calico joe a novel

I fell in love with Grisham's writings with the first paperback novel that I purchased at a yard sale.  So I picked up a second one and found I was just as hooked.

I don't know what it is about Grisham's writings that get to me.  Perhaps it's his easy flow.  I never hit a dry spot in his novels.  With some author's all of their books "feel" the same.  If you've read one, you've read them all.  Not so with Grisham.  Each novel takes on it's own journey.  It's own twists, it's own story.  And they never end in the same way. 

I began to follow Grisham on facebook simply so I could be in the know easier about his upcoming book release dates.  Needless to say when I saw a post claiming "free books for 25 bloggers, just send an email" I was on it with baited breath.  I linked up this post I'd already written about John Grisham in an email (with all it's typo's and errors, cringe) and hoped against hope.  When I got the email saying I'd be getting a book I literally jumped up and down and did a little dance.  And then I sent a text off to The Man with at least ten exclamation points.

I'm in love with Calico Joe.

There, I said it.

I expected a light hearted book about the American past time, baseball.  And though it was centered around the game, it most certainly wasn't just a baseball book.  There was a depth to this book that I didn't expect at all.  It gave me chills, twice. 

When I read inspirational books I read with a pencil in hand.  Underlining things that touch me, that have an outside meaning to me, that catch me in the moment for my life.  I've never done this with a fictional novel.  Why would I?

My copy of Calico Joe has pencil in it.

How do I tell you about what's in this book with out telling you what's in this book?  I don't want to give any of it away and ruin the experience.  Because reading this book was an experience.

The characters grab you.  Paul and Joe.  Even Warren. 
It's about a boy, Paul, and not just the boy Paul, but the grown man Paul.

"When you get backhanded by your father, the pain lasts far longer than the bruises."
"He tipped his cap to me, and at that moment I realized how much I wanted to adore him."

By the end of Chapter 11 I had my first chills, the writing and story were so dead on.

This is a story about baseball.  But it's also a story about raw feelings.  Being enough, not being enough, and dealing with hard blows in life.

It's a story about second chances and "the restorative powers of forgiveness."  It's about the fact that being enough, might just be inside you after all.

Grisham has 29 books, including Calico Joe.  For years The Chamber has held out as my favorite... until now.  Calico Joe took me by surprise and when my daughter, who has decided along with me that Grisham is a "must read", asks me which book of his to read now, I'll be handing her this one. 


Read it.  Read it now. 
Or actually, read it on April 10th, that's when it goes on sale.


I did receive a free book in exchange for writing this blog post, but the opinion is 100% mine and true to how I feel.  Just ask anyone I know, I talk about Grisham all the time, and would have written this post even had I paid for the book on my own.