The All American by Susie Finkbeiner

 

It is 1952, and nearly all the girls 16-year-old Bertha Harding knows dream of getting married, keeping house, and raising children in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan. Bertha dreams of baseball. She reads every story in the sports section, she plays ball with the neighborhood boys--she even writes letters to the pitcher for the Workington Sweet Peas, part of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

When Bertha's father is accused of being part of the Communist Party by the House Un-American Activities Committee, life comes crashing down on them. Disgraced and shunned, the Hardings move to a small town to start over where the only one who knows them is shy Uncle Matthew. But dreams are hard to kill, and when Bertha gets a chance to try out for the Workington Sweet Peas, she packs her bags for an adventure she'll never forget.

Join award-winning author Susie Finkbeiner for a summer of chasing down your dreams and discovering the place you truly belong.

My thoughts:

Susie Finkbeiner knocks it out of the park in The All American, this will be my only baseball reference, mainly because I don’t really know too much about the subject. Which is fine since this novel has more than baseball, they face hardships, false accusations, starting over while never giving up on your dreams.

Sisters Bertha and Flossie Harding are both charming and I loved following their story.  It wasn’t always easy for their family but their lives were filled with love, books and of course baseball.

I loved the finely crafted characters, the time period, and the story is perfectly paced. This is one of my favorite books this year.

I received a copy from the publisher through Netgalley.  Opinions are my own.