Eddie The Legend

by Brian Scala

Eddie Fitzgerald never imagined he would do anything but follow in his father’s footsteps as a star ballplayer. However, when his baseball dreams did not pan out, he resigned himself to an ordinary existence. After several years, the Seattle native moved to Long Island when his wife received a lucrative job offer.

A global pandemic would turn his mundane life and sixteen-year marriage upside down. When the world returned to normal, Eddie garnered the strength to move beyond tragedy and make new friends. With the help of his newfound inner circle, Eddie would discover the love and confidence he was lacking. Not only does he enhance the lives of those around him, but he transforms into the person he was truly destined to become.

234 pages, Paperback

Published March 16, 2024

About the author

Brian Scala is a University of New Haven graduate with a Bachelor’s in Music Industry. In his free time, he enjoys watching baseball and hockey, finding good burger joints and traveling to warm weather climates. He resides on Long Island with his loving wife and two American Shorthair cats.

For more information about Brian Scala and his previous works, visit his website at www.brianscala.com.

Reviews

[Samantha Moran · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve got to admit, I am not a sports person. However, despite all the references that went above my head in this book, the underlying story was unique, captivating, and emotional. The characters were believable and made you want to root for them. The villains were still human but sincerely unlikable. No one was perfect all the way through. The commentary on how life changed during/after COVID was spot in. All in, this was a great read. Can’t wait to pick up more from Brian Scala!

[Maureen McSherry · Rating 2 out of 5]

I want to preface this and say that the story IS interesting. I had fun reading most of it. Most of the characters in this book were likable, the writing was humorous and witty, and being from Long Island myself, I did like the little nods that locals like myself would have picked up on. I do believe that this could make an interesting and entertaining film that a lot of people would love. However, there were a few issues that stood out to me that should be addressed by the author:

This book contains graphic depictions of domestic violence and sexual assault, both of which there was no content warning for. In my personal opinion, while I understand the author feeling like these scenes were essential to the plot, they should have been vetted by a sensitivity reader first.

Another thing I took issue with is how Brittney is depicted in the book. Being as she is a non-white character, her skin shouldn't be described as "caramel", nor should she have had a nickname based on it. A general rule of thumb is to not describe non-white folks' skin in resemblance to food, as this can be seen as insensitive. I didn't have an issue with Britt, herself. She was incredibly sweet and one of my favorites, but if this book were to ever get an updated release, I feel that the way she is described should be tweaked a bit to avoid this issue in the future.

One last thing I would like to add is that the Long Island locations could use a bit more description when mentioned. Not everyone knows the Long Island area as well as the author does, and while there were things I understood because of my familiarity with the geography, I feel as though someone not knowledgable about the area wouldn't be able to understand these nods as well.

Overall, I want the author to know that this isn't an attack on his character or who he is as an individual. All of these things are easily fixable and would only stand to improve the book. I did enjoy reading Eddie the Legend and like the idea of supporting local authors. I will most likely check out the other works the author has written once my TBR list has gone down a bit.

[Holly Starkenburg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over all I enjoyed this story. I did struggle keep each name straight, but that was a me problem (a lot going on in life and reading to escape). I’ll probably do a re-read at some point and will try another book about this author.

[Kennedy Sutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up.

On one hand, I found this to be a tricky read. There were a lot of perspectives and time shifts and I grew lost more than once. My Kindle unlimited subscription ran out while I was at 40% of this book, but I kept thinking about the characters, which I found captivating.

When I returned to this book a few weeks later, I approached it differently. Rather than trying to pin down where I was on a map, I let the story wash over me like one would a day in the life-style art film. I focused on the beauty in individual moments and interactions throughout and found something really special in it.

Is this book for fans of baseball? I think they'd like it. Those interested in candian-baseod folk music of the 20th century? They'd find something in here, too. Children of elderly parents would see themselves here, as would anyone who ever thought they knew what they wanted then learned differently as life rolled along.

This is a worthy read.

[Sammantha Selwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so good! I loved it so much, it was realistic and had so much raw emotion poured into it. I’ve never read anything like it, in the best way possible!

I laughed, I cried, I yelled to the author for some of the things that happened although I know he couldn’t actually hear me complain haha.

Overall such good read and I would definitely recommend!❤️

[Kelly Volpe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent read for sports fans, romantics and anyone who appreciates a good story of friendship, growth and unity. Scala’s writing style is smooth and engaging. His story was relatable and a definite page turner. I’d absolutely give this one 5 stars!

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eddie's story is one of love, heartbreak, and real life. The characters are equally loveable and infuriating!
While different from his newer stories, Brian's Eddie book is one to put on your tbr!

[Marianne Antonichuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one I took some time to read it was amazing and loved the story it has your heartbreak and it really feels like a true story following the life of Eddie

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a baseball lover, I had to dive in to read Eddie’s story and it did not disappoint. My husband buddy read this with me on audio, so that made it extra fun.
The found family in this story has a lot of heart. Eddie journey has its ups and downs which makes it super relatable. The way the author incorporated Covid was beautifully done, as I’m sure we all felt similar to Eddie during that time. There are time jumps so we really get a well rounded feel for the main character and some of the side characters. Will definitely pick up another book from this author soon.

[Marissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to start off by saying I don’t usually read sports fiction and was recommended this book by a friend. It did not disappoint. It took a minute for me to get into the story but once I was in, I was totally invested. The characters that Scala has created are so relatable and just so human. They have real world problems that a lot of people have dealt with. I needed to know what happened to these characters and that had me glued to the book until the end. This story is so much more than just a sports fiction novel. If you haven’t read this yet, add it to your TBR!

[Michelle Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good!

I didn’t think I would like sports books but this is fantastic! It’s a great story about real life, being a good human, and lasting friendships. I’m so glad I read this book!