Review by KT Sullivan
Brenda
Haversham is a forty year old divorced mother of two sons, Andy and Jon. Her
ex-husband, Ed, has disappointed the boys again by blowing off a visit. Her
father taught her to throw a fast ball and she takes the boys to the park. They
are surprised by her hidden talent. When the boys go to practice, they mention
it to their little league coach. Brenda imagines Ed’s face on the catcher’s
mitt, pitches, and is clocked at eighty two miles per hour. Also video is
uploaded of her. She doesn’t realize she’s about to go viral.
She had
been a graphic designer, but after twelve years out of the workforce, she’s a
data entry operator at an insurance company. A reporter at ESPN, Charlie
Bannister, sees the video and talks about her. Now, Major League Baseball takes
notice and offers her a shot to play for the Cleveland Indians. She will be the
second oldest rookie to play in the MLB, the oldest was Satchel Paige. He is a
standard of excellence, regardless of his age. She’s met with hostility,
protesters, and harassment from her teammates. Does she have the talent and
stamina to play or is she part of a publicity stint?
This
story needs a major stretch of the reader’s imagination to work. Even a forty
year old man would face incredible obstacles to play professional baseball.
Following dreams and reaching the pinnacle are uplifting themes, but need a
dose of reality. Many references are made to iconic baseball movies: Field
of Dreams, Bull Durham, and The Natural. All are excellent stories
that address age and second chances in life.
Purchase
the book at:
About the
Author:
Susan Petrone grew up in
Cleveland, Ohio, and although she`s moved away a couple of times (Annapolis,
MD, and Alkmaar, The Netherlands), she lives there still. Her short fiction has
been published by Glimmer Train, Featherproof Books, Muse, Conclave, and
Whiskey Island. Her first novel, A Body at Rest, was published in 2009 by
Drinian Press. Her second novel, Throw Like a Woman, is due out in March 2015
from The Story Plant. Her short story, "Monster Jones Wants to Creep You
Out" (Conclave, 2010) was nominated for a 2011 Pushcart Prize. Her plays
have had performances and/or readings at the Cleveland Playhouse, The Lamb`s
Club (New York, New York), St. Johns College (Annapolis, Maryland), and several
smaller non-Equity houses in Cleveland, Ohio. She co-authors the Cleveland
Indians blog (ItsPronouncedLajaway.com) for ESPN.com`s SweetSpot network. On
the non-fiction side, Susan`s work has appeared on CoolCleveland.com and
ESPN.com. She holds a master`s degree in English with a concentration in
Creative Writing from Cleveland State University and lives with one husband,
one daughter, and far too many dogs in a little house near some medium-sized
woods.
Connect with the author
at:
