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The Legend of Mickey Tussler by Frank Nappi
Book Summary InformationAuthor: Frank Nappi Edition: Hardcover Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published) Published: 2008-04-29 ISBN: 0312381093 Number of pages: 304 Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Book Reviews of The Legend of Mickey TusslerBook Review: Terrific! Timely! Tense! Awesome author! Summary: 5 Stars
I've been a huge fan of author Frank Nappi ever since I read his inspiring, heart-breaking debut novel Echoes from the Infantry: A Novel," a WWII story of a young soldier who returned from the war a changed man. Nappi wrote about the soldier's post-war family life and his relationship with his wife and son. It moved me deeply and was my favorite debut novel of 2005.
When I reviewed Nappi's "Echoes," I predicted he would be a "force to be reckoned with in the literary field," and in writing another brilliant novel he is proving me right.
I was delighted to learn that Nappi had written another powerful novel,The Legend of Mickey Tussler, and couldn't wait to read it. This is another masterpiece, the story of Arthur Murphy, manager of a local baseball team, and Mickey Tussler, an autistic seventeen-year-old boy with a "fearsome fast-ball." When Murph signs the boy for his team, he soon realizes, as another reviewer aptly describes it, that Mickey "comes with a blessing and a curse": the blessing is his caring mother, the curse, his abusive father.
In the 1940's timeline of this novel, this disability was unknown and misunderstood; those suffering this affliction were thought of as "slow," and called "retarded" by less sensitive people, including Mickey's father.
I was hooked from the first page and couldn't wait to learn how the game of baseball helped young Mickey Tussler come to terms with and overcome his disability, despite his father and jealous teammates undermining the boy's confidence, hindering his progress.
This book is "Terrific" because Nappi builds his two heroes so realistically I feel like I know them. I really care what happens to them and other characters. When Murph and Mickey's mother Molly become close, the tension adds another realistic depth to this only too human story.
This book is "Timely" because with more and more people being diagnosed with autism every day, Nappi is on the "cutting-edge" of the trend to educate people in an entertaining format. Most people will relate to Mickey because he could be someone they know, a beloved family member or a dear friend.
And The Legend of Mickey Tussler is "Tense" due to Nappi's awesome writing skills and near-perfect pacing that keeps the reader enthralled to the end, waiting to find out if Mickey will win against the odds...in life and in baseball.
Will Mickey win? Will Murph be able to help him? Could something as American as baseball be the answer? Will his baseball genius overcome his obstacles? What price does Mickey have to pay to become a legend?
But the big question is: will readers get the subtle, underlying message and learn how to live their own lives better?
Though not written specifically for young adults, I recommend this book to them and to everyone who enjoys a heart-warming, inspirational story. This is not only baseball fiction at its best, it's an all-around good story written from the heart and soul of a wordsmith who's mastered the fine art of storytelling.
Mickey Tussler's journey won my heart. Long after I closed the book, I found myself thinking of this special young man and of Arthur Murphy, the man who made it happen.
End-note: I just learned that a screenplay is being made from this novel. When it hits the big screen, I'll be first in line to see it. (Dare I say, "I told you so?")
Reviewed by Betty Dravis, December 2008
Summary of The Legend of Mickey TusslerSeventeen-year-old Mickey Tussler is recruited to play for a minor league affiliate of the Boston Braves. Arthur Murphy swears Mickey has the greatest arm he has ever seen, that anybody has ever seen. And it might be true. But Mickey's autism is prohibitive. It keeps him sealed off from a world he scarcely understands. Lost both in the memory of his former life with an abusive father and the challenges of a new world filled with heckling teammates, opponents and fans, there's no way Mickey can succeed. But his inimitable talent -- one of the most gifted arms in the history of baseball -- gives him a chance. Can he survive a real life dream? Or are the harsh realities of life too much for him? This is the powerful underdog story of how a young man with an extraordinary gift comes of age in a harsh and competitive world.
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