Last week, I decided to take a mini-vacation. Since summer is upon us and baseball season is under way, I chose the short novel Calico Joe for the drive to northwest Arkansas. I have seen the audiobook on the shelf many times, but always opted for other stories. I’m not sure why either. I enjoy Grisham’s novels, but wasn’t sure that a book about baseball was what I was looking for.
Calico Joe is the story of a baseball player from Calico Rock, Arkansas who makes his way into the major leagues as a player for the Chicago Cubs. His rookie season is nothing less than magical and the entire baseball world watches with fascination, including a young boy in suburban New York. The boy is fascinated with the skyrocketing success of Calico Joe. Requests for autographed pictures are sent to the young athlete — much to the distress of the boy’s father, a pitcher for the rival New York Mets. Calico Joe and the Cubs find themselves facing the Mets with the disgruntled pitcher on the mound. The infamous game that results will forever change the men’s careers, the lives of their families, and baseball itself. Calico Joe examines how a single moment in time can forever alter our destiny while exploring the healing power of the restoration of broken relationships.
Next time you find yourself on the road, consider picking up a copy of this short novel (roughly 4 hours in duration) and lose yourself in the game again. You’ll be glad you did.
Reading for Me 
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