"The All-American" is the superb tale of two girls, Bertha, age 16, and Flossie, age 12, in 1952 Michigan. Bertha is failing at all the "womanly arts" all her friends are succeeding in. She would rather be on the ball field with the boys than in Home Ec mastering pie crusts. She dreams of playing for the Sweet Peas as part of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Flossie is a percocious bookworm that longs for a friend. Their world seems to come crashing down when their father, a prominent author, is accused of being a Communist by a neighbor. They are forced to flee their home while trying to prove his innocence. They go live with their Uncle Matthew, a reclusive bachelor in the backwoods of Michigan. However, this move becomes the chance for Bertha and Flossie to make their dreams come true.
This novel will keep riveted until the very last page. Bertha and Flossie are wonderfully complex characters as they navigate the difficulties of the teenage years. Even the background characters add beautiful depth and sophistication to the book. Finkbeiner does a marvelous job of world building between the experiences of the fear of Communism and the world of Woman's baseball. The novel is an amazing snapshot of the complicated reality of a time that is too often misportrayed as "simple."
Without a doubt, "The All-American" is one of the best releases of this year. I received an advanced reader copy as part of the Revell Reads blogger team. All opinions expressed are my own.
Comentarios