Tuesday, December 16, 2014

A Pitch for Justice by Harold Kasselman


Strange bedfellows

 

A Pitch for Justice is a story about the unwritten rule of baseball conveyed through the mechanism of a court forum. As stated in the book, Baseball is a game for kids – but played by adults.

As an uninformed individual of both baseball and the legal system, I read this story as pure entertainment. I was not disappointed.

I learned a couple of baseball terms, such as, beaning and chin music. As far as courtroom drama goes, it maintained the suspense of an unpredictable trial. Kasselman’s background affords him to educate readers regarding law issues, without sounding condescending.

A Pitch for Justice is thought provoking. The dilemma concerns a baseball player who kills another player throwing a bean ball.  Does this constitute murder, or a lesser degree of murder, or none at all?

I recommend A Pitch for Justice by Harold Kasselman for readers who enjoy a good story well told.

Saturday, December 6, 2014

Quicksand Paradise by Mary Keith


An extraordinary read about a horrific era in America.

 A family of misogynists passes on their gruesome views to their sons. Louis desperately tries to brainwash these revolting beliefs to his son, Charles. Despite his twisted efforts, he is unsuccessful and the circle of hatred ends.

The author places her readers in Louisiana between the 1950’s and 60’s. The affluent Abellard family of men is vicious and cruel members of the KKK. The decade in history is brutal, and if the author’s purpose was not to sugar coat the period, she succeeded.

Quicksand Paradise contains all the elements of an evil family and community, while including an accurate account of history.