The All-American by Susie Finkbeiner ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

Two sisters discover how much good there is in the world--even in the hardest of circumstances.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

 

July 2023; Revell; 978-0800741532
audio, ebook, print (368 pages); women's fiction

This fantastic book is a look at two sisters growing up in the suburbs of Detroit in the 1950s.  The sisters are only 5 years apart but they are as different as night and day.  But the more we learn about them, the more similarity there is between them - they both have big dreams and hopes for the future.

Bertha is 16 and isn't really looking forward to life as a suburban wife.  She struggles in her home ec class (I got a big laugh about that home ec class) and just can't seem to learn what she needs to know to be a perfect wife.  Instead she wants to play baseball and the only people who play ball are the boys.  At first she's rejected but after they see how talented she is, they decide that she can play on their team.  Her real goal in life is to play for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. a minor league women's baseball team and after seeing a game she starts a correspondence with one of the team members.  When she gets a chance to try out for the team,  she feels that her dreams are going to happen but making them happen is a challenge.

Flossie is the youngest sister.  She's smart, doesn't have a lot of friends and would sooner spend her time inside a book than being around other people.  She is the deep thinker and the person who asks questions in the family.  

When their father, a famous author is accused of being a Communist, the family gets ostracized from their town and moves to northern Michigan to live with their uncle.  Bertha is sad about leaving her baseball friends and Flossie is sad about leaving her library and hopes that there is another one near.  Family tragedy makes them question their dreams and makes them both take a new look at their lives.

I grew up in suburban Detroit in the 50s.  I was a Tiger fan and wanted to play baseball with the boys in the park but was never good enough.  The story brought back a lot of fun memories to me.  It was so well written and the characters were so real that they could have been friends that I knew way back when. Susie Finkbeiner has written another fantastic story about chasing your dreams and finding your place in life.

Buy The All-American at Amazon

Susan Roberts grew up in Michigan but loves the laid-back life at her home in the Piedmont area of North Carolina where she is two hours from the beach to the east and the mountains in the west.  She reads almost anything but her favorite genres are Southern Fiction and Historical Fiction.

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us. Get even more book news in your inbox, sign up for our newsletter today! Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.