Normally, Grisham is known for great legal thrillers but this time he throws readers a curve. “Calico Joe” is a great sports book as well as a fantastic novel that moves along at a brisk pace to its final pages. It is the story of two baseball players who have only one meeting in a game back in the year 1973. Joe Castle is an incredible player for the Chicago Cubs who has everything going for him, while Warren Tracey is a pitcher for the New York Mets who is much older in a career that is on its way down. Their meeting in this game will change both men’s lives forever. Tracey’s son Paul is in the stands that day and roots for both his father Warren and Joe at the same time. He, like fans of both teams, is bothered by what happens in this game. “Calico Joe” is the third novel Grisham has written that takes place in the world of sports. “Playing for Pizza” and “Bleachers” were both tales involving football. This time the story is filled with many real baseball figures as well as writing that is character driven which makes the novel a pleasure to read. Fans of Grisham should not miss “Calico Joe.”
Calico Joe
John Grisham
Dell
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
www.bantamdell.com
9780345541338, $7.99 www.amazon.com
