Free eBooks The Pitcher's Mom Available To Downloads
Bottom-of-the-ninth dreams are the stuff that young boys are made of. But boys grow. Destiny arrives on the doorstep –or, more likely, fails to– and all the while mothers look on, impotent witnesses to the great unknown. Such is the turf of The Pitcher’s Mom, a novel about big dreams, cup shopping, bleacher barbs, sore arms, mothers and sons, wrestling destiny, and the sacrifices we make for love. Finally, a baseball book that captures the game—from Little League to the pros— from the mom's point of view. "Heather Davis has a much better insight into the whole baseball process than almost any of the parents I've known over the last 50+ years. If you're a mom with a kid in the game, and you want to look at the big picture, "The Pitcher's Mom" is the story you should be reading."--Artie Harris, L.A. Dodgers Scout, Draft Room Coordinator, Elite Team Coordinator, featured in the hit movie Moneyball
File Size: 586 KB
Print Length: 342 pages
Publisher: Stewart Press (March 11, 2012)
Publication Date: March 11, 2012
Sold by: Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B007JCUNDQ
Text-to-Speech: Enabled
X-Ray: Enabled
Word Wise: Enabled
Lending: Not Enabled
Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled
Best Sellers Rank: #286,826 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store) #49 in Books > Parenting & Relationships > Parenting > Single Parents #776 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Sports #1012 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Sports
I grew up in the south where playing on a baseball and football team was pretty much mandatory. I was 5 when I got my first team uniform. And spent every summer at the ballpark until I was 14. This book makes me nostalgic for that time. There's a world, a community, that lives there and lives for it. I feel fortunate to have been a part of it. When I read Ms. Davis's book, there are so many wonderful moments that are either spot on true and really happened, or maybe she's such a good writer, they really feel like they did. That's just plain great writing.
First, a note for all you non-baseball non-moms out there: I loved this book, and I'm neither a baseball fan nor a mom - although like most I have enjoyed the former and vicariously practiced a bit of the latter via other routes. The themes in this book - sacrifice for those you love, the passionate pursuit of goals (with genetic fate even), coming of age, cup shopping discomfort (hmmm well, ladies have that too) - are universal.My reading tastes run the gamut, but I always enjoy writing that offer depth without pretension, especially with a good dose of self-aware humor. The mother in this story is highly intelligent, a little neurotic at first, yet so ready to expand her comfort zone as a mother and a person that you chuckle along with her, eager to find out where her family ends up, and are perhaps even inspired... if not to love better, than at least go toss a ball with a great kid.
This book was recommended to me by a friend and I couldn't put it down. I loved it! My son is 11 years old and has played little league and travel ball since he was 5. This book really hits the nail on the head with regard to little league, and said all of the things us parents think, but don't ever say. If you have a child that plays or ever played little league, you MUST read this book! I am recommending it to all my fellow baseball parents.
I downloaded the Kindle version while it was free, and wasn't expecting much. I thought it would be a lighthearted, cute story about a boy's first experience pitching. What I got instead was a moving story of four lives, and the real emotions mothers feel watching our sons grow up. I too have sat on the sidelines listening to other parents heckle my 10-year old. I too have sat silently praying, hoping, sending out every good vibe I could muster to the pitcher's mound where my only child stood alone. And the book covers a period of 19 years, which is more of a story than I expected. An enjoyable read with beautiful prose and real emotions.
I never played on a baseball team and I was a senior in high school before I saw my first live professional game. Where I lived on Long Island, the boys played their version of baseball in the middle of the street until they were in junior high (7th - 9th grades) and no girls were allowed to join in. So, the world of Little Lague baseball is totally foreign to me. I did have some difficulty with all the jargon used in the book but I found it interesting nevertheless.The Pitcher's Mom was very well-written and well-edited (I found only a few typos) with a smooth and flowing style that I found very easy to read. The dialogue was authentic and really moved the plot along. The imagery was exceptionally vivid and realistic; I got caught up in the story's world and I found it very hard to put the book down. All the characters had well-developed and three-dimensional personalities, even the minor ones. One of the reviewers objected to the way sex was handled in the book, but I thought it was done exceedingly well. I would have had no objections if my daughter had read this book when she was nine years old and if she had asked me what "post-coital" meant I would have told her "after sexual intercourse." This discussion would also include the facts that Clem and Jill were both grown-ups who loved each other.I wasn't very happy about the inclusion of the scene about "getting Jesus" since I do not feel it added anything to the plot or themes of the story and it felt superfluous. The business of the number 108 had even less meaning for me as far as the story went.Overall, I found this book to be original and absorbing and I enjoyed reading it very much. I would definitely recommend that anyone who wanted a great reading experience should give this book a try.
I couldn't disagree more with Jennymack. This book kept my interest throughout, and the short little chapters seemed to make for a very fast read. As the single mom of a former pitcher/shortstop, in the neighborhood next to where the author currently lives (and having watched many a game at the same Little League field where Jill watched many a game), this story could have been my own. Although, I learned a lot more about baseball over the years than Jill did! This was a delightful book that I would highly recommend to any baseball parent or baseball lover--or any parent with a child in sports...or anyone else for that matter!
You do not have to be the parent of an athlete to love this novel! It is fun and quirky and heartfelt in its entirety. I felt like a member of the family and I thoroughly enjoyed each of the main characters and their foibles. My husband has coached boys' baseball from ages 11 through HS for over 30 years, and I can empathize with every emotion felt by each character - from confusion to trepidation to triumph to amazement and every step in between. When Gus threw his first curve ball against all of Mom's wishes, I actually laughed right out loud; it was such a "real" experience. Believe me, all you "pitchers' moms" out there, coaches' wives and all other fans and relatives are suffering the ups and downs of youth sports right along with you. It doesn't matter what sport or activity your child plays or what age your child is (the grandma, Gabby, is perhaps the most honest character of all in this novel), the love comes through loud and clear. I highly recommend this book.
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