1998, New York: Philomel Books.
ISBN: 0399231854
166 pages
Annotation: During the 1920s a fourteen year old boy deals with his preacher father, baseball and romance.
Summary: During the early days of Prohibition in 1921 Luke Bledsoe is the son of a preacher and discovers that he a talent for throwing left-handed pitches, but his father says that sports and left-handedness are sinful and of the devil. Luke discovers his talent of pitching after moving into a new town. Luke struggles with deciding between loving and respecting his father and his new love for baseball. Although Luke is treated coldly by his father, Luke maintains the respect he has for him despite his disagreement with some of the things he says. Luke comes to realize he has been living a life of pretending he was someone he was not and following the guidance of the bible to be honest, he shares with his father that he is leaving for the north to make his own way. The honest conversation between Luke and his dad is cut short by a horrible accident leaving his father dead, and breaking Luke’s left arm.
Rank: 3 Stars-Good book for familial relationships
