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.
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.....
I enjoy reading several book genres but sometimes, I just need a family-driven story! The All American is set in the 1950s and I loved the historical details, the characters who could have been my neighbors, and the realism that is such a big part of the plot. Author Susie Finkbeiner shares the points of view of two very different sisters, and I can't decide which one I liked the best. Bertha Harding loves baseball and her desire to become a player in a women's baseball league makes her a role model for any girl wanting to be more than just a wife and mother. Flossie may be my favorite because she is a reader and a dreamer, and she has no filters on what she says! I enjoyed her ability to make me laugh and the important part that she plays in the epilogue that happens sixteen years later.
The All American takes readers back to early professional baseball for women, and it also offers a powerful look at the witch-hunt that destroyed the lives of innocent people in the 1950s. People who were falsely accused of being members of the Communist Party and ostracized from their communities! Finkbeiner's stunning story kindled my emotions and left me longing for more time with this memorable Harding family. I highly recommend this book!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Revell Reads. There was no obligation for a positive review. These are my own thoughts.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The All American takes readers back to early professional baseball for women, and it also offers a powerful look at the witch-hunt that destroyed the lives of innocent people in the 1950s. People who were falsely accused of being members of the Communist Party and ostracized from their communities! Finkbeiner's stunning story kindled my emotions and left me longing for more time with this memorable Harding family. I highly recommend this book!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Revell Reads. There was no obligation for a positive review. These are my own thoughts.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Susie Finkbeiner is a novelist from West Michigan. She is the award winning, bestselling author of All Manner of Things, a 2020 Michigan Notable Book.
She is also the author of Stories That Bind Us and The Pearl Spence Series.
Susie is a wife, mother of three, and avid reader. She enjoys time with her family, coffee dates with her good friends, and quiet moments to read and write.
BOOKS BY SUSIE FINKBEINER
The All American
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