I have read several John Grisham books lately and they have all had very different plots – one was a Christmas tale (Skipping Christmas), one was about a writer going under cover to help solve a crime (Camino Island), one was about law students (The Rooster Bar) and now one is about baseball. I chose Calico Joe for the April Online Book Club book because I enjoy Grisham novels and the springtime is when baseball season starts.
In the summer of 1973 Joe Castle was the boy wonder of baseball, the greatest rookie anyone had ever seen. The kid from Calico Rock, Arkansas dazzled Cub fans as he hit home run after home run, politely tipping his hat to the crowd as he shattered all rookie records. Calico Joe quickly became the idol of every baseball fan in America, including Paul Tracey, the young son of a hard-partying and hard-throwing Mets pitcher. On the day that Warren Tracey finally faced Calico Joe, Paul was in the stands, rooting for his idol but also for his Dad. Then Warren threw a fastball that would change their lives forever…
