John Whelan, champion oarsman, has all but given up on competitive rowing. On the cusp of forty, the Outer Cove fisherman is trying to accept that his time as a rower has passed. His wife agrees, telling him, "Breaking your back down on that pond, that's a young man's sport." But a fracas with the Torbay rowing crew in a St. John's tavern rekindles his desire to beat his long-time rivals in the upcoming St. John's Regatta. With the regatta just ten months away, can he and cox Watt Power assemble a championship crew in time? The answer is the stuff of legends.
A Stroke in Time is Gerard Doran's debut novel. Inspired by true events, this tale of the record-breaking Outer Cove rowing crew of 1901 is a tribute to the everyman hero and a dedication to the outport fishing culture of more than a century ago.

Gerard Doran, currently a resident of St. John’s, Newfoundland, grew up in Outer Cove, a former fishing village five miles from the capital city. He has been active in the sport of rowing for many years as a rower and a coach, and he is a two-time Royal St. John’s Regatta championship coxswain. Gerard is a member of the board of directors of the regatta committee. A Stroke in Time is his first novel.

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