About the BookIt’s 1950 and Mickey Tussler—the now-famous pitching prodigy with autism and a golden arm—is back for another baseball season in this third installment of Frank Nappi’s critically acclaimed Legend of Mickey Tussler series. Talk of Mickey’s legendary exploits on the field has grown since his improbable debut two years prior, as have the fortunes of Murph and the rest of the lovable ragtag Brew Crew. Now Mickey, Murph, and Lester find themselves heading to Bean Town to play for the Boston Braves.
The call up is sweet, for all of them have overcome insurmountable odds to get where they are. But life in the major leagues is filled with fast-paced action both on and off the field. The bright lights of Boston hold a new series of challenges, hardships, and life lessons—especially for Mickey, who finds himself a long way from throwing apples into a barrel back on the farm. The three newest Braves have each other to lean on, as well as a new group of fans who are swept away by pennant fever, but balancing everything this new world has to offer may prove to be the greatest challenge of all.
My Review
Beneath the surface of this little book is a real head scratcher of a debate I wasn't expecting to find:
What ultimately brings happiness?
Baseball players work their whole lives to make it to the majors. It's supposed to be where dreams come true. The title speaks for itself, "Welcome to THE SHOW." The big time. The pinnacle. The promised land. But is it really?
Author Frank Nappi poses this question by coming at it from two different perspectives - a man's and a woman's. Murph is the manager who's been mired in Triple-A for years. Now he finally has his shot to take the helm of a big league club in Boston. Molly, his new wife, who recently escaped a long, abusive relationship, isn't all that keen on making the move. She was okay with their life when it centered around a small market town, but life in the big city is another story entirely.
I thought the book did a great job in showing how the transition is just as hard on the woman, as it is on the man in her life. For much of the season, she's on her own. Murph is at the stadium, or on the road, the majority of the time. While Molly is a country girl, who's used to living on a farm. She prefers a simple, quiet life to the one she's living now, and she struggles mightily to adjust to a loud, often confusing, city.
Quite frankly, Molly is heartbroken and homesick, and Murph's beside himself, not wanting to lose her, but not wanting to see her so unhappy either. But this is what he's waited for, for so long, and now that it's within his grasp, he can't even sit back and enjoy it. Because as it turns out, the job itself isn't easy. He has to deal with being the owner's puppet, not to mention the veteran players who make it clear from the beginning that they don't respect him or his decisions.
But what unites Murph and Molly is their devotion to her autistic son, Mickey. He's on the team too. In fact, it's his phenomenal pitching ability that brought the two of them together in the first place. Will he be able to help them find a middle ground now? Or will his pitching for Murph just end up hurting his mom even more?
The answer to that question is found in the final chapter.
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Welcome to the Show can be purchased at:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
iTunes
Prices/Formats: $9.99 ebook, $9.99 paperback
Genre: Sports, YA, Special Needs
Pages: 288
Release: April 19, 2016
Publisher: Sky Pony
ISBN: 9781634508292
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About the AuthorFrank Nappi has taught high school English and Creative Writing for over twenty five years. His debut novel, ECHOES FROM THE INFANTRY, received national attention, including MWSA's silver medal for outstanding fiction. His follow-up novel, THE LEGEND OF MICKEY TUSSLER, garnered rave reviews as well, including a movie adaptation of the touching story "A Mile in His Shoes" starring Dean Cain and Luke Schroder. Nappi continues to produce quality work, including SOPHOMORE CAMPAIGN, the intriguing sequel to the much heralded original story and the thriller, NOBODY HAS TO KNOW, which received an endorsement from #1 New York Times bestselling author Nelson DeMille. The third installment of Nappi's Mickey Tussler series, WELCOME TO THE SHOW, was released April 2016, and he is currently working on his next thriller, AS LONG AS WE BOTH SHALL LIVE. Nappi lives on Long Island with his wife Julia and their two sons, Nicholas and Anthony.
Links to connect with Frank:
Web Site
Goodreads
YouTube
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