Fire Safety by Lawrence Hickman

Anonymous Guest 05 Apr 2014

Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program () Calico Joe had every kid's baslbael fantasy lightening start in his big league debut, the lifting of a sad-sack team (the Cubs) to contender status, broken records, the adulation of his teammates and fans and then he didn't. John Grisham has written a very good and captivating story more than a baslbael story, though America's game is the canvass upon which this tragedy is painted.Warren Tracey was also a big leaguer a pitcher with the kind of stats that define most careers in the bigs: occasionally good, usually mediocre and sometimes awful. He was destined to never be remembered except by trivia hounds once his career reached its uncelebrated end until his involvement in a baslbael drama that ensured his name would be written in baslbael lore, though not in any manner he would have desired.The story is told through the eyes of Warren's eleven year old boy Paul and alternates between 1973, the year Calico Joe and Warren were in the game together, and thirty years later when all three characters are still living lives vastly influenced by the events of that year. Warren not only contributed to one of the game's great what ifs, but also through his wretched performance as a father and husband, ensured that his family would bear the influence of being of and with Warren Tracey.I won't go into more because detail would give away the drama to this slim book. Although not nearly as long as most Grisham novels, this story is worth the read. It is perfect for a single-evening immersion, so if you are the type of reader who likes to occasionally fully immerse yourself for a couple of hours with a good story and see it through to the end, this is your book. It reminded me somewhat of Grisham's book The Testament in that it touches on some of the same themes. It also is in the vein of Bleachers and Painted House. A good, though short, story that is engaging with a satisfying conclusion.