In a League of Her Own by Kaia Alderson: A Book Review

In a League of Her Own

Author: Kaia Alderson

Genre: Historical Fiction 

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks 

Publication Date: 2024

Pages: 352

Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: From the author of Sisters in Arms comes the incredible, untold story of Effa Manley, a black businesswoman in the male dominated baseball industry, and, currently, the only woman inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

      1930s, New York City

       An ambitious Harlem woman’s husband upends her social climbing when he buys a Negro Leagues baseball team and appoints her as the team’s business manager. Overnight, Effa Manley goes from 125th Street’s civil rights champion to an interloper in the boys’ club that is professional baseball. 

      Navigating her way through gentlemen’s agreement contracts, the very public flirtatious antics of superstar Satchel Paige, and a sports world that would much rather see this woman back in her “place” at home, Effa ultimately whips her team, the Newark Eagles, into the Negro Leagues Champions of 1946. But how long will she get to enjoy the fruits of her success before Major League Baseball tears it all apart?

      Based on the incredible life of Effa Manley, an unforgettable and inspiring story about a woman with a dream who wound up with a baseball team. 

 

      My Review: Effa Manley is best known for being the only woman to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. In a League of Her Own retells the story of her life. Effa dreams of being part of Harlem’s elite society. One day at a baseball game, she meets a fellow baseball fan named Abe Manley. She eventually marries him. When Abe buys a baseball team, Effa is made the co-owner. Effa has to quickly learn how to successfully run a baseball team.

     I had never heard of Effa Manley until I read this book. I thought that she was a very fascinating woman. In this novel, Effa is a very ambitious woman. She wants to climb Harlem’s social ladder. She is a civil rights activist. When Effa becomes a co-owner of a baseball team, she works tirelessly to make it successful. Some of her actions, I did not agree with. Nevertheless, I still found her to be very interesting.

       Overall, this book is about ambitions, civil rights, and marriage. I found all of the characters to be very realistic and complex. I also liked the setting of 1930s Harlem. There were some parts of the novel that I didn’t like. It had some unnecessary scenes that were not relevant to the book and seemed like filler. The story also moved at a very slow pace and some parts of the novel seemed drawn out. Therefore, I thought this book could have been much shorter. Nevertheless, it introduced me to a very fascinating historical figure. In a League of Her Own will be sure to please baseball fans. It will also appeal to fans of By Her Own Design, A Right Worthy Woman, and The Great Mrs. Elias!

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars