What do you think?
Rate this book
Donora Story Collection #3
The Magician
Donora 2019, Ninety-two year old Patryk Rusek is on the run, bath-towel flying off, with nothing but his new Nikes to carry him to freedom. His plan to escape from Blue Horizon Retirement Community is in motion. Except his great-grandson Owen isn’t at the pickup point. Resigned to his fate, Patryk returns to his room and reads from his incredible hand-drawn chronicle of Donora, luring half the nursing home’s employees and residents into the room, mesmerizing them with childhood tales of Stan F. Musial, beloved baseball hall of famer.
Donora 1920. Mary Musial is expecting again. After four daughters, her husband Lukasz is losing hope for a son. But Jupiter is rising when Stanisław Franciszek Musiał is born on November 21, 1920, and the midwife predicts he will live an extraordinary life. Young Stanley’s physical talents show themselves at the Polish Falcons and on the baseball field. But rather than pride, Lukasz’s spirits plummet after mill injuries turn his American dream into a living nightmare. When the Depression hits and the mills close, tension grips every Donora household. Meanwhile as Stan matures, he draws attention from the press, college coaches, and professional baseball scouts. Suddenly his singular dream is set against options he’d never imagined. Every choice threatens to disappoint coaches, teachers, his girlfriend, and most of all his parents. Even with the talent to achieve his goals, doubt creeps in. Can he find the courage to leave everything he knows and all the people he loves to fulfill his destiny? Or will he wait too long and risk it all?
Donora 1920. Mary Musial is expecting again. After four daughters, her husband Lukasz is losing hope for a son. But Jupiter is rising when Stanisław Franciszek Musiał is born on November 21, 1920, and the midwife predicts he will live an extraordinary life. Young Stanley’s physical talents show themselves at the Polish Falcons and on the baseball field. But rather than pride, Lukasz’s spirits plummet after mill injuries turn his American dream into a living nightmare. When the Depression hits and the mills close, tension grips every Donora household. Meanwhile as Stan matures, he draws attention from the press, college coaches, and professional baseball scouts. Suddenly his singular dream is set against options he’d never imagined. Every choice threatens to disappoint coaches, teachers, his girlfriend, and most of all his parents. Even with the talent to achieve his goals, doubt creeps in. Can he find the courage to leave everything he knows and all the people he loves to fulfill his destiny? Or will he wait too long and risk it all?
509 pages, Paperback
First published April 13, 2021
280 people are currently reading
818 people want to read
About the author
Kathleen Shoop
49 books1,126 followersBestselling author, Kathleen Shoop, holds a PhD in reading education and has more than 20 years of experience in the classroom. She writes historical fiction, women’s fiction and romance. Shoop’s novels have garnered various awards in the Independent Publisher Book Awards, Eric Hoffer Book Awards, Indie Excellence Awards, Next Generation Indie Book Awards and the San Francisco Book Festival. Kathleen has been featured in USA Today and the Writer’s Guide to 2013. Her work has appeared in The Tribune-Review, four Chicken Soup for the Soul books and Pittsburgh Parent magazine. She lives in Oakmont, Pennsylvania with her husband and two children.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
April 28, 2021
The Magician is a wonderfully written historical fiction story with characters I enjoy reading about that is both insightful and immersive.
The Magician is a magical story with brilliant storytelling I enjoyed!
The Magician is a magical story with brilliant storytelling I enjoyed!
May 12, 2021
The Magician is the incredible new book by one of my favourite historical writers, Kathleen Shoop, and it is the third book in the Donora Story Collection.
You can read this book as a stand-alone, or as a new addition to an already incredibly imaginative and realistic series.
Shoop has a way of creatively hooking her readers from the onset, and this book was no exception. For I immediately loved the idea of Patryk, a ninety two year old man attempting to make a grand escape from the nursing home where he resides, only to be left disappointed and left returning to his room and reading an incredible story to the fellow home residents and employees.
This story was imaginative, and believable, Shoop has a way of taking real life historical events and embellishing them, turning them into great magical stories where you feel like you are sitting right before Patryk learning of the tales of the town and the Great Depression.
This book is action packed and also focuses on the story of Stanislaw Musial, an immigrant who makes it in the big leagues of baseball and gets a taste of the American Dream. I love the story within a story, and the transportation back through time so you can really embrace the characters lives, journeys and histories.
Captivating, addictive and incredibly well-written and detailed are what come to mind when I think of this book. Shoop really captures the essence of a moment in time, and I absolutely adore all of her books.
If you love historical reads, or just love the cover, then this book will be for you. It will keep you entertained for hours, and will put you under a magical reading spell.
You can read this book as a stand-alone, or as a new addition to an already incredibly imaginative and realistic series.
Shoop has a way of creatively hooking her readers from the onset, and this book was no exception. For I immediately loved the idea of Patryk, a ninety two year old man attempting to make a grand escape from the nursing home where he resides, only to be left disappointed and left returning to his room and reading an incredible story to the fellow home residents and employees.
This story was imaginative, and believable, Shoop has a way of taking real life historical events and embellishing them, turning them into great magical stories where you feel like you are sitting right before Patryk learning of the tales of the town and the Great Depression.
This book is action packed and also focuses on the story of Stanislaw Musial, an immigrant who makes it in the big leagues of baseball and gets a taste of the American Dream. I love the story within a story, and the transportation back through time so you can really embrace the characters lives, journeys and histories.
Captivating, addictive and incredibly well-written and detailed are what come to mind when I think of this book. Shoop really captures the essence of a moment in time, and I absolutely adore all of her books.
If you love historical reads, or just love the cover, then this book will be for you. It will keep you entertained for hours, and will put you under a magical reading spell.
May 13, 2021
Historical fiction is not a genre I tend to read or enjoy, that was until I was introduced to the Donora Series from Kathleen Shoop. I think I would be hard pushed to enjoy any other authors of this genre as Shoop has the ability with her words to put right in the heart of the story- she makes you feel like you are right back in 1920’s Donora with the sights, smells and sounds of the factories, to the living conditions of the characters. You are immersed into the past as if you are living it alongside the characters.
The Magician though book three in the series, it is one that you are able to read as a stand alone, but I do suggest you start at the beginning as there are some wonderful stories to be told. This book continues Mary and Lukasz Musial love story and now with Mary expecting again Lukasz hopes for a boy after having four daughters. Fate is on his side this time and they are blessed with a boy whom they name Stanisław - and this is his tale.
I love how the characters in this book are based on real people and I loved how Shoop has taken their life and weaved this incredible tale of their lives in Donora.
The Magician though book three in the series, it is one that you are able to read as a stand alone, but I do suggest you start at the beginning as there are some wonderful stories to be told. This book continues Mary and Lukasz Musial love story and now with Mary expecting again Lukasz hopes for a boy after having four daughters. Fate is on his side this time and they are blessed with a boy whom they name Stanisław - and this is his tale.
I love how the characters in this book are based on real people and I loved how Shoop has taken their life and weaved this incredible tale of their lives in Donora.
July 19, 2022
This is a follow-up to The Strongman and the Mermaid that I read a while back. Both books are about the family of Hall-of-Famer Stan Musial. This one picks up with Stan's birth and goes up through his World Series appearance -- at age 20! Really good portrayal of the lives of immigrant Slavic families in the dirty industrial towns of Pennsylvania. Stan's father was very old-world manual laborer, spending his meager earnings at the tavern after work, raging temper, barely caring about his daughters and wanting to get his sons working in the mills as young as possible. The mother, the saintly glue that held the large family together, worked three jobs and supported her two sons' baseball ambitions in a way their father would not. (Stan's younger brother Ed also played pro ball). Stan was extraordinarily athletic, but also humble and kind. He really benefitted from having other adults and solid friends who cared about him.
Stan and his friends, lacking real equipment, made their own balls, stitching together old boots, rags, and whatever else they could scrounge up, using the rind of an orange as a template. They made their own bats, but were often forced to just hit bottlecaps and rocks with broomsticks. I was a little horrified by the boys in their early teens swilling beer and chain-smoking while they worked -- and then lived to a ripe old age despite that and breathing the heavy metal fumes of the town. Ah, the youth today don't know how good they've got it!
Stan and his friends, lacking real equipment, made their own balls, stitching together old boots, rags, and whatever else they could scrounge up, using the rind of an orange as a template. They made their own bats, but were often forced to just hit bottlecaps and rocks with broomsticks. I was a little horrified by the boys in their early teens swilling beer and chain-smoking while they worked -- and then lived to a ripe old age despite that and breathing the heavy metal fumes of the town. Ah, the youth today don't know how good they've got it!
May 6, 2021
It is a long and sometimes sad tale of a small town boy of an immigrant father at the time of the Great Depression. It is the story of a small town boy making it from nothing to play in the major leagues and attaining the American Dream which his father never could! If you have already read the first two books in this series it will give you a bit of the background of the town and of this family.
This novel is about the life of baseball star Stan Musial as seen through the handwritten memoirs of Mary. Patryk Rusek is attempting to escape the nursing home he has been put in with the help of his great great grandson. Unfortunately it does not work. But his grandson loves to hear about Stan Musials life and sits by his grandfathers bedside and reads the memoirs along with him. Even one of the doctors becomes interested and something from the past comes to light.
There is a lot of history in this book and a lot that the author embellished as she will state. If you have never read any books by Kathleen Shoop I suggest you start--you will not be disappointed!
This novel is about the life of baseball star Stan Musial as seen through the handwritten memoirs of Mary. Patryk Rusek is attempting to escape the nursing home he has been put in with the help of his great great grandson. Unfortunately it does not work. But his grandson loves to hear about Stan Musials life and sits by his grandfathers bedside and reads the memoirs along with him. Even one of the doctors becomes interested and something from the past comes to light.
There is a lot of history in this book and a lot that the author embellished as she will state. If you have never read any books by Kathleen Shoop I suggest you start--you will not be disappointed!
March 14, 2024
I read previous Donora books by Shoop that were great, this one left a lot to be desired. It was very, very, slow. If you want to read hundreds of pages about kids playing baseball in the early 1900s be my guest, because that is all most of this book is about. How can one get really interested in the minutiae of everyday life of teens. Yes they were as poor as dirt but other than that it is just baseball. Not being a huge baseball fan the antics of these youngsters playing it first with sticks and stones, graduating to homemade bats and balls were meaningless. The fact one of them represented the great Stan Musial meant little because only the last 5% was about his first years getting into the majors. This book was just plain boring and I am amazed I stuck with it to the end. You will miss nothing passing on this one, it is no way near as good as the previous ones.
May 14, 2021
When dreams become reality
Most dad wants to have a son of their own to follow their dreams or to fulfill that love that a son can only claim. This book is about family and dreams. It is nice to learn how life was about back in the days. It brings peace and joy to how our life now compared to the past generations.
I am not a baseball fan but a football fan. The love of baseball sports is pretty the same as other sports. This story is about the dreams, the struggles, and in the end the victory of finally reaching that goal in life and make your family proud of you. I enjoyed reading this book. Learning the struggles of a woman raising girls and a husband who is longing to have a son of his own. One of the best historical books to read.
Most dad wants to have a son of their own to follow their dreams or to fulfill that love that a son can only claim. This book is about family and dreams. It is nice to learn how life was about back in the days. It brings peace and joy to how our life now compared to the past generations.
I am not a baseball fan but a football fan. The love of baseball sports is pretty the same as other sports. This story is about the dreams, the struggles, and in the end the victory of finally reaching that goal in life and make your family proud of you. I enjoyed reading this book. Learning the struggles of a woman raising girls and a husband who is longing to have a son of his own. One of the best historical books to read.
May 7, 2021
I love historical fiction. I love baseball. So what is not to love about a book that melds the two together. Kathleen Shoop has a done a great job with the third book in her Donora story collection. You do have to have read the first two books. This is a perfect standalone also.
If you've ever wanted to walk into the history of baseball, The Magician will take you there. Having lived about an hours drive from the Baseball Hall of Fame I have often taken a walk down memory lane with baseball at the center of the walk. This book took me back to that time
I have volunteered to share my review and all the opinions are 100% my own.
If you've ever wanted to walk into the history of baseball, The Magician will take you there. Having lived about an hours drive from the Baseball Hall of Fame I have often taken a walk down memory lane with baseball at the center of the walk. This book took me back to that time
I have volunteered to share my review and all the opinions are 100% my own.
May 9, 2021
I have to admit over the years Donora has become one of my favorite places to visit. Shoop has this amazing ability to transport you through time with her words. This story will absolutely tug at your heart strings, the characters are so life-like that you can't help but feel for them. I wish I could've sat and listened to Patryk share his tale, but reading it was wonderful. Even though I really don't know a lot about baseball, this story was easy to follow and really enjoyable. Don't be put off by the size of the book - there's never a dull moment, and you'll be reluctant to set it down once you start. Would definitely give this more than 5 stars if I could!
May 19, 2021
Donora is a truly dreary place to live in the midst of the Great Depression, but Stan spends his days playing as much baseball as possible. Everyone who sees him play knows that he has something special, but can he chase his dreams into the big leagues? Or will he be destined to scramble for work like most of the men in his town?
Kathleen Shoop is an extraordinary storyteller, multiple times during the book I looked up and was surprised to find myself in 2021, in my living room. The way she weaves a tale is truly amazing, and she has renewed my interest in historical fiction.
Kathleen Shoop is an extraordinary storyteller, multiple times during the book I looked up and was surprised to find myself in 2021, in my living room. The way she weaves a tale is truly amazing, and she has renewed my interest in historical fiction.
December 21, 2021
He would’ve sworn in court he was running toward his youth, breaking some sort of time barrier.
I must admit, from the very beginning of this novel, the very first opening scene, I could not put this down until I finished. In a nod to novels like The Notebook and Water for Elephants, Ms Shoop goes over and beyond in this stunning novel about Patryk Rusek, starting with his Nike-clad naked bolt from the nursing home as he rushed towards his hoped-for freedom and praying his great-grandson, Owen, is waiting for him at the prearranged ‘pick-up spot’. With Ms Shoop’s incredibly vivid descriptions and luxuriant prose, you find yourself standing side by side with Patryk, even after his towel goes flying, leaving him exposed to the world and his family who see him dashing through the woods.
But time, age, and family are not in his favour, and he is returned to the nursing home to ‘the stench of antiseptic’ swelling ‘as Nurse Vera bent near while a sewage odour from the guy next to him competed for real estate in the room and won.’ All except for his great-grandson whose friendship and interest in his great-grandfather’s life lures him into recounting the tales of his childhood while ruminating over his chronicle of Donora Pennsylvania in 1920.
After this powerful introduction, Patryck’s musings take the reader back in time, to the story of Stan Musial, the beloved baseball hall of famer, and the life of Stan’s mom and dad during the harsh times of the time period, especially for Polish immigrants striving to make a life in the steel mills of Pennsylvania. Mary and Lukasz Musial vow to have another child after four previous attempts and four daughters now running around like doorsteps beneath their mother’s feet. Lukasz is desperate for a son, and when Stanislaw Musial is born under the lucky signs in the sky and the prediction of an extraordinary life by the midwife, Mary is sure everything will change for the better in the Musial household. As a babe, his mother gifts him with his very first baseball, which he grips his tiny fingers and admires with wide eyes.
Stan’s star does rise as he grows older, getting the attention from some high-ranking professionals – coaches and scouts looking for baseball talent, and from the press looking for the next ‘star’. But by the 30s, the Great Depression hits everyone, and Stan’s father, Lukasz suffers after he is injured at the mill, his “American Dream’ fading into oblivion, and the mills close due to the economic hardships facing America – hardships that tighten a grip around everyone in the family.
Yet, even in the midst of all this, Stan has a choice to make, and his choices pit him against those around him and he fears disappointing them all – his coaches, teachers, girlfriend, and most of all, his family. But destiny has already said he would have an extraordinary life, he just has to go in that direction, no matter the risk.
The depiction of a poor family in the midst of the coal mining region of Pennsylvania and the steel mills during the Great Depression, and the desires connecting all humans – that of wanting a better life for you and your family is portrayed with such incredible emotion and captivating passages – page after page... my eyes soaked up each and every detail and entwined my heart with this family as if they were my next door neighbour. No, not neighbour... as if they were my own family. Ms Shoop managed to develop these characters into reality, full flesh, bones, and blood and emotions which surged from the page and into my veins as if I had a needle in my arm and her words flowed from a bag hanging over my head full of nourishing hydrating water. Refreshing and compelling.
And it is a story about overcoming hardships and the beauty in having someone behind you who has your back, supporting you, believing in you despite any obstacle. Stan had that in his mom and in some incredible friendships despite his father’s malcontent attitude toward the game and disappointment in the son he was desperate to have.
I’m not one for baseball stories as a rule, but after this one (and the other one ‘The Strongman and the Mermaid” of which I also reviewed) I am a die-hard fan of Ms Shoop’s stories. I mean, I should be a fan, after all the Braves just won the World Series, and I do enjoy sitting in a stadium eating a hot dog, drinking a beer, and ‘chopping’ with my arm while the game is played. This book renewed my interest in the game along with the current win of our local team, so the history behind this man, Stan Musial, was incredibly interesting and utterly addictive as I can now say that this book will be one that I will read again and again. A permanent place in my library!
And not only do you fall in love with Stan, but you fall in love with the tight bond shared between Patryck and his great-grandson as the story binds them together. I cannot express enough how much I adored this book (and the other one), so I am going to let a few of my favourite passages lure you into reading this book and adding Ms Shoop to the list of legendary historical fiction authors who could give us all a lesson in Historical Fiction 101.
The two of them had conned him into visiting an old friend and then left him to fend for himself in the blasted old folks’ home. A farm for adults. Put out to pasture, to prod and lasso him toward death. There was no life here, just the undercurrent of it.
Like honey dripped and swirled into hot tea, Stashu permeated their lives.
Their hands that shook and grabbed tighter, but not for angry reasons. Stashu didn’t like that, the sad softness in them when their faces crinkled and tears dropped like someone pumped a well behind their eyes in order to keep them coming. He felt lost when the moms went sad-soft instead of laughing-soft. Even plain hard was better than the sad-soft.
*****
Bases loaded, a pitch, and a hit... home run, Ms Shoop, home run!! Five stars from The Historical Fiction Company and the “Highly Recommended” Award.
I must admit, from the very beginning of this novel, the very first opening scene, I could not put this down until I finished. In a nod to novels like The Notebook and Water for Elephants, Ms Shoop goes over and beyond in this stunning novel about Patryk Rusek, starting with his Nike-clad naked bolt from the nursing home as he rushed towards his hoped-for freedom and praying his great-grandson, Owen, is waiting for him at the prearranged ‘pick-up spot’. With Ms Shoop’s incredibly vivid descriptions and luxuriant prose, you find yourself standing side by side with Patryk, even after his towel goes flying, leaving him exposed to the world and his family who see him dashing through the woods.
But time, age, and family are not in his favour, and he is returned to the nursing home to ‘the stench of antiseptic’ swelling ‘as Nurse Vera bent near while a sewage odour from the guy next to him competed for real estate in the room and won.’ All except for his great-grandson whose friendship and interest in his great-grandfather’s life lures him into recounting the tales of his childhood while ruminating over his chronicle of Donora Pennsylvania in 1920.
After this powerful introduction, Patryck’s musings take the reader back in time, to the story of Stan Musial, the beloved baseball hall of famer, and the life of Stan’s mom and dad during the harsh times of the time period, especially for Polish immigrants striving to make a life in the steel mills of Pennsylvania. Mary and Lukasz Musial vow to have another child after four previous attempts and four daughters now running around like doorsteps beneath their mother’s feet. Lukasz is desperate for a son, and when Stanislaw Musial is born under the lucky signs in the sky and the prediction of an extraordinary life by the midwife, Mary is sure everything will change for the better in the Musial household. As a babe, his mother gifts him with his very first baseball, which he grips his tiny fingers and admires with wide eyes.
Stan’s star does rise as he grows older, getting the attention from some high-ranking professionals – coaches and scouts looking for baseball talent, and from the press looking for the next ‘star’. But by the 30s, the Great Depression hits everyone, and Stan’s father, Lukasz suffers after he is injured at the mill, his “American Dream’ fading into oblivion, and the mills close due to the economic hardships facing America – hardships that tighten a grip around everyone in the family.
Yet, even in the midst of all this, Stan has a choice to make, and his choices pit him against those around him and he fears disappointing them all – his coaches, teachers, girlfriend, and most of all, his family. But destiny has already said he would have an extraordinary life, he just has to go in that direction, no matter the risk.
The depiction of a poor family in the midst of the coal mining region of Pennsylvania and the steel mills during the Great Depression, and the desires connecting all humans – that of wanting a better life for you and your family is portrayed with such incredible emotion and captivating passages – page after page... my eyes soaked up each and every detail and entwined my heart with this family as if they were my next door neighbour. No, not neighbour... as if they were my own family. Ms Shoop managed to develop these characters into reality, full flesh, bones, and blood and emotions which surged from the page and into my veins as if I had a needle in my arm and her words flowed from a bag hanging over my head full of nourishing hydrating water. Refreshing and compelling.
And it is a story about overcoming hardships and the beauty in having someone behind you who has your back, supporting you, believing in you despite any obstacle. Stan had that in his mom and in some incredible friendships despite his father’s malcontent attitude toward the game and disappointment in the son he was desperate to have.
I’m not one for baseball stories as a rule, but after this one (and the other one ‘The Strongman and the Mermaid” of which I also reviewed) I am a die-hard fan of Ms Shoop’s stories. I mean, I should be a fan, after all the Braves just won the World Series, and I do enjoy sitting in a stadium eating a hot dog, drinking a beer, and ‘chopping’ with my arm while the game is played. This book renewed my interest in the game along with the current win of our local team, so the history behind this man, Stan Musial, was incredibly interesting and utterly addictive as I can now say that this book will be one that I will read again and again. A permanent place in my library!
And not only do you fall in love with Stan, but you fall in love with the tight bond shared between Patryck and his great-grandson as the story binds them together. I cannot express enough how much I adored this book (and the other one), so I am going to let a few of my favourite passages lure you into reading this book and adding Ms Shoop to the list of legendary historical fiction authors who could give us all a lesson in Historical Fiction 101.
The two of them had conned him into visiting an old friend and then left him to fend for himself in the blasted old folks’ home. A farm for adults. Put out to pasture, to prod and lasso him toward death. There was no life here, just the undercurrent of it.
Like honey dripped and swirled into hot tea, Stashu permeated their lives.
Their hands that shook and grabbed tighter, but not for angry reasons. Stashu didn’t like that, the sad softness in them when their faces crinkled and tears dropped like someone pumped a well behind their eyes in order to keep them coming. He felt lost when the moms went sad-soft instead of laughing-soft. Even plain hard was better than the sad-soft.
*****
Bases loaded, a pitch, and a hit... home run, Ms Shoop, home run!! Five stars from The Historical Fiction Company and the “Highly Recommended” Award.
June 4, 2021
Sharon Martin
tJsnSdpuouisfnstooSr noewed ·
Shared with Public
Book Review - The Magician (The Donora Story Collection) by Kathleen Shoop
Donora 1920 - When the Depression hits and the mills close, tension grips every Donora household and turns young Stanley's American baseball dreams into a living nightmare. Can he find the courage to leave everything he knows and all the people he loves to fulfill his destiny? Or will he wait too long and risk it all?
.
Grab your copy today!
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08WFG2CCW
Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B092HJK2W7
** FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED **
.
"For historical fiction fans who also enjoy baseball this is definitely a must read. Kathleen Shoop introduces you to the Stan Musial, who grew up in the harsh mill town of Donora to become a baseball legend. With the authors vast amount of research she then adds her incredible story writing to bring Stan's childhood to life.
.
This was such a warm, realistic, touching story of how a young man achieved his dreams against all the odds, surrounded by his devoted mother, and his loving, loyal friends and family he was blessed to have. Sad moments, funny moments, all mixed together for another delightful and very interesting read by one of my favorite authors. " ~ Beck Valley Books
.
~~~~~
.
THE MAGICIAN
.
Donora 2019.
.
Ninety-two year old Patryk Rusek is on the run, bath-towel flying off, with nothing but his new Nikes to carry him to freedom. His plan to escape from Blue Horizon Retirement Community is in motion. Except his great-grandson Owen isn’t at the pickup point. Resigned to his fate, Patryk returns to his room and reads from his incredible hand-drawn chronicle of Donora, luring half the nursing home’s employees and residents into the room, mesmerizing them with childhood tales of Stan F. Musial, beloved baseball hall of famer.
.
Donora 1920.
.
Mary Musial is expecting again. After four daughters, her husband Lukasz is losing hope for a son. But Jupiter is rising when Stanisław Franciszek Musiał is born on November 21, 1920, and the midwife predicts he will live an extraordinary life. Young Stanley’s physical talents show themselves at the Polish Falcons and on the baseball field. But rather than pride, Lukasz’s spirits plummet after mill injuries turn his American dream into a living nightmare.
.
When the Depression hits and the mills close, tension grips every Donora household. Meanwhile as Stan matures, he draws attention from the press, college coaches, and professional baseball scouts. Suddenly his singular dream is set against options he’d never imagined. Every choice threatens to disappoint coaches, teachers, his girlfriend, and most of all his parents. Even with the talent to achieve his goals, doubt creeps in. Can he find the courage to leave everything he knows and all the people he loves to fulfill his destiny? Or will he wait too long and risk it all?
July 18, 2021
I haven't written a "book report" since my senior year of high school. I read reviews by others - many of them are literary masterpieces of their own - and I think "what more is there for me to say?"
This may be more of a warning than a book review, in that, I need to tell anyone within my friendship circle - in real life and on social media that if they encounter me any time soon, I am going to grab them and absolutely insist that they read this book! I will nag and cajole if I need to - telling them about my favorite parts and about why I enjoyed this book so much.
As is noted in many reviews, this is the third book in the Donora series (so far) - but the book stands alone as a fictionalized, history-based biography of Stan Musial. Also noted in some other reviews (see why I don't write reviews?) the town of Donora is as real a character as Stan, his family, his friends and his teammates are.
I enjoyed the first Donora book (After the Fog) so much that I recommended it for my book club. Members enjoyed it enough that six of us made a field trip from Pittsbugh to Donora to see the Smog Museum and to tour the town. I consider the book to be on my top ten favorite book list.
On the exact day of the start of the great fog/smog event that killed 20 Donora residents and sickened hundreds of others, I was busy being born in a hospital not far from Donora.
BUT this third Donora book (as is the case for the other two) definitely can stand alone -- I know very little about baseball, but Kathleen Shoop sure does, and she writes about it in a way that even those of us who aren't sports fans can understand and enjoy.
Stan's father, whom we first met in the 2nd book (The Strong Man and the Mermaid) reminded me VERY MUCH of distant family member whose behavior always frightened me as a child. I gained some insights from Shoop's expert character development of Lukasz, Stan's father. "Uncle" X, an immigrant from Eastern Europe had a moody, angry approach to life and his family. I never knew as much about his history as I now know about Lukasz Musial's, but as I read it, I kept thinking "so THIS might explain why Uncle X, a man with a kind heart, turned out to be a man with job and home insecurity, with a large family to feed - at times when he couldn't.
Shoop's description of the town, its politics, its history, its norms and traditions is so detailed and nuanced that I am having trouble leaving the town -- as well as leaving the book, which I finished a few hours ago.
This may be more of a warning than a book review, in that, I need to tell anyone within my friendship circle - in real life and on social media that if they encounter me any time soon, I am going to grab them and absolutely insist that they read this book! I will nag and cajole if I need to - telling them about my favorite parts and about why I enjoyed this book so much.
As is noted in many reviews, this is the third book in the Donora series (so far) - but the book stands alone as a fictionalized, history-based biography of Stan Musial. Also noted in some other reviews (see why I don't write reviews?) the town of Donora is as real a character as Stan, his family, his friends and his teammates are.
I enjoyed the first Donora book (After the Fog) so much that I recommended it for my book club. Members enjoyed it enough that six of us made a field trip from Pittsbugh to Donora to see the Smog Museum and to tour the town. I consider the book to be on my top ten favorite book list.
On the exact day of the start of the great fog/smog event that killed 20 Donora residents and sickened hundreds of others, I was busy being born in a hospital not far from Donora.
BUT this third Donora book (as is the case for the other two) definitely can stand alone -- I know very little about baseball, but Kathleen Shoop sure does, and she writes about it in a way that even those of us who aren't sports fans can understand and enjoy.
Stan's father, whom we first met in the 2nd book (The Strong Man and the Mermaid) reminded me VERY MUCH of distant family member whose behavior always frightened me as a child. I gained some insights from Shoop's expert character development of Lukasz, Stan's father. "Uncle" X, an immigrant from Eastern Europe had a moody, angry approach to life and his family. I never knew as much about his history as I now know about Lukasz Musial's, but as I read it, I kept thinking "so THIS might explain why Uncle X, a man with a kind heart, turned out to be a man with job and home insecurity, with a large family to feed - at times when he couldn't.
Shoop's description of the town, its politics, its history, its norms and traditions is so detailed and nuanced that I am having trouble leaving the town -- as well as leaving the book, which I finished a few hours ago.
April 27, 2021
The Magician
Kathleen Shoop
From a gripping first page all the way to its satisfactory ending, The Magician is a “magical read”. I know next to nothing about baseball so I wasn’t sure I would enjoy or even understand a book about a famous baseball player but the Magician is so much more than an examination of the early life of Stan Maisel. Kathleen Shoop takes us into a world that we will never see again when impoverished immigrants from Eastern Europe came to the Monongahela valley to work in the steel mills. She sets her story in the town of Donora, later to become infamous for the smog that killed twenty of its citizens and poisoned a thousand more. Stan is the first born son of Lukasc and Mary Maisel and the “magic” is his almost from birth.
The author follows Stan and his friends as they form ad hoc baseball teams playing with homemade balls, and bats made from fence posts and broom handles. We see a close knit community of women attempting to make ends meet while the men earn pitiful wages in the heat and pollution of the steel mills and life teeters on the edge of poverty. Shoop writes of these women with admiration and understanding as they patch and mend and project their abandoned dreams onto their children. Stan and his ragtag bunch of friends find fun wherever they can but a shadow hangs over them. It is the shadow of their angry frustrated fathers who have tried to embrace the American dream and fallen short and now take out their frustration on their sons.
This looming fear of fathers is written brilliantly into every scene. Whenever the boys from Donora find something to enjoy we can feel their dread that somehow their immigrant father, drunk, or just tired and surly, will steal their small enjoyment. They speak of their fathers in terms of weather – stormy today, or thunder on the horizon.
This is so much more than a baseball book, but, at the same time, it is a book about baseball filled with details of Stan’s early career, his wins and losses, and his path to eventual stardom.
It is also a book about the American dream and the unsung heroes and heroines who made the steel that made America.
Kathleen Shoop
From a gripping first page all the way to its satisfactory ending, The Magician is a “magical read”. I know next to nothing about baseball so I wasn’t sure I would enjoy or even understand a book about a famous baseball player but the Magician is so much more than an examination of the early life of Stan Maisel. Kathleen Shoop takes us into a world that we will never see again when impoverished immigrants from Eastern Europe came to the Monongahela valley to work in the steel mills. She sets her story in the town of Donora, later to become infamous for the smog that killed twenty of its citizens and poisoned a thousand more. Stan is the first born son of Lukasc and Mary Maisel and the “magic” is his almost from birth.
The author follows Stan and his friends as they form ad hoc baseball teams playing with homemade balls, and bats made from fence posts and broom handles. We see a close knit community of women attempting to make ends meet while the men earn pitiful wages in the heat and pollution of the steel mills and life teeters on the edge of poverty. Shoop writes of these women with admiration and understanding as they patch and mend and project their abandoned dreams onto their children. Stan and his ragtag bunch of friends find fun wherever they can but a shadow hangs over them. It is the shadow of their angry frustrated fathers who have tried to embrace the American dream and fallen short and now take out their frustration on their sons.
This looming fear of fathers is written brilliantly into every scene. Whenever the boys from Donora find something to enjoy we can feel their dread that somehow their immigrant father, drunk, or just tired and surly, will steal their small enjoyment. They speak of their fathers in terms of weather – stormy today, or thunder on the horizon.
This is so much more than a baseball book, but, at the same time, it is a book about baseball filled with details of Stan’s early career, his wins and losses, and his path to eventual stardom.
It is also a book about the American dream and the unsung heroes and heroines who made the steel that made America.
May 12, 2021
The Magician is not my usual type of story. I saw it was by Kathleen Shoop, who rarely does me wrong, and figured I'd dive in. I had a bit of a hard time getting into the story. I'm not huge into historical anything but I generally liked this story. Shoop has a way of creating a story that makes it all possible to like no matter the genre. Now I figured historical AND baseball? There's just no way I'm going to be able to enjoy this... I surprised myself to be honest. This is all my way of saying to give a book a chance... you never know where the author is going to take you. It's a journey and Shoop covers all the bases.
The Magician is a third book in the Donora Story and it continues with the history of the Musial family. This is a story of immigration, of poverty, of boys playing ball. We follow Stan as he forms an adhoc baseball team with brooms as bats and homemade balls. We meet with a group of as they help their men struggle against low wages, against poverty while still dreaming for their children. It's a shockingly good story that is more than baseball or struggling immigrants... it's dreams and fears... it's love and at the heart of it all is family.
I received an ARC of this book with the hope that I would leave an Unbiased Opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that... my opinions.
Check out my Blog: Next Book Review
Check out my Facebook Page: Next Book Review Facebook
The Magician is a third book in the Donora Story and it continues with the history of the Musial family. This is a story of immigration, of poverty, of boys playing ball. We follow Stan as he forms an adhoc baseball team with brooms as bats and homemade balls. We meet with a group of as they help their men struggle against low wages, against poverty while still dreaming for their children. It's a shockingly good story that is more than baseball or struggling immigrants... it's dreams and fears... it's love and at the heart of it all is family.
I received an ARC of this book with the hope that I would leave an Unbiased Opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that... my opinions.
Check out my Blog: Next Book Review
Check out my Facebook Page: Next Book Review Facebook
March 19, 2022
I have mixed feelings about this book.
Indeed to write it must have been an epic undertaking. The attention to detail on family members (both real and fictional), the towns, the houses, the classes, the air pollution... All created a very visceral atmosphere you could taste just like the zinc in the air surrounding the steel mills of Donora.
Where I thought it was a bit lacking was in the kinetic energy of storytelling. With a lot of words, and a lot of chapters, many of them started to seem similar without really moving the story forward. Sometimes facts seemed to be shoehorned in, just to hit a historical or known event in the real Stan Musial's life, but seemed out of place in its narrative presentation. But believe me, I know first hand that historical fiction is difficult as you have to meet somewhere closer to silver screen than encyclopedia article. The characters were very intimately developed, however.
All in all, though, I still think this was a tremendous effort. If you're any inkling of a baseball fan, you'll probably love it. I was also happy that it introduced me to a real life historical person in that of Stan Musial. I honestly hadn't heard of him prior to this novel.
Lastly I will say my parents grew up in Eastern Pennsylvania, on the other side of the state from Donora in Wilkes-Barre, and my Mom's Mother was polish. So the pierogis, cabbage soup, Christmas celebrations, and coal banks were really accurate and left me with a great sense of nostalgia for the region.
To me personally, not a must read, but entertaining enough to share.
Indeed to write it must have been an epic undertaking. The attention to detail on family members (both real and fictional), the towns, the houses, the classes, the air pollution... All created a very visceral atmosphere you could taste just like the zinc in the air surrounding the steel mills of Donora.
Where I thought it was a bit lacking was in the kinetic energy of storytelling. With a lot of words, and a lot of chapters, many of them started to seem similar without really moving the story forward. Sometimes facts seemed to be shoehorned in, just to hit a historical or known event in the real Stan Musial's life, but seemed out of place in its narrative presentation. But believe me, I know first hand that historical fiction is difficult as you have to meet somewhere closer to silver screen than encyclopedia article. The characters were very intimately developed, however.
All in all, though, I still think this was a tremendous effort. If you're any inkling of a baseball fan, you'll probably love it. I was also happy that it introduced me to a real life historical person in that of Stan Musial. I honestly hadn't heard of him prior to this novel.
Lastly I will say my parents grew up in Eastern Pennsylvania, on the other side of the state from Donora in Wilkes-Barre, and my Mom's Mother was polish. So the pierogis, cabbage soup, Christmas celebrations, and coal banks were really accurate and left me with a great sense of nostalgia for the region.
To me personally, not a must read, but entertaining enough to share.
September 25, 2023
I know what originally drew me to this series…baseball. I love the game of baseball. BUT, this series and especially this third installment is not all about baseball. I suppose it’s more about family, dreams, and pride.
Family dynamics are often torturous affairs. What we see from the outside, doesn’t always mirror what goes on behind closed doors. Who we choose to spend our lives with, may not always be who we thought they were…or who we knew they could become. Shielding our children, as best we can, from a parent who is detached and cold, becomes a lifelong challenge.
Dreaming of a different life to that of our parents. Seeing it so clearly. Working to achieve that dream. Decisions. Sacrifices. Not understanding that those who might stand in our way, had dreams too. Sacrifices beyond what we know of their past lives. Constantly seeking approval.
Being prideful is a human fragility that is, perhaps, almost impossible to overcome. Taking pride in one’s abilities. Taking pride in what we’ve accomplished. Taking pride in who we are. Stubbornness. Not seeing others for who they are. Failing to be proud of the accomplishments of those we love. Proud of the person they’ve worked so hard to become.
Families shape us, whether we like it or not. Our dreams grow from the foundation our parents laid for us. We can be proud of what we’ve achieved, only when we understand the sacrifices they made in creating a path for us.
More thoughts on books and stuff at mytossiecup.blogspot.com
Family dynamics are often torturous affairs. What we see from the outside, doesn’t always mirror what goes on behind closed doors. Who we choose to spend our lives with, may not always be who we thought they were…or who we knew they could become. Shielding our children, as best we can, from a parent who is detached and cold, becomes a lifelong challenge.
Dreaming of a different life to that of our parents. Seeing it so clearly. Working to achieve that dream. Decisions. Sacrifices. Not understanding that those who might stand in our way, had dreams too. Sacrifices beyond what we know of their past lives. Constantly seeking approval.
Being prideful is a human fragility that is, perhaps, almost impossible to overcome. Taking pride in one’s abilities. Taking pride in what we’ve accomplished. Taking pride in who we are. Stubbornness. Not seeing others for who they are. Failing to be proud of the accomplishments of those we love. Proud of the person they’ve worked so hard to become.
Families shape us, whether we like it or not. Our dreams grow from the foundation our parents laid for us. We can be proud of what we’ve achieved, only when we understand the sacrifices they made in creating a path for us.
More thoughts on books and stuff at mytossiecup.blogspot.com
May 6, 2021
I have to be honest and tell you that when I volunteered to read this book, I didn’t recall reading the previous two books! I was assured that I had read them and as soon as I started reading it; it all came flooding back!
This entire collection is not my ‘norm’ when it comes to books and reading genres, but there is something about it that pulls me back to it; it sucks me in and I want to sit and listen to the stories that Patryk tells his great-grandson, Owen.
There is nothing I enjoyed more than sitting with my grandpa growing up and listening to his stories. This book puts me right back there with Patryk sharing stories with Owen. This story takes us back to Mary and Lukasz, their girls, and their first born son, Stanshu.
You don’t have to have read the first two books to follow along with this one, but if you want the history behind Donora, behind Mary and behind Lukasz, reading the previous books will definitely fill in the gaps of history that share the past of Stan’s parents growing up. Of an immigrant looking for the American dream. Of Mary and Lukasz falling in love and the obstacles that they face trying to find that American dream.
The Magician continues the history of the Musial family and watches not only as Stan grows up in search of his own “American” dream, but the continued frustration of Lukasz who constantly feels like he falls short on his own American dream and promises to his beloved.
This entire collection is not my ‘norm’ when it comes to books and reading genres, but there is something about it that pulls me back to it; it sucks me in and I want to sit and listen to the stories that Patryk tells his great-grandson, Owen.
There is nothing I enjoyed more than sitting with my grandpa growing up and listening to his stories. This book puts me right back there with Patryk sharing stories with Owen. This story takes us back to Mary and Lukasz, their girls, and their first born son, Stanshu.
You don’t have to have read the first two books to follow along with this one, but if you want the history behind Donora, behind Mary and behind Lukasz, reading the previous books will definitely fill in the gaps of history that share the past of Stan’s parents growing up. Of an immigrant looking for the American dream. Of Mary and Lukasz falling in love and the obstacles that they face trying to find that American dream.
The Magician continues the history of the Musial family and watches not only as Stan grows up in search of his own “American” dream, but the continued frustration of Lukasz who constantly feels like he falls short on his own American dream and promises to his beloved.
March 9, 2023
Since I am from Donora, this author and this book hold a special place in my heart.
When I read Kathleen's stories, it brings my childhood to life again. Here vivid details in the town bring me back to days of walking and riding my bike as a youngster.
The Magician combines many stories I have heard about Stan and an image of what it was like growing up in a tough time, with tough people, in a tough place.
Cement City is a sub-character in this book. I grew up in Cement City, which was certainly different in the '70s & '80s. It was no longer the home of wealthy power barrons from the mill. It was working class, but it was comfortable, and more importantly, it was home.
I was friends with some of the Labashes' who were characters in the story. Although their grocery store was closed when I was a kid, the family still lived upstairs.
I am looking forward to reading the 3rd book from this series and hope I enjoy it as much!
When I read Kathleen's stories, it brings my childhood to life again. Here vivid details in the town bring me back to days of walking and riding my bike as a youngster.
The Magician combines many stories I have heard about Stan and an image of what it was like growing up in a tough time, with tough people, in a tough place.
Cement City is a sub-character in this book. I grew up in Cement City, which was certainly different in the '70s & '80s. It was no longer the home of wealthy power barrons from the mill. It was working class, but it was comfortable, and more importantly, it was home.
I was friends with some of the Labashes' who were characters in the story. Although their grocery store was closed when I was a kid, the family still lived upstairs.
I am looking forward to reading the 3rd book from this series and hope I enjoy it as much!
July 13, 2025
I am NOT a baseball fan but I really enjoyed #2 & #3 of the Donora series. (There is a 4th on the way!!!)These were freebies from BookBub that were downloaded a long time ago. I didn't realize that I had all three until I had finished #3 (this one) yesterday. I started # 1 last night. It does NOT have to be read first but for continuity, you should read # 2 & then #3 in order.
I'm so impressed with how Shoop was able to blend the story of Donora, PA, the immigrants, add a little romance & folklore, and make all of that come so alive that I could almost smell the smoke (toxins) bleaching into the air. Two of those immigrants were Stan Musial's parents in case you were wondering how baseball came into this. That story continues in #3, The Magician.
It's been a long time since I've loved a series this much.
I'm so impressed with how Shoop was able to blend the story of Donora, PA, the immigrants, add a little romance & folklore, and make all of that come so alive that I could almost smell the smoke (toxins) bleaching into the air. Two of those immigrants were Stan Musial's parents in case you were wondering how baseball came into this. That story continues in #3, The Magician.
It's been a long time since I've loved a series this much.
June 26, 2021
Where to begin
Kathleen Shoop was able to Create a story so full of life, I felt like I was living with there people. Getting lost in a novel is why I read. I began read this series with book two, interested in the pollution and hardships of this town and era. I'm not a baseball fan nor had I heard of Stan. Somehow through her creative writing and characters I've certainly become a fan of this baseball play. His determination and perseverance to over come such negative father issues, as well as the poverty stricken town is truly inspiring. Exceptional person excellent read
Kathleen Shoop was able to Create a story so full of life, I felt like I was living with there people. Getting lost in a novel is why I read. I began read this series with book two, interested in the pollution and hardships of this town and era. I'm not a baseball fan nor had I heard of Stan. Somehow through her creative writing and characters I've certainly become a fan of this baseball play. His determination and perseverance to over come such negative father issues, as well as the poverty stricken town is truly inspiring. Exceptional person excellent read
January 2, 2024
What an absolute gem this turned out to be! I went into this with next to no idea what the story was about- I found it as a free ebook download from BookBub, and saw it could be read as a standalone. It had everything I love and resonate with: baseball, tiny Western-PA towns outside of Pittsburgh, Polish families.
I loved the way Stan’s story was weaved in with Patryk’s and Owen’s. Baseball being the common denominator worked so incredibly well. I cared about Stan so much because Patryk cared about Stan so much.
I’ve never been too keen on historical fiction, but the presentation of this made it fun and entertaining.
I loved the way Stan’s story was weaved in with Patryk’s and Owen’s. Baseball being the common denominator worked so incredibly well. I cared about Stan so much because Patryk cared about Stan so much.
I’ve never been too keen on historical fiction, but the presentation of this made it fun and entertaining.
January 12, 2024
Mostly Stan The Man
This is a great story about the town of Donora, PA. The main characters in the book is Stan Musical. His life was so entwined with the locals within the town that many support characters are included. This really is a historical based story.
You can’t help loving everyone in town. The town and his family and friends loved Stan. He was a special person all his life. but, what would you expect from someone born under a moon that was part of the alignment of the planets.
I only wonder if Stan signed the special baseball owned by the clothing merchant (sorry, the merchant's name if forgot).
This is a great story about the town of Donora, PA. The main characters in the book is Stan Musical. His life was so entwined with the locals within the town that many support characters are included. This really is a historical based story.
You can’t help loving everyone in town. The town and his family and friends loved Stan. He was a special person all his life. but, what would you expect from someone born under a moon that was part of the alignment of the planets.
I only wonder if Stan signed the special baseball owned by the clothing merchant (sorry, the merchant's name if forgot).
December 4, 2023
Much more a story about the difficulties of a Polish immigrant family in Depression era Donora, PA than your typical sports story about a famous baseball hero. In fact, the author’s unfamiliarity with the nuances of baseball is painfully evident in the sections of the books where she describes some of the “baseball action” in Stan Musial’s life. Having said that, very interesting details about Stan’s youth and the complicated family interactions with his parents, particularly his wonderful mother. A nice story which makes one appreciate even more what Stan Musial was able to accomplish.
May 7, 2021
Kathleen Shoop hits it out of the ballpark with The Magician. A lovely story filled with true to life feelings that I just could not put down. I loved how the boys cared for each other and included each other always and how they compared the atmosphere in their home (with their family/parents) to the weather. The Magician is so clever and such a wonderful read, I can't wait to read it all over again! A real home run!
November 1, 2022
one of the best series I’ve read in a really long time!
Considering I found the first book by accident, I feel so grateful to have read these. I just finished this third one and am breaking my rule again to go look for the next. What a truly GREAT story; so well written, so absorbing and endearing. I was moved to tears several times near the end of it. I always say that the best books leave you wanting more and more and more…I love, love, love this!!!
Considering I found the first book by accident, I feel so grateful to have read these. I just finished this third one and am breaking my rule again to go look for the next. What a truly GREAT story; so well written, so absorbing and endearing. I was moved to tears several times near the end of it. I always say that the best books leave you wanting more and more and more…I love, love, love this!!!
March 5, 2024
I enjoy this series, especially since I am from central/western PA. The history of the town and industry and the people are all spot on and very historically accurate. Jumbo, peirogies and the word dupa are all part of my childhood and it made me smile seeing them in print. Great story about a great person!
March 19, 2024
Well-written, a fun baseball book for people who only know the buzzwords of baseball. I respect the character development, but emotionally I would have enjoyed this book more if I hadn't read the previous one. Would be a great read as a stand-alone even if you haven't read anything else in the series
June 12, 2021
Donora came alive for me!
I loved this book! My grandmother was born in Donora, and my father spent his working life in steel mills in Allenport and Monessen.
I could picture the life there, including the smog.
The world in the Mon Valley came alive for me with her writing.
I loved this book! My grandmother was born in Donora, and my father spent his working life in steel mills in Allenport and Monessen.
I could picture the life there, including the smog.
The world in the Mon Valley came alive for me with her writing.
August 14, 2021
Loved this book
I couldn’t put it down. It was wonderful following these characters from the second book in the collection. The steel mills. The hard work. The baseball. I will really miss these characters.
I couldn’t put it down. It was wonderful following these characters from the second book in the collection. The steel mills. The hard work. The baseball. I will really miss these characters.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews