Archived Innings

In Elysian Fields, released by Tom Evans this summer, proves itself a fascinating read.  The events of this novel take place in the late-1950s, and the feel of the book definitely fits with that time period.  Luke Allen is a major league ballplayer in the final season of his career, hoping to have a shot at finally winning a championship before he retires.  Luke is having one of the best seasons of his already-Hall of Fame worthy career, due in part to the influence of a series of anonymous notes sent to him from a secret admirer.

The secret admirer, the reader learns, is a poet by the name of Norah Dailey.  Norah admires Luke from a distance, and while the two do not physically meet for a very long time, they are nonetheless drawn to one another.  The two dance around a desire to meet one another, yet not feeling sure whether they really should.

In the meantime, the reader learns a lot about each character’s background.  Each has had a challenging life, in their own way, and each grew up to devote their lives to their respective passions — Luke to baseball and Norah to writing.  If you’re the kind of reader who likes to hear about the backstories of a book’s characters (which I am), then you will love the details provided about these two.

As someone who loves baseball and literature, this book proved quite engaging and satiating for both interests.  I have long felt that baseball and literature are excellent complements to one another, and the attraction between Luke and Norah serves as a great metaphor for this.  Overall, I found the book quite enjoyable.  It had hints of The Natural and of Bull Durham in its story line, and yet manages to stand unique, especially in terms of character development.  I do wish the story would have continued on a bit longer than it did after Luke and Norah finally do meet, if only to wrap up Luke’s career and establish their relationship a bit more neatly.  But again, I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and I suppose that sometimes, the next chapters of our favorite characters’ lives are best left to the imagination.