I received a review copy of this novel some time ago and it falls into the category of a book that when I finally read, I wish I had done so early. Here is my review of the baseball novel “ImmKulate”.
Title/Author:
“ImmaKulate: A Perfect Inning, An Imperfect Life” by John A. Marble
Rating:
4 of 5 stars (very good)
Review:
Even the best athletes at their craft can have demons that haunt them in their careers and their lives. That is certainly the case for Spence Taylor, the main character of this very good baseball novel by John A. Marble. The title comes from the rare pitching feat that Taylor is trying to accomplish at different times in the book.
In 2003, Taylor and best friend and former high school baseball rival Joshua Waters are star players for the Boston Red Sox. Waters is an infielder and Taylor is team’s closer, but they were involved in an incident that has haunted Taylor since it happened 12 years ago. How it affected Taylor’s life and the depths he sunk to are great, and how he overcomes them makes an excellent story.
While reading this, I had difficulty at first determine who the current Spence Taylor was - was it the Hall of Fame worthy fireballer or the person in the broken down trailers who let his health and life deteriorate? However, once it is understood how the story unfolds and Taylor’s story is clear, it’s hard to put the book down.
I really enjoyed the baseball passages, which were told through either the Red Sox broadcast crew or from coaches and managers. The latter is especially true for the high school sections. While one should be a baseball fan to truly enjoy the book, anyone who reads this story of love (but not a romance) and redemption (but not a self-help book) will put down fully satisfied after finishing.
I wish to that Mr. Marble for providing a copy of the book. The views expressed are strictly my own.
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