The Cactus League by Emily Nemens

The Cactus League by Emily Nemens
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Release Date: February 4, 2020
Length: 288 pages
Amazon

{A Bit of Backstory}

Single Sentence Summary

A loosely woven story of a baseball team, people involved with it, and its Golden Glove winning left fielder during spring training in Scottsdale.

From the Publisher

“Jason Goodyear is the star outfielder for the Los Angeles Lions, stationed with the rest of his team in the punishingly hot Arizona desert for their annual spring training. Handsome, famous, and talented, Goodyear is nonetheless coming apart at the seams. And the coaches, writers, wives, girlfriends, petty criminals, and diehard fans following his every move are eager to find out why–as they hide secrets of their own.”

The Draw

• Sports stories are not usually my thing, so something different.
• Sarah from Sarah’s Book Shelves originally put this book on my radar.
• My sister lives in Scottsdale, so I know the setting well.

{My Thoughts}

I’m not sure there’s anything I like much more than when a book takes me completely by surprise and that’s exactly what happened with The Cactus League. Books that are actually connected short stories typically have me running the other way. I hadn’t realized that was the case with Nemens’ new book until I finished the first chapter and began the second, but oh, I loved that first chapter. From start to finish each of the nine chapters in The Cactus League presented a new character who beautifully drove the story.

Throughout the book Nemens delivers characters connected in someway to The Los Angeles Lions and their star player Jason Goodyear. It’s the spring of 2011 and his world is starting to fall apart. Each story gives a little more information about what really might be going on with Jason. At the same time the reader gets the more personal stories of others connected to the team: an aging out batting coach, teammates, an owner, Jason’s agent and ex-wife, a baseball groupie, and many more. The individual stories were beautifully written with real depth in a small package.

A down and out reporter, who’s been around baseball a long time and knows where to dig, tells the stories. Before each new chapter he links a little bit of Arizona’s geological history with baseball. At first this threw me a bit, but I came to look forward to each new geology lesson and how it would lead me to a new person’s story. Getting to know each character and their connections to baseball and to Jason turned out to be a very special reading experience. Whether you’re a fan of baseball or not, The Cactus League is a book well worth reading! Grade: B+

“But this isn’t a story about my career trajectory or how much I miss my wife. This isn’t about the downfall of newspapers or why my son won’t go ahead and make me a granddad already. It’s about Jason, and all the improbable things that got him to us – to this very instant, to right now.”

If you liked this book you might also enjoy:

• Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes – Another story featuring a baseball player going through a tough time. (my review)
• Anatomy of a Miracle by Jonathan Miles – A paraplegic veteran suddenly stands and walks, and everyone wants a piece of his miracle. (my review)

Note: I received a copy of this book from the Farrar, Straus and Giroux (via NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.