Monday, March 12, 2012

Safe at Home: A Novel



Customer Rating :
Rating: 4.7


List Price : $13.99 Price : $0.83

Safe at Home: A Novel



Product Description

The spring of ’53 started out like any other for sports columnist Jack Hall, as he and the rest of his small southern town, Whitney, eagerly awaited the magical first pitch that would open the Bobcat’s season. But when ticket sales wane with the new distractions of air conditioning and I Love Lucy, the Bobcats face an early end not only to the season but to their careers as well. The team needs a white knight to save them and ironically, that white knight seems to be a 17 year old "colored kid", Percy Jackson, who’s got a .364 batting average and has never seen a grounder he couldn’t chase down.

Not everyone—not even most people—though can wrap their heads around an integrated baseball field, even if they have seen them on TV. This is Whitney. Things don’t change and they don’t need to change. Do they?

Hearts, minds, faith and tradition will be tested as will friendships and marriages when this sleepy southern town comes to grips with itself amid the early years of the Civil Rights Movement.







    Safe at Home: A Novel Reviews


    Amazon.com
    Customer Reviews
    Average Customer Review
    18 Reviews
    5 star:
    		 (16)
    4 star:
    		 (1)
    3 star:    (0)
    2 star:    (0)
    1 star:
    		 (1)
     
     
    		 

    7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
    5.0 out of 5 stars Safe at Home is a home run!, April 21, 2008
    This review is from: Safe at Home: A Novel (Paperback)
    Safe at Home
    As someone who grew up enjoying minor league baseball with my grandfather and in the era of de-segregation, this book vividly brought back fond and not-so-fond memories. Written with a fun style while causing us to think about serious subjects, this book is a must for all baby boomers, all who love baseball, and all who long for true racial reconciliation.
    Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
    Was this review helpful to you?  Yes No


    5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
    5.0 out of 5 stars greenleafblog.net review of Safe at Home, January 14, 2010
    By 
    Caleb Land (Macon, GA United States) - See all my reviews
    (REAL NAME)   
    Amazon Verified Purchase( What's this?)
    This review is from: Safe at Home: A Novel (Paperback)
    I loved this book. The writing was solid. Doster is not going to win the Pulitzer, but he knows what he's doing. More importantly, it was a good story. Doster knows the south and he knows baseball and he uses this knowledge as the backdrop for a powerful story.

    Perhaps the two things that set this book apart from other Christian fiction is it's subtlety and it's truthfulness. Subtlety is rare indeed in Christian fiction. Doster understands that the Christian writer needs not use fiction as a vehicle for systematic theology or as a thinly veiled Gospel tract. The faith of Jack Hall and his family is always there, Doster doesn't shy away from it, but there is more substance to the story which leads us to the second great thing about the book.

    Doster weaves a truthful story. Jack Hall, even though he is a Christian, is still a sinner in need of grace. Throughout the story there is a gentle reminder that the Christian culture in the south needed, and still does... Read more
    Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
    Was this review helpful to you?  Yes No


    3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Gifted New Author, May 4, 2008
    By 
    Eric A. Lanigan (Winter Park, FL) - See all my reviews
    (REAL NAME)   
    This review is from: Safe at Home: A Novel (Paperback)
    It's hard to believe this is Doster's first book. He has that rare ability to tell a story so well that it doesn't matter what its about. For example, instead of saying that a preacher is nervous and unsure of what to say, he writes: "...he ventured into the uncomfortable unknown, and had no idea of where he was leading. He cleared his throat, hesitated, looked down at the notes he didn't have..." WOW! There are countless other places throughout the book where Doster crafts the most enjoyable language to describe the events and characters. At one point I thought the only shortcoming of the book was that he had not fully developed the character of Percy Jackson, the black ballplayer. Then I realized that this was intentional as the story revolves around Percy, but is really about the other characters and how they react to an upheaval in the relationship between the races. The ending didn't let me down - no romanticized happily-ever-after or pandering tragedy. I'll buy the... Read more
    Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
    Was this review helpful to you?  Yes No


    Share your thoughts with other customers:
    ›  See all 18 customer reviews...


    Posted by at
    Labels:

    No comments:

    Post a Comment

    Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)