The All American

The All-American: A Novel By Susie Finkbeiner / Revell

The All American by Susie Finkbeiner

What a wonderful book! You’ll meet unforgettable characters with spot on dialogue. Expect to feel a full range of emotions as you proceed through their story. You experience joy over the characters’ victories and then despair when trials sabotage their harmony. 

The author chose to tell the story from two different viewpoints rotating between the two main characters, Bertha and Flossie Harding. They are sisters and passionate about dissimilar interests. It’s baseball for Bertha and books for Flossie. Their dad is an author, and mom, formerly of the United Kingdom, is his biggest fan. 

    The book spans the time period from 1952 through the end of the decade. A time in our country when The Red Scare was an event that upended many innocent lives. Bertha and Flossie’s Dad was caught up in the snare and this accusation set in motion many unforeseen events. 

     As the Harding family deals with the consequences of these allegations, the family shows great strength. Amid the turmoil, Bertha gains the chance to pursue her dream of playing for the All-American Girls Baseball League. This sub-plot adds a fun dimension to the plot. 

     All the Harding family members have great stories to tell; including Uncle Matthew, and the newlyweds, Chip and Peggy.  

I read this book at the height of baseball season. The book brought back pleasant memories of little league games and family trips to Cooperstown. But you don’t have to be a sports fan to enjoy the novel. It’s a great read any time of the year. I received a complimentary copy from the publisher Revell in exchange for my honest review.