Prospect

Prospect is a perfect mid-summer, screen-porch, grass-stained, barefoot kind of read. If you are a true lover of the game of baseball, you absolutely must read this book.To be honest, I'm not sure how Prospect would read to someone who isn't a baseball fanatic. Littlefield's writing is concise and rich (unlike many sports writers who decide to try their hand at novel writing), but so much of the magic of this book is a product of how well he captures the humanity and spirit of the game. In many ways, this book is so much about baseball that it is somehow more. Like the game of baseball itself, Prospect is a beautiful human drama.

This book has it all: A real-life message to that elderly that life is not over just because the latter years have arrived. A white/black friendship. (The black lady gets to be the heroine.) Baseball and the nostalgia of the way the game used to be....and just plain silly fun in the personalities of some of the people (including Babe Ruth, who makes an appearance by sliding down a flag pole). When I finished reading it, I wanted to remain connected with these characters so much that I turned to the front of the book and read it over again. I have never done that before or since. I read it in the Reader's Digest Condensed Book version. I tried to buy the book, but could not find it several years ago. Now I see that it is out of print. What a shame. It was a first book for Mr. Littlefield. I wonder if he has written any others? If so, I would certainly eagerly buy and read them