  Through her training to gain strategy and mental discipline in the ring, Mardie works through her emotional pain, her friend’s rejection, and her parents’ lack of understanding toward a sense of strength and fearlessness.  Although the focus is on Mardie, her growing relationship with Michael after she finds that he is gay and her protective attitude toward him when he is bullied shows the importance of family unity around a young glbtq person.