AUTHOR: Susie Finkbeiner
DATE: 2023
PUBLISHER: Revell
STARS: ****
From the back cover:
Two sisters discover how much good there is in the world--even in the hardest of circumstances
It is 1952, and nearly all the girls 16-year-old Bertha Harding knows dream of getting married, keeping house, and raising children in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan. Bertha dreams of baseball. She reads every story in the sports section, she plays ball with the neighborhood boys--she even writes letters to the pitcher for the Workington Sweet Peas, part of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
When Bertha's father is accused of being part of the Communist Party by the House Un-American Activities Committee, life comes crashing down on them. Disgraced and shunned, the Hardings move to a small town to start over where the only one who knows them is shy Uncle Matthew. But dreams are hard to kill, and when Bertha gets a chance to try out for the Workington Sweet Peas, she packs her bags for an adventure she'll never forget.
My review:
I finished reading The All-American a few days ago but have struggled to know how to review it. The characters are great, with Flossie being my favorite, and the insertion of news articles worked well. But the ending felt incomplete, making me wonder if another book is planned. When I read for pleasure, the main characters’ stories need to have a satisfactory wrap-up, not incite a “Huh?”
I am old enough to remember hearing my parents discuss lives ruined by the McCarthy era Communist hunts, with innocent people having their reputations and way of life destroyed, and that rang true in the family of The All-American. I enjoyed this story, I did not love it. While the back cover points to Bertha as the main character, Flossie steals the stage.
The All-American earns four stars for good characters, interesting era portrayed well, and a few memorable lines. I was given a copy of this book by the publisher.