A
couple of years ago, I attempted to listen to Team of Rivals (also
written by Doris Kearns Goodwin). I hate to not finish books (especially
good ones), but it was so long, and I couldn't finish it before it was
due, and then there was a massive hold list...and so I gave up.
But
this book was different. For one thing, is was about 600 pages shorter.
And because I love reading about the lives of other people, memoirs
almost always hold my interest. But unlike other memoirs, this one
sometimes masqueraded as a history, and I loved that aspect of it. In
Goodwin's unique style, it was the perfect mix between the personal and
the factual. She could talk about racism in Alabama and her mother's ill
health and somehow tie it all together.
The memoir is set in
Brooklyn in the 1950's during Goodwin's childhood. Baseball is the
unifying thread through the decade. I would say that you don't have to
love baseball to love this book, but Mike also listened to it and
definitely wasn't as taken in by the drama of it all like I was. Out of
all ball-sports, baseball is the one I understand the best, so luckily I
could follow most of the terminology. I think I also have more
nostalgia attached to the sport than Mike does (although not nearly to
Goodwin's extent). The ending (with the Dodgers finally winning the
World Series and then moving to Los Angeles) was actually a little
emotional for me.
So whether you love baseball or not, this book will make you feel more American, making it the perfect read for summer.
I wrote this review before creating this blog.
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