Monday, November 27, 2023

Susie Finkbeiner: The All-American

By Kelly Bridgewater

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.

Join award-winning author Susie Finkbeiner for a summer of chasing down your dreams and discovering the place you truly belong.


 

My Thoughts:

The All- American by Susie Finkbeiner captured all the feels of a 1950’s family with two little women who are working toward their dreams and their family life. As a reader, I enjoyed how realistic the young girls are. Finkbeiner did a wonderful job at creating the fear from the threat of Communism and how it affected both girls. The plot brought back memories of being the tomboy who wanted to play hockey since I was eleven years old. Of course, I live in a place where hockey is not played, so no luck. Whereas Bertha works really hard to see her dreams of playing for the Sweet Peas become a reality. On the other hand, I empathized with Flossie who has her nose in a book all the time. I was that little girl too. Touch of a teenage romance. Not swoony or takes over the whole story. Finkbeiner did a wonderful job at showing the budding feelings but keeping it low key. Overall, The All-American is a wonderful coming of age novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. A good novel to recommend for young ladies in today’s culture.

I received a complimentary copy of The All-American by Susie Finkbeiner from Revell Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating:  4 out of 5 stars

Purchase The All-American

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