A Season with Mom: Love, Loss, and the Ultimate Baseball Adventure

by Katie Russell Newland

Whether you’ve put your dreams on hold, recovering from your own illness or lost someone you care about, discover how to jumpstart your next amazing season in life through this heartfelt, relatable memoir. After surviving both Hodgkin’s lymphoma and melanoma, sports enthusiast Katie Russell Newland knows the struggles of overcoming challenges both on and off the field. This book offers readers an intimate, true story about the bond shared between a mother and daughter, a road trip to all 30 Major League Baseball (MLB) parks, and the importance of relishing every joy and struggle along the way. A Season with Mom is highly recommended Join Katie as she travels more than 30,000 miles to all 30 MLB parks in a single season, a rare feat covered by ESPN. Along with black-and-white photographs, Katie shares letters written to her mom, who died of cancer before the two of them could go on this adventure of a lifetime together. A Season with Mom reminds readers that in life, as in baseball, sometimes you strike out, but sometimes you hit home runs. Even if the wait is longer than you’d hoped, dreams can come true.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Sports, Baseball, Biography Memoir

256 pages, Hardcover

First published April 6, 2021

About the author

Katie Russell Newland is a writer and sports enthusiast with a PhD in language and literacy from the University of Texas at Austin. A survivor of both Hodgkin’s lymphoma and melanoma, she is now in remission and lives with her family in Austin, Texas. When she’s not watching sports or her favorite teams play (Chicago Cubs, New Orleans Saints, and Texas Longhorns), she can be found at a music festival, hosting a board game night, or playing pickleball.

Reviews

[Jamie Broach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a heartwarming (and at times, heartbreaking) memoir of a young woman discovering who she is by exploring who her mother was and the love they shared as she travelled to every MLB ballpark in a single season - an adventure she had planned with her mom before she passed away from cancer. Katie, herself a cancer survivor, writes with such honesty, humor, warmth and vulnerability sharing life lessons anyone can benefit from. Everyone should read this book!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a nice interview with the author. I enjoyed it as much as I did this heart-warming story.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJg4E...

[Michele Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! A great adventure that many dream of doing but few have ever done and certainly not in one season. But the best part of this journey is not what each park offers (it’s fun to hear about the big mitt at SafeCo or the Monster at Fenway but it’s even better to see how Katie saw a lesson in each visit. Each city’s park or team or fans or MVP showed her a new perspective - one she may have shared or learned from her late mother. Written beautifully, this book is for book club junkies as much as it is for baseball fanatics. In the end you’ll be cheering for her and for yourself. It’s a fairly short read so dive in and enjoy it!

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chock full of emotional and touching moments, insights and inspirational messages, and always love. Love of the game, of family, and of the human spirit we can witness and hear when we listen. From the introduction by Peyton Manning to the final ballpark, an historic World Series, and the impact from Covid-19, Katie’s message is beautifully told.
I appreciate the opportunity from NetGalley and the publisher to read and enjoy this book.

[Donna Boyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book prior to publication in exchange for my review. A Season With Mom, Love, Loss, and the Ultimate Baseball Adventure by Katie Russell Newland is a gem of a book. Born fifth out of six children to a mother who owned two restaurants and had little time to spare, Newland treasured time spent with her mother. She learned at an early age that if she wanted to spend time with her mother, baseball was the way to do it. She and her mother made a pact that together they would visit all thirty baseball parks. Unfortunately, her mother passed away with Newland was 31. Three years after her mother died, Newland was diagnosed with cancer. After completing her treatment she decided to fulfill the pact she made with her mother and decided to visit all the major league baseball parks. Told in a series of letters, accompanied by photographs, to her mother, this is that story and it is a heart-warming and wonderful one. You will love it.

[Sierra Hoeger · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh my goodness. I highly recommend this book for everyone to read- baseball fan or not, this book walks you through an amazing journey of a woman trying to understand her mother better and form a deeper connection with her, despite her passing. Any description I write simply won’t do this book justice, but here is a list of quotes from the book that stuck with me that will hopefully convince you to read:

- “Letters strengthen relationships. They are personal- often emotional- and can take the tone of congratulations, consolation, or gratitude. Unlike a quick text or email, handwritten letters take more time and effort. They leave a lasting impression on the recipient.”

- Ultimately, it’s a reminder to you, the reader, that you don’t have to love everything you go through, but you should know that everything you go through can bring you closer to your life. The strikeouts will always be there, but then so will the home runs.”

- “I’ve learned you should t go through life with a catchers mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back.”

- “Whether the ballpark packs in thirty-five thousand or comfortably seats five thousand, it contains communal energy. There’s power when everyone feels connected to something bigger. And there’s comfort in knowing that, even though you might have bills waiting or laundry stacked high, if only for a couple of hours, baseball is all that matters.”

- “It will forever remind me that there are gifts that reside in every moment, even the darkest ones”

- “If summers in Pass Christian were my happy place, the Fourth of July stood out as the happiest day of them all.”

- “The opportunity for gratitude exists in every moment, and blessings truly can be disguised.”

- “The key is to remain open to the people who are right in front of us.”

- “I realized in that 15 seconds of stillness that were all connected by this awful disease and no one is immune from its impact.”

- “Through everything, I’ve learned that an imperfect life can be beautiful, just like the imperfect game of baseball.”

- “You don’t have to be a ball player to experience the magic of baseball. I am proof that if you love the game, the game will love you back. Just like life.”

- “No matter how hard we try to write our story, the story ends up writing itself.”

[Zibby Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A Season with Mom" is a memoir shown through photographs and letters about the author's journey to see all thirty Major League baseball parks in one season. She wrote thirty letters to her late mother - one letter for each ballpark. The author and her mom had had a dream to see all thirty Major League ballparks. They had been able to see ten when her mother died of colon cancer. After the author herself was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma and melanoma, she decided to do some things she'd always dreamed of and embarked on visiting those ballparks. This book is about the author's journey in search of her mom, understanding her mom, and processing her mom's death. In the end, the author found herself and learned about who she was and what she wanted out of life.

All of the chapters are centered around certain lessons that the author learned from those places, from being calm to being grateful. The whole message of the book centers around little "be" themes. Be in the moment. Be present. Be compassionate. Let go and be. Be present. Be in the moment. Just be. And I think right now, we all need a little of that.

To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbyowens.com/transcript/kat...

[Francine Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much, it resonated with me as a baseball fan and as having lost my sister to cancer. As a lifetime Yankees fan, I was disappointed that chapter had nothing about the game she attended though.

[Courtney Eagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great quick read! If you love life, sports, and don’t believe in coincidences

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing read that was not only touching but inspiring. This journey to the 30 MLB ballparks was both a tribute to not only her mother but to herself. Written as a series of letters, this book was a story of self reflection and discovery. I was both touched and inspired by this emotional read.

[Deborah Martinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written as a series of letters to her mother who passed away from cancer. Katie fought her own battle with cancer, and kept true to her wish with her mom that she would get to all MLB parks. Did she ever! All in one year! If you love sports, especially baseball this short read is for you. This adventure filled book has all the feels filled with reflections of her relationship with her parents, but focuses on her relationship with her mom.

A few key takeaways for me included:
Detach from outcomes
An imperfect life can be beautiful
"There will always be strikeouts and slumps, but if you keep showing up in the batters box and swinging away, the home ones eventually come."

[Janet Woodka · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm between 3-4 stars on this one. It is a lovely book in many ways and conveys the love for and loss of her mother so clearly. It has some wonderful moments and lovely sentiments in it, as well as some very poignant insights. But it starts slow and is a bit uneven and trails off a bit at the end as well. So, I'm giving it 3 stars, as much as I wanted to love it more.

[Janilyn Kocher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t like baseball. So why did I choose to read a memoir that focuses on the author’s sojourn to all 30 MLB parks as a tribute to her mom? Because my mom is a baseball fanatic. The author also rooted for,the Cubs. My grandpa was a lifelong Cub fan and I always rooted for them in support of him because most other family members liked the Cardinals. I related to,this book because of my close relationship with my mom and her love of,the game. I was estatic when the Cubs won the World Series and I knew somewhere, my grandpa was beaming. I also used to enjoy Harry Carray saying Holy Cow; that’s a childhood memory I’ll never forget. This memoir was poignant as Russell reflected on her relationship with,her mom and their bouts of cancer. It’s a home run. Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Horizons for the early read.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley, Katie Russell Newland and Harper Horizon for the ARC of A Season With Mom. This is my personal review.
This is an amazing touching heartfelt book about the love between a mother and a daughter.
The dream of visiting every MLB ballpark together was a shared dream but that dream would not be shared together and instead Katie fulfilled that dream alone. She lost her Mom to cancer but took her with her in her thoughts and through letters she wrote to her Mom as she traveled to the baseball stadiums. The love of baseball the two shared was a bond that can never be taken from Katie.
This story of a mother and daughters love is one that will stay with me forever. I can not thank Katie enough for taking me on this journey with her.

[Traci Rhoades · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a t-shirt that says "Once upon a time there was baseball. The end." If you can relate to that quote, this book is for you. Also, grab kleenex.

[Gianni Outram · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful story full of quotes I will hold near and dear to my heart for years to come. I am thankful that Katie has chosen to share her story and wisdom in this remarkable way.

[Beth Cusack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Katie’s delightful, insightful reviews of all 30 Major League Baseball ballparks in America she visited in one season are organized into chapters, charting her travels in time and across the land. Each chapter is also an intimate letter from Katie, a recent dual cancer survivor, to her late mom.

This ballpark journey was something she and her mom dreamed of doing together. Katie transforms their dream into a journey shared with her late mother through this book. Readers can reflect on the communication of a cancer survivor to a loved one who had died from cancer, deepening their ability to be present to possibilities and opportunities to connect in life and after death. A Season with Mom welcomes readers to reflect on their relationship with their mothers through Katie’s sharing of her own stories. Katie’s direct yet gentle writing style reminds the audience that the relationships with mothers are complex.

This book is not about regret. It’s about what readers can say, do, ask in the present moment to deepen that connection with and understanding of their mothers. Each chapter is a focal point—such as BEgin, BEcome, BEhind the Scenes, and BE Open to name a few. Readers can pick up this book again and again, turning to a chapter as a tool for reflection when seeking their own insights on their journey in life.

[Zach Koenig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seeing a game at every MLB stadium is a long-term "bucket list" item for me. As such, I'm always drawn to stories like this: a woman traveling to each ballpark in honor of her late mother and their baseball-loving relationship.

From an emotional perspective, this book from Katie Newland is compelling and very well-written. Essentially sharing--with readers--her process of processing her mother's passing must have been incredibly difficult/tricky for the author, and I have a lot of respect for that. At times, she truly bares her soul with both joyous and heartbreaking emotions.

That being said, it pains me to have to give "A Season with Mom" a middling rating (again, because I can sense the raw emotion pent up within it). But when push comes to shove, this isn't the greatest read from a technical perspective. There is surprisingly little baseball-related material, and the connective tissue from baseball to life often feels a bit contrived or "reaching". Almost like a series of non-sequiturs that each "work" a little bit but never really gel together as a whole.

I can't drop my rating of this book below 3 stars because of the times it truly touched my emotions. But, in the grand scheme of things, I think I'd recommend it more as "general Mother's Day gift" sort of fare as opposed to a tome for hard-core baseball fanatics. Again, not because it is overly poor at any one thing, but I think a more general audience will appreciate the style a bit more.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was not expecting to enjoy A Season With Mom quite as much as I did. Kudos to Katie Russell Newland for writing a memoir that will appeal to almost everyone. It covered exactly what it was billed to cover: love, loss and the ultimate baseball experience. I loved it!
Written as a series of letters to her deceased mother, Katie details her journey through life and cancer and every MLB ballpark in the country. Honest and poignant, the author both basks in childhood memories and struggles to make sense of some of them. A good memoir does that and encourages the reader to reflect on their own memories.
Weaving in the ballpark stories, Katie uses baseball strategies as metaphors for life. She takes us along to the parks and makes us use all our senses to experience the vastness of the day.
This is a lovely book and I thank NetGalley, Harper Horizon and Katie Russell Newland for this ARC. I just bought several copies as gifts.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Season with Mom by Katie Russell Newland is a lovely written tribute to the author's mom. The author and her mom are huge baseball fans. After losing her Mom to cancer and surviving cancer herself, the author decides to go on a journey of visiting one baseball game at each of America's baseball parks. Each chapter is written in the form of a letter to her Mom where the author tells her about the game and the life lesson she learned at the game and how it often relates to her relationship with her Mom. I was drawn to this book because I am baseball fan myself and love to go to baseball games. I found this book inspiring and felt like the book is a lovely tribute to the author's Mom. I strongly recommend this book! Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this book! (This review is also on GoodReads!)

[Steve Ayers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite what I expected

I feel a bit rotten only giving this three stars. Katie comes across as really likeable in this memoir of a season visiting all thirty ballparks in an MLB season. Katie, herself a cancer survivor, does this to honour her mother who died of cancer before she was able to achieve this ambition.

Why only three stars then? I was hoping it would be more about baseball, when it was really more about how Katie healed as she visited the parks and reflected on her life. En route she tries a medium, attends sessions with Oprah, meditations weekends and goes to a church. She finds comfort in seeing her mother's continued presence in signs all around her.

If that's your thing you'll love this. If you want more baseball, maybe not. She writes well and the photos are terrific.

[J. Michael Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful read from a woman who, after her mother's death, decided to visit all 30 major league baseball parks: partly in her mother's memory and partly as a way to find herself. The author's mother died of cancer and the author herself battled two different forms of cancer in her 30s. The book is arranged in short essays, the author reflecting on her mother, her father, and her own life after a visit to each ballpark. There is a little bit about baseball, but mostly the author reflects on her mother and her own cancer. What she sees at the ballparks become the catalysts for her reflections. She is very bold in sharing things about her mother, both the good and the bad, in non-judgmental ways. She is also very introspective about her own life, struggles, cancer, and personality.

[Cheryl MacBride · Rating 5 out of 5]

Join Katie on her journey to honor and better understand her mother and mend the physical and emotional scars of her own battle with cancer. Reading this book will make you feel like you know Katie's family and friends and you missed all the good times in NOLA and Pass Christian. Katie finds joy and lessons in all 30 ballparks and shares her love of baseball along the way. And, of course, it has more than one happy ending. With all the bad news blaring across the media lately, this book will elevate your spirits and make you feel good.

[Annie Downing · Rating 5 out of 5]

A stunning memoir, about a woman who discovers who her mother truly was during a journey they had hoped to take together. Although the premise for this book sounds sad, it is a remarkable story written in the form of letters to the author's late mother who passed away from cancer. After receiving her own cancer diagnosis, Katie fulfills a dream she and her mother had hoped to accomplish together. What she embarks on is truly more than you can imagine. This is a beautiful story. Thank you to the author for sharing it with us.

[Rene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super book!

Even if I didn't have the honor of knowing Katie just a little bit, and even if I hadn't been on the receiving end of her spontaneous generosity on more than one occasion, I would still have given this book a five star rating. I couldn't put it down!I loved the letter to mom format,one that I've used in my own head for decades to speak to my mom and dad, both of whom I lost in my twenties. In a very real way this book gives me a sense of closure, not expected but welcomed! Thanks Katie and brilliantly done!

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

My family has always been sports oriented, so this was a great book to read. It is similar to my own family's story. My parents have visited 24 baseball stadiums and had planned on completing the last 6 stadiums but my dad passed away. I hope my siblings and I can help my mom complete my parents dream.

Katie kept your absorbed because each chapter you want to read and find out how Katie lived through life and what goes behind each stadium she visited. A great tribute to her mom, baseball, and herself. This book was very well written.

[AMY · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full disclosure, I would not have read this book if someone had not loaned it to me. I normally don’t read memoirs. I had heard of Katie Russell Newland’s journey. I love baseball. The book is well written. I enjoy books written in letter format. If you are looking for a book about baseball fields, this is not it. This book is about what the author learned from her life through her parents. I would recommend it for high school or college graduates.

[Jennifer W · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went into this book expecting more baseball. More about the road trip of going to 30 ballparks in a season. Lost luggage, close games, travel fatigue... None of that. It was a reflection on her life, her mom's cancer, and her own cancer. Along the way, baseball is the backdrop. Watching the Cubs after school with her mom, playing catch with dad, meeting people all over the country at the ballparks. While it was heartwarming, it wasn't what I expected, nor was it earthshattering.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed A Season with Mom! It was a very easy read and one that I could see myself picking up again to revisit the great life lessons that are shared throughout. Being a big sports fan and having loved ones fight cancer, the analogies and stories resonated with me. This was a special read that I would highly recommend!

[Chris Junkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I promise you haven’t read a book quite like ‘A Season with Mom’. Life throws you curveballs and simultaneously changes and solidifies your perspective on what’s important. Katie’s strength and optimism is both admirable and infectious. If you are looking inspiration through relatable storytelling, then you’ve found the book for you.