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Once Upon a Fastball | 
 enlarge | Author: Bob Mitchell
Publisher: Kensington
Category: Book
List Price: $20.00
Buy New: $3.98
You Save: $16.02 (80%)
New (38) Used (17) from $3.98
Avg. Customer Rating:  7 reviews
Sales Rank: 486322
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 288
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.7 x 0.9
ISBN: 075822687X
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780758226877
ASIN: 075822687X
Publication Date: May 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: Brand new and unread, dust cover in great condition
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Book Description
Your legacy is in the Attic. The words leap from the cryptic poem left for Harvard professor Seth Stein by his Papa Sol, the doting grandfather who vanished without a trace four years earlier. It was Papa Sol who instilled an unquenchable passion for baseball in Seth's soul; it was Sol who also ignited Seth's obsession with history, spinning fabulous tales of times and people long gone. And when Papa Sol disappeared, it was Seth who stepped up to the plate, caring for Sol's bewildered wife as she clung to her cherished memories. Seth is still searching for answers when the poem--"For Setharoo, on his fiftieth birthday"--appears in his grandmother's home. It leads him to a scuffed, yellowed baseball, resting in a box handmade by his grandfather. Without warning, a single touch of the rough leather thrusts Seth through the swirling vortex of history onto the streets of 1950s New York and then to the greatest baseball game ever played, the Bobby Thomson "Shot Heard `Round the World" playoff classic. It is in this surreal, sepia-toned site of past glory that historian Seth begins a wondrous, life-changing odyssey that allows him to find the answers he so desperately seeks. Suspenseful, thought-provoking, funny, and poignant , this beautifully crafted novel is a joyous tribute to our inspiring and timeless national pastime, and a rare treasure for all those who love baseball.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 2 more reviews...
 An outstanding book July 21, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I was given this book to read because someone had suggested it. I finished it in 2 sittings. It is a wonderful book. The interlacing of history, literature, and sports makes it a fun read. I would recommend it to everyone, especially if you like baseball. But, if you did not like baseball, then you would enjoy it too. An excellent book. One of the better books I have ever read. Enjoyed it thoroughly.
He Hits it Out of the Park July 10, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Mitchell has touched all the bases in this clever novel that blends a love story, a complex intergenerational family tale, and baseball lore. It will make for excellent summer reading at the beach. Mitchell knows his baseball and his use of four of the great moments in the last sixty years of baseball grabs the reader--Bobby Thomson's home run in 1951, McCovey's line drive that ended the 1962 World Series, Bill Buckner's 1986 error to end all errors, and the 2004 Red Sox comeback from oblivion against the Yankees in the ALCS. For readers who got hooked on baseball in the immediate post-World War II era, this is especially a delight as he trots out names that resonate down through the passing of time. Some readers might find the ending of this fable a stretch, but it is is a delightful stretch that leaves the reader in an upbeat state of mind. With all the gloom and doom in the air, this lovely story restores one's faith in the human condition....and makes that timeless connection between the generations that, of all our sports, only baseball can do.
Dick Davies, Reno, NV
 Bob Mitchell is great! June 23, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Once Upon A fastball is the second of Bob Mitchell's books I have read. I enjoyed this one every bit as much as I did the first one. Bob has tremendous knowledge of the subjects about which he writes, but the most important thing for me is the message of the book. The ending of this very great, sweet story left me with many tears in my eyes -- a sign of my having enjoyed it thoroughly! I look forward to reading many more of Bob Mitchell's books. He's definitely my kind of author.
If you love Baseball... June 9, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
...you will enjoy this book. From the introduction, when Bob Mitchell describes basball cards and players from the 50's and 60's to the journeys back in time to The Polo Grounds, Candlestick, the Buckner Blunder and the Red Sox finally breaking the curse, you will find yourself thoroughly engrossed in a tale of what America's Pastime means to so many of us,especially those of us who grew up in the 50's and 60's,
and also meant to our parents and grandparents.
This is a book with a lot of heart and one that easily takes the reader on a jouney of remembrance of both baseball and the relationships we shared with parents and grandparents.
A Baseball Book Not About Baseball May 30, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is an interesting book, albeit one with a myriad of directions. While it is entertaining, it is also complex, challenging, and quizzical.
The author weaves a very neat story with true compassion, but landscapes the pages with numerous historical, poetic, and mythical references which often overpower the reader.In the end, it is a baseball book that is not really about baseball. Instead, the author uses some intriguing key historical baseball moments to both enrich his story, as well as comment on the meaning of history.
Indeed the talented author seems to be fixated by both words and numbers. In fact, he notes that there are 616,500 words in the English language and it seems like nearly every one of them appears in this effort. For the squeamish who may not feel comfortable with 157 word sentences or a distracting hard narrative transition from third person to first person, perhaps this book is not for you. For others that crave something different, something unusual, and something written from the heart, please note this recommendation.
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