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Safe at Home
The spring of ’53 started out like any other for sports columnist Jack Hall, as he and the rest of his small southern town, Whitney, eagerly awaited the magical first pitch that would open the Bobcat’s season. But when ticket sales wane with the new distractions of air conditioning and I Love Lucy, the Bobcats face an early end not only to the season but to their careers as well. The team needs a white knight to save them and ironically, that white knight seems to be a 17 year old "colored kid", Percy Jackson, who’s got a .364 batting average and has never seen a grounder he couldn’t chase down.
Not everyone—not even most people—though can wrap their heads around an integrated baseball field, even if they have seen them on TV. This is Whitney. Things don’t change and they don’t need to change. Do they?
Hearts, minds, faith and tradition will be tested as will friendships and marriages when this sleepy southern town comes to grips with itself amid the early years of the Civil Rights Movement.
Not everyone—not even most people—though can wrap their heads around an integrated baseball field, even if they have seen them on TV. This is Whitney. Things don’t change and they don’t need to change. Do they?
Hearts, minds, faith and tradition will be tested as will friendships and marriages when this sleepy southern town comes to grips with itself amid the early years of the Civil Rights Movement.
348 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2009
26 people are currently reading
383 people want to read
About the author
Richard Doster
2 books3 followersAfter 25 years in advertising, Richard Doster, editor of byFaith, a publication of the Presbyterian Church, brings his rich Mississippi upbringing to the written page. He currently lives in Atlanta with his wife Sally, and while he's been published by the Atlanta Constitution Journal, this is his first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
September 21, 2022
This book will take the reader on an emotional roller coaster ride.
“Safe At Home “ started out slowly and was not that interesting at first (probably because I’m not a huge fan of baseball). I thought, probably 3 stars.
Boy, was I wrong.
The moment young Percy Jackson signs on with the Bobcat team and begins enduring racism and hatred at almost every turn, this book became unputdownable. The way that young man handled himself under so much racial tension and pressure was astounding, and inspiring.
The twists and turns kept me turning the pages, and by the end I was choked up and thinking, “Wow. I cannot wait to start the sequel.”
Thank you, Richard Doster, for expressing your love of the sport of baseball, and also your love for your fellow man, throughout this beautiful story. You reminded this reader how very much things have improved in this country since the 1950’s. It’s not perfect, but it is so much better.
“Safe At Home “ started out slowly and was not that interesting at first (probably because I’m not a huge fan of baseball). I thought, probably 3 stars.
Boy, was I wrong.
The moment young Percy Jackson signs on with the Bobcat team and begins enduring racism and hatred at almost every turn, this book became unputdownable. The way that young man handled himself under so much racial tension and pressure was astounding, and inspiring.
The twists and turns kept me turning the pages, and by the end I was choked up and thinking, “Wow. I cannot wait to start the sequel.”
Thank you, Richard Doster, for expressing your love of the sport of baseball, and also your love for your fellow man, throughout this beautiful story. You reminded this reader how very much things have improved in this country since the 1950’s. It’s not perfect, but it is so much better.
July 7, 2012
This was one of the best books I've ever read. It's the story of a small town in the South struggling with the concept of integration in the mid-1950s. The local minor league team is losing money, so the owner decided to bring in the first African American player. This one act sends ripples through both sides of town shattering their delusions of harmony forever.
I like that the author chose to make this story real. The characters are complex. This is no Disneyesque, everyone gets along story. It's a realistic portrayal of the conflicts many cities and towns struggled with in the 1950s and 1960s.
Although this book is categorized under Christian Fiction, there is very little religion in it, so don't let that put you off. The moral dilemmas presented would appeal to anyone of any background. I highly recommend this book to baseball and historical fiction fans.
I like that the author chose to make this story real. The characters are complex. This is no Disneyesque, everyone gets along story. It's a realistic portrayal of the conflicts many cities and towns struggled with in the 1950s and 1960s.
Although this book is categorized under Christian Fiction, there is very little religion in it, so don't let that put you off. The moral dilemmas presented would appeal to anyone of any background. I highly recommend this book to baseball and historical fiction fans.
May 25, 2009
Written by my uncle -- his first novel -- pretty cool!
I reserve five starts for my very, very, very favorites. That being said, this was a great book! I cared about the characters and was impressed by the imagery (Remember when your creative writing teacher kept saying "show me, don't tell me"? Safe at Home does a wonderful job showing you the lives of its characters.)
I reserve five starts for my very, very, very favorites. That being said, this was a great book! I cared about the characters and was impressed by the imagery (Remember when your creative writing teacher kept saying "show me, don't tell me"? Safe at Home does a wonderful job showing you the lives of its characters.)
October 24, 2009
A solid read. The characters, plot, and writing are just OK, but what made it interesting for me was the history. I gained a lot of understanding of the culture of the South and the atmosphere of the civil rights movement. It was worth reading just for that.
April 3, 2015
Have recommended to several people. Very good read.
July 12, 2020
I am a big baseball fan and I love history. Even though this is fiction, it is a story of the South in mid-1950's. Jack Hall is a sportswriter for the local paper that covers the Whitney Bobcats-a minor league team. The story begins a few years after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in the big leagues. The minor leagues still were all white in the South. The Bobcats were in trouble. Attendance was lagging. People were staying home on hot summer nights due to new air conditioning and I Love Lucy.
With this background, Jack sees a local black player who is the best player he has ever seen. He works with the owners, manager, town and parents of the player to bring Percy Jackson to the Bobcats. The bigotry and hatred Percy suffers will make you flinch. Doster shows the attitudes of the small town southern people of the 1950's. Even the characters that you like have attitudes and thoughts that will make you squirm.
Dosrel has you rooting for Percy and the town of Whitney through all the ups and downs of the season. You will feel sorry for what Percy goes through and happy for the transformation of characters in the book who get to know Percy and his family as the story progresses.
Even though the sequel doesn't revolve around baseball, I am looking forward to reading it to find out more about Jack Hall, his wife Rose Marie and their son Chris.
With this background, Jack sees a local black player who is the best player he has ever seen. He works with the owners, manager, town and parents of the player to bring Percy Jackson to the Bobcats. The bigotry and hatred Percy suffers will make you flinch. Doster shows the attitudes of the small town southern people of the 1950's. Even the characters that you like have attitudes and thoughts that will make you squirm.
Dosrel has you rooting for Percy and the town of Whitney through all the ups and downs of the season. You will feel sorry for what Percy goes through and happy for the transformation of characters in the book who get to know Percy and his family as the story progresses.
Even though the sequel doesn't revolve around baseball, I am looking forward to reading it to find out more about Jack Hall, his wife Rose Marie and their son Chris.
October 9, 2021
This book is about a sportswriter that watches as his little town tries and fails to change and integrate black people into their society. The main character always stood up for the people that were treated unfairly. The book is set in the 1950s in the small southern town of Wheaton. The author’s style of writing is descriptive and engaging throughout the book. The story is told through a first-person narrative. The story is very unique and different from any other book that I have read. A reader that likes historical fiction might like to read this book.
August 5, 2022
I found the authors use of language to be a little on the sappy side. I know of no other way to put it. Never the less, I did find myself immersed in the story after three or four chapters and in the end had to concede to myself, that in the end, the ability to write a good story can overcome a author's stylistic challenges. Not that everybody would be put off with his style, but for me yeah, somewhat. So, it has it's faults but I thought it did a good job of putting a time and a place in perspective. Overall for a baseball fan ....a good read ....no doubts about that, for me anyway
July 7, 2017
I liked this story since I grew up during the 50s and 60s when there was so much unrest between blacks and whites. Although I did not live in the deep south where this story takes place, I still lived on the east coast south of the Mason-Dixon line. :) I really would like to read Richard Doster's sequel to this story where he has mentioned that this newspaper writer (Jack) becomes a friend and somewhat involved with Martin Luther King, Jr. Sounds interesting to me. :)
March 9, 2010
Safe at Home
By Richard Doster
Percy Jackson is a 17-year-old third-baseman who has a battling average that any major leaguer would envy. He has a great swing, can pitch and is an all around player. But, he has a major strike against him. He is black. Back in 1953, in the small town of Whitney where everyone knew everyone’s business, having a black man on the town’s baseball team was unheard of.
In 1953 prejudice is a disease as deadly as Aids. It spread through small, Southern towns, igniting fear and wreaking havoc. Which brings me to my review of Richard Doster’s debut novel. The story sheds light on an important issue: Does the color of your skin make you a better person, and in this case a baseball player? Why do we judge people by their outer shells, and not by what’s inside? How sad that many people felt that they could not mingle and become friends with those of other races. How sad that they missed out on many new friendships that they could have enjoyed for a lifetime.
Jack Hall watched Percy Jackson at practice one afternoon and wrote a sidebar in the Whitney Herald, the paper he worked for, sparking a chain reaction that would stir up this small town and create a wedge among friends, neighbors and even family members. But this is a mere taste of what’s in store when Percy Jackson comes to play for the Whitney Bobcats, a last ditch effort to save the financially struggling team.
Charley, the coach of the Bobcats; Jack Hall, the reporter; Rick Dolan, the owner of the team and many others think long and hard about a solution for saving the team. Raising ticket prices, charging for parking and raising the price of concession—none of this will cover the costs of keeping team alive. But a black player would draw new fans, and increased ticket sales are the team’s only salvation. The Bobcats sign Percy Jackson and hope for the best.
Town meetings, discussions and one-on-one conversations don’t sway or convince opponents, including Jack’s wife Rose Marie, who’s dead-set against it (you will have to read to find out why).
It is baseball and it is a great sport. I loved watching the Yankee’s play at the stadium in the Bronx. I rooted for the home team and was proud to say that I came from the South Bronx. I played punch ball and kickball—in the street and at the park—where no one ever cared whether you were black or white. If you wanted to play, you were included. My Dad coached the teams, and everyone played.
Whitney was not the South Bronx, and the people there had a lot to overcome. The end of the story may surprise you. Families and friends are ripped apart and friendships die. Violence erupts and a small town is changed forever—as is Jack Hall and his family.
Author Richard Doster takes us back to a time where people of different races did not mingle. They ate in their designated areas and sat in different parts of the bus. He tells the story of one small town, where one man—Jack Hall—and one young Negro, a 17-year-old boy, have to endure the criticism, racial slurs and indignations inflicted on them. As Percy Jackson comes to bat or is about to pitch a ball, he hears the jeers, cheers, and comments made by fans. Jackson is a rare young man, able to tune out the malevolent crowd. He does not outwardly show his feelings or let anyone know that he is hurt. But, that’s not all he has to endure.
Jack Hall is a man with a mission, and so are the manager of the team, Charley, and the mayor, and many others—realizing that without Percy and the new fans he brings, the Bobcats will face financial ruin. If big cities have major league Negro players, like Willie Mays, Jackie Robinsons and Hank Aaron, then the minor league teams must follow. But no everyone is that open minded, including Percy’s teammates.
Words are powerful. They can build a man up, or tear him down. Jack Hall had a job to do. He had to make the public understand that Percy Jackson was more than a great baseball player, but a special young man too. Would he be able to change the way people viewed Percy and other Negro players? Would he convince the city council to allow Negroes to play? Or would they ban them?
The riots that ensued, and the destruction of the homes of two families helped to bind them together. What does happen in Whitney? Do things ever change? Where do Rose Marie, Chris and Jack wind up and where does Percy finally find a home in baseball? You have to read the events for yourself to understand the gravity and lengths that ignore people that are single minded will go to hurt those who only want to enjoy life and become a part of America’s favorite past time baseball.
Walter Jackson, Percy’s father and a teacher at the local “colored” school took a right turn and bumped into Jack Hall. It was a chance meeting that would forever rock the small town of Whitney, and change the lives of so many people.
Richard Doster reminds us of how far we have come, and how far we still need to go. And how nice it would be to embrace our differences—of race, color and creed.
This book is a must read. Baseball season is about to begin, so to everyone out there who roots for their home team: Play ball. Remember Percy! So proud of you!
Fran Lewis: reviewer
Author of the Bertha Series of Books and Memories are Precious: Alzheimer’s Journey: Ruth’s Story.
By Richard Doster
Percy Jackson is a 17-year-old third-baseman who has a battling average that any major leaguer would envy. He has a great swing, can pitch and is an all around player. But, he has a major strike against him. He is black. Back in 1953, in the small town of Whitney where everyone knew everyone’s business, having a black man on the town’s baseball team was unheard of.
In 1953 prejudice is a disease as deadly as Aids. It spread through small, Southern towns, igniting fear and wreaking havoc. Which brings me to my review of Richard Doster’s debut novel. The story sheds light on an important issue: Does the color of your skin make you a better person, and in this case a baseball player? Why do we judge people by their outer shells, and not by what’s inside? How sad that many people felt that they could not mingle and become friends with those of other races. How sad that they missed out on many new friendships that they could have enjoyed for a lifetime.
Jack Hall watched Percy Jackson at practice one afternoon and wrote a sidebar in the Whitney Herald, the paper he worked for, sparking a chain reaction that would stir up this small town and create a wedge among friends, neighbors and even family members. But this is a mere taste of what’s in store when Percy Jackson comes to play for the Whitney Bobcats, a last ditch effort to save the financially struggling team.
Charley, the coach of the Bobcats; Jack Hall, the reporter; Rick Dolan, the owner of the team and many others think long and hard about a solution for saving the team. Raising ticket prices, charging for parking and raising the price of concession—none of this will cover the costs of keeping team alive. But a black player would draw new fans, and increased ticket sales are the team’s only salvation. The Bobcats sign Percy Jackson and hope for the best.
Town meetings, discussions and one-on-one conversations don’t sway or convince opponents, including Jack’s wife Rose Marie, who’s dead-set against it (you will have to read to find out why).
It is baseball and it is a great sport. I loved watching the Yankee’s play at the stadium in the Bronx. I rooted for the home team and was proud to say that I came from the South Bronx. I played punch ball and kickball—in the street and at the park—where no one ever cared whether you were black or white. If you wanted to play, you were included. My Dad coached the teams, and everyone played.
Whitney was not the South Bronx, and the people there had a lot to overcome. The end of the story may surprise you. Families and friends are ripped apart and friendships die. Violence erupts and a small town is changed forever—as is Jack Hall and his family.
Author Richard Doster takes us back to a time where people of different races did not mingle. They ate in their designated areas and sat in different parts of the bus. He tells the story of one small town, where one man—Jack Hall—and one young Negro, a 17-year-old boy, have to endure the criticism, racial slurs and indignations inflicted on them. As Percy Jackson comes to bat or is about to pitch a ball, he hears the jeers, cheers, and comments made by fans. Jackson is a rare young man, able to tune out the malevolent crowd. He does not outwardly show his feelings or let anyone know that he is hurt. But, that’s not all he has to endure.
Jack Hall is a man with a mission, and so are the manager of the team, Charley, and the mayor, and many others—realizing that without Percy and the new fans he brings, the Bobcats will face financial ruin. If big cities have major league Negro players, like Willie Mays, Jackie Robinsons and Hank Aaron, then the minor league teams must follow. But no everyone is that open minded, including Percy’s teammates.
Words are powerful. They can build a man up, or tear him down. Jack Hall had a job to do. He had to make the public understand that Percy Jackson was more than a great baseball player, but a special young man too. Would he be able to change the way people viewed Percy and other Negro players? Would he convince the city council to allow Negroes to play? Or would they ban them?
The riots that ensued, and the destruction of the homes of two families helped to bind them together. What does happen in Whitney? Do things ever change? Where do Rose Marie, Chris and Jack wind up and where does Percy finally find a home in baseball? You have to read the events for yourself to understand the gravity and lengths that ignore people that are single minded will go to hurt those who only want to enjoy life and become a part of America’s favorite past time baseball.
Walter Jackson, Percy’s father and a teacher at the local “colored” school took a right turn and bumped into Jack Hall. It was a chance meeting that would forever rock the small town of Whitney, and change the lives of so many people.
Richard Doster reminds us of how far we have come, and how far we still need to go. And how nice it would be to embrace our differences—of race, color and creed.
This book is a must read. Baseball season is about to begin, so to everyone out there who roots for their home team: Play ball. Remember Percy! So proud of you!
Fran Lewis: reviewer
Author of the Bertha Series of Books and Memories are Precious: Alzheimer’s Journey: Ruth’s Story.
November 8, 2022
A sad but beautiful story
The sad reality was that neither the Hall family nor the Jackson family were Safe at Home. The only people who were had hearts hardened by hate. The truth is the Deep South was a quagmire of hatred throughout the 50s and beyond. This book is only a sliver of that truth.
The sad reality was that neither the Hall family nor the Jackson family were Safe at Home. The only people who were had hearts hardened by hate. The truth is the Deep South was a quagmire of hatred throughout the 50s and beyond. This book is only a sliver of that truth.
December 3, 2017
An engaging fictional read of an African-American teenager playing minor league baseball in the segregated south. Written from the view of a white sports writer for a small town newspaper and the inequalities of a racially divided town. It's loosely based on true stories and events.
December 31, 2018
Not a favorite book for me. I don’t like baseball, and the topic was unpleasant.
November 10, 2022
Can't believe this has been sitting on my Kindle for 10 years. Great read. I like the author's style of writing. He did an excellent job of capturing the 1950's south.
January 27, 2015
Got this ebook for free...maybe from Vessel Project? I'm not sure.
This is a Christian book by a Christian author. It's not preachy, just involves a man who is saved and wants to do the right thing and considers what God would have him do. But that's about as far as it goes.
As for the book itself, the story is solid. It's a practical and realistic look at the South in the early days of desegregation. The middle drags out a bit, and the ending is abrupt. There were characters introduced near the end that would have made more of an impact if introduced earlier or given more resolution at the end. They are, in fact, so subtle that I almost missed them. And it was a very important plot point, so I'm not being overly picky.
The baseball jargon is a little over the top and assumes a bit too much of the reader. The metaphors and similes are golden...as golden as a millionaire's Rolex. ;-) Seriously, really good stuff there. All in all, a solid little book--especially for a first novel.
Before I end this though, I have a couple of bones to pick. First, to claim that Reggie Jackson was the first man to ever break the color barrier--to be the first black man that was viewed as an equal by his coworkers--is a bit audacious. I don't mean to belittle his contribution, but I think Bill "Bojangles" Robinson and Louis Armstrong (just to name two) might disprove that theory. After all, Bill Robinson danced with Shirley Temple as early as what? 1936? And Hattie McDaniel was the first African American to receive an Oscar in 1939--from her PEERS. So let's not inflate baseball quite that much. Let's just say he was the first man to break the color barrier in the field of sports.
Second--may I step up on my soapbox for a moment? What is the deal with "Christian" novels and their inclusion of alcohol these days? How is this guy truly setting forth a Christian example when he's sitting in the press box knocking back beers (or bourbon) as fast as everyone else? I don't care if it was the South. The Christians in 1955 in Mississippi were more often than not tee totalers. And certainly there was not the presence of beer (and CERTAINLY not hard liquor) at sporting events as it is portrayed here. It would be nice if Christian authors would keep the alcohol out of their books. Rant over.
This is a Christian book by a Christian author. It's not preachy, just involves a man who is saved and wants to do the right thing and considers what God would have him do. But that's about as far as it goes.
As for the book itself, the story is solid. It's a practical and realistic look at the South in the early days of desegregation. The middle drags out a bit, and the ending is abrupt. There were characters introduced near the end that would have made more of an impact if introduced earlier or given more resolution at the end. They are, in fact, so subtle that I almost missed them. And it was a very important plot point, so I'm not being overly picky.
The baseball jargon is a little over the top and assumes a bit too much of the reader. The metaphors and similes are golden...as golden as a millionaire's Rolex. ;-) Seriously, really good stuff there. All in all, a solid little book--especially for a first novel.
Before I end this though, I have a couple of bones to pick. First, to claim that Reggie Jackson was the first man to ever break the color barrier--to be the first black man that was viewed as an equal by his coworkers--is a bit audacious. I don't mean to belittle his contribution, but I think Bill "Bojangles" Robinson and Louis Armstrong (just to name two) might disprove that theory. After all, Bill Robinson danced with Shirley Temple as early as what? 1936? And Hattie McDaniel was the first African American to receive an Oscar in 1939--from her PEERS. So let's not inflate baseball quite that much. Let's just say he was the first man to break the color barrier in the field of sports.
Second--may I step up on my soapbox for a moment? What is the deal with "Christian" novels and their inclusion of alcohol these days? How is this guy truly setting forth a Christian example when he's sitting in the press box knocking back beers (or bourbon) as fast as everyone else? I don't care if it was the South. The Christians in 1955 in Mississippi were more often than not tee totalers. And certainly there was not the presence of beer (and CERTAINLY not hard liquor) at sporting events as it is portrayed here. It would be nice if Christian authors would keep the alcohol out of their books. Rant over.
July 15, 2012
I didn't fully understand all the baseball talk - but I'm not an American, and I'm sticking to that excuse! However, I don't think that my lack of understanding spoiled the book, since the explanations that went along with the descriptions helped and the point wasn't so much the play, but what happened around the play.
Safe at Home is not an easy read for someone who has grown up in a reasonably integrated society (I realise it's not perfect, however, I argue that all societies are works in progress), this story brings home some of the daily details of what segregation means and just how hard and unfair it makes life for those on the "wrong" side of the line. On a more positive note, looking back like this allows us to recognise how far we, as a society, have changed in our attitudes; this should give us hope that further improvements will happen.
The book is very well written and edited, and extensively researched. In places, the level of detail threatened to swamp the storyline, but shied just short of than sin. There is an extensive bibliography at the end of the book, and Richard Doster's commitment ot the subject is very clear.
I would recommend this as a set text, if that didn't mean it would be automatically hated for being forced upon people! I think Safe at Home should reach a wide, wide audience.
Safe at Home is not an easy read for someone who has grown up in a reasonably integrated society (I realise it's not perfect, however, I argue that all societies are works in progress), this story brings home some of the daily details of what segregation means and just how hard and unfair it makes life for those on the "wrong" side of the line. On a more positive note, looking back like this allows us to recognise how far we, as a society, have changed in our attitudes; this should give us hope that further improvements will happen.
The book is very well written and edited, and extensively researched. In places, the level of detail threatened to swamp the storyline, but shied just short of than sin. There is an extensive bibliography at the end of the book, and Richard Doster's commitment ot the subject is very clear.
I would recommend this as a set text, if that didn't mean it would be automatically hated for being forced upon people! I think Safe at Home should reach a wide, wide audience.
April 17, 2012
I felt strangely drawn to this book about baseball and civil rights in the 1950's south. I have never been very interested in baseball except as a way to relate to my husband and son. However, it didn't take long before the writer's easy style and love of baseball began to pull me in to the human connections of the story. Even the writer's descriptions of games did spoil the story for me.
Yes, this is a book about baseball, but even more it is about how we succeeded and more often failed as we've traveled the road of racial separateness and our sometimes useless attempts to come together equals. The narrator isn't sanctimonious about his prejudice, or his attempts to overcome it. He just tells his story of how he succeeded and mostly failed. He comes from the position of a man who loves the game of baseball, and his family. He wants to see life go on as it has, but knows that it can't, so he begins to negotiate with the whole to keep the best parts of his life. He learns what most of us know about accepting change In our circumstances or our attitudes and that is that real change comes when it becomes part of our hearts.
I loved this book. it made me reflect on my own prejudices and reading it was pure pleasure.
Yes, this is a book about baseball, but even more it is about how we succeeded and more often failed as we've traveled the road of racial separateness and our sometimes useless attempts to come together equals. The narrator isn't sanctimonious about his prejudice, or his attempts to overcome it. He just tells his story of how he succeeded and mostly failed. He comes from the position of a man who loves the game of baseball, and his family. He wants to see life go on as it has, but knows that it can't, so he begins to negotiate with the whole to keep the best parts of his life. He learns what most of us know about accepting change In our circumstances or our attitudes and that is that real change comes when it becomes part of our hearts.
I loved this book. it made me reflect on my own prejudices and reading it was pure pleasure.
March 20, 2012
I'm not really much of a baseball fan, but I enjoyed this book chronicling a southern small town minor league team as it pursued integration (and, by integration I mean adding one black player to the team) and the newspaper sports writer/narrator who loved his team. Set in the mid-to-late 50s, the narrator is a realistic character who struggles with balancing the lifestyle he likes and was raised in with the financial decline of his local team and the issue of integration. Reading this as a northerner 60 years later a lot of the attitudes are incredible for me to read about, but at the same it's not too foreign to me, as there are similar but less overt attitudes toward Hispanic and Native American peoples still present here today. I purchased the sequel, where the narrator has moved to a larger southern city to be a sports writer for their paper and has just interviewed Martin Luther King Jr...hmm!
September 24, 2012
I really enjoyed reading through this novel by Richard Doster: a strong storyline, compelling and believable characters, and an underlying message that both encourage and challenge the heart.
Set in the 50s in the deep South, Doster presents an indirect (and sometimes quite direct!) commentary on civil rights and the struggle of two vastly different cultures to come to grips with life together. At times the tale is surprising; yet had you told me this was a memoir instead of fiction, I would have believed it.
Those who find the accounts of the hardships and difficulties of segregation too far-fetched or exaggerated need only read some of the actual history of the era to learn that, if anything, Doster was too gracious in his representation.
Thanks to Richard Doster for a great read!
Set in the 50s in the deep South, Doster presents an indirect (and sometimes quite direct!) commentary on civil rights and the struggle of two vastly different cultures to come to grips with life together. At times the tale is surprising; yet had you told me this was a memoir instead of fiction, I would have believed it.
Those who find the accounts of the hardships and difficulties of segregation too far-fetched or exaggerated need only read some of the actual history of the era to learn that, if anything, Doster was too gracious in his representation.
Thanks to Richard Doster for a great read!
March 2, 2015
I chose this book because I enjoy learning about history and baseball is a sport I've player since I was young. This book did a great job of incorporating the two and was historically accurate. The book did have many flaws in my opinion. First, I had a very difficult time gettin into the book. It seemed to drag for chapters just introducing characters and towns. It was close to the 7th or 8th chapter before any segregation was brought up in a topic and it was quickly cut out. Second, the book is in a very limited point of view. Written by a Christian author, the book is very "nice" with the way the characters handled a black baseball player, when in reality citizens in the Deep South did not take mixing races politely. I would recommend this book to any person but would recommend they used other sources to understand the true side of racism.
September 27, 2019
This was a captivating story dealing with racial tension in the 1950's. The emotions, reactions, and decisions of a small southern town immerse the reader in the time period and the dilemma. Was having a negro player on the minor league baseball team enough to save the town's favorite pastime? Would that decision then lead to integration in other areas of life, which many didn't want? Both the African American and Caucasian points of view were presented and, as there would be in real life, both groups had individuals on both sides of the issue. Not everyone's viewpoint remained static and unchanged, either. This helped me understand all sides of racism, and I felt it was very well presented; an excellent Christian historical fiction novel.
February 27, 2012
I was immediately taken in by the author's style and found myself reading with a Southern drawl. The baseball "play-by-play" descriptions were sensually enjoyable. My love of the game was enriched, and my understanding of just how much baseball's history is entwined with our country's history was magnified. I shared events and emotions with the characters -- sometimes angry, sometimes sad, many times flabbergasted. We've come a long way in our road to desegregation, and this story, with the background in baseball in a Southern community, presents a believable picture of the beginning of the process. I highly recommend this book!
November 18, 2012
You never know what you are going to get when you download a free book, but this was a really good book! The first line, "Four events have molded the world to its current form", was a great start.
This is the story of a small town in the 1950's South whose minor league baseball team in struggling. It is decided by some that the only way to save the team is to integrate it. To most of the town, this was unthinkable. So this is the story of the people on both sides of the town, the 17 year black player chosen to play on the team, his teammates, the sports reporter who supported the decision, and the families of those involved. A great look at that time in history.
This is the story of a small town in the 1950's South whose minor league baseball team in struggling. It is decided by some that the only way to save the team is to integrate it. To most of the town, this was unthinkable. So this is the story of the people on both sides of the town, the 17 year black player chosen to play on the team, his teammates, the sports reporter who supported the decision, and the families of those involved. A great look at that time in history.
August 27, 2015
This ebook was free when I downloaded it to my Nook library in 2012.
I enjoyed this story of a sportswriter and other southern folk struggling with racial equality in 1953-1955. For those readers who find difficulty accepting Atticus Finch's character in "Go Set A Watchman," this book may make his struggle to get along with his neighbors more understandable. It was just coincidence I read these books near the same time.
I liked this quote, "Baseball oozes through the man's pores like sweat through a roofer's."
I recommend this book to all readers.
I enjoyed this story of a sportswriter and other southern folk struggling with racial equality in 1953-1955. For those readers who find difficulty accepting Atticus Finch's character in "Go Set A Watchman," this book may make his struggle to get along with his neighbors more understandable. It was just coincidence I read these books near the same time.
I liked this quote, "Baseball oozes through the man's pores like sweat through a roofer's."
I recommend this book to all readers.
August 27, 2013
If you love baseball, you should read this book. If you are interested in civil rights, you should read this book. I will warn you though, kit is quite graphic about the way black people were treated in the mid 50's. It is well written from a sports writers view and a man who has to choose between telling the facts as they are about a young black man who is a brilliant baseball player. His family suffers just as the young black man's suffers. It is a shame how people in the town of Whitney couldn't accept the fact that they needed Percy Jackson to help keep baseball alive in their town.
July 8, 2008
Using baseball as the backdrop for a much larger and greater story, Dick Doster has done a great job of capturing the conflict (both inner and outer, mental and physical) that surrounded (and still surround) the issue of racial segregation in the American South.
Beyond that, this is a story about perseverance, dignity in the face of adversity and examining the flaws within ourselves that prevent us from seeing the world beyond the borders of our own own hometowns.
Beyond that, this is a story about perseverance, dignity in the face of adversity and examining the flaws within ourselves that prevent us from seeing the world beyond the borders of our own own hometowns.
March 9, 2012
A work of historical fiction that you can enjoy even if you are not a baseball fan. It discusses the integration of Black minor league baseball players into the minor leagues of baseball in the South during the early and mid fifties. A portrayal of just hard it was for these young men. Also a reminder of how far we have come in the last 60 years.
October 22, 2012
I thoroughly enjoyed the story (and I am not even an ardent baseball fan). However, I found reading about the vitriolic defense of segregationism that existed in the South in the early to mid-1950's rather disturbing. So much has changed for the better in the past 60 years; and yet, society still needs to make further progress.
December 5, 2012
Doster does a really good job drawing you into these characters stuck in the turmoil and confusion of segregation in the South. It's centered around baseball, and gets into really good detail. It's centered around it, so I could see how those who don't know much about it or don't care about it wouldn't be enticed in the slightest.
November 2, 2009
Well Id say it was a book worth reading. It made me feel sad, angry and happy in different parts. I still dont know if I like the main characters wife very much, but im on the second book now so Ill see how I feel after that one.
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