Review by kathcavin -- The Fat Lady's Low, Sad Song

[kathcavin]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Fat Lady's Low, Sad Song" by Brian Kaufman.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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In The Fat Lady's Low, Sad Song by Brian Kaufman, Christopher Westfall is an aging baseball player who is down on his luck. After being passed over by the major leagues, Westfall signs with a minor league team in Colorado. Little does he know, the owner of the team hired him to train their newest pitcher, a twenty year old girl named Courtney Morgan. Everyone is anxious to see if Courtney can actually pitch well enough to keep her spot on the team, or even become the first woman in the major leagues. Even with Parker's help, it is unclear whether she will become the team's saving grace or simply prove to be a publicity stunt to sell tickets.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I enjoyed reading it and I would read it again in the future. Parker was a relatable character. He's a good man but not without flaws. I think many people can relate to the way he holds onto his unlikely dream of playing major league baseball. The book ends in a hopeful, but realistic way that I appreciated. It appears this manuscript was professionally edited as I found no errors.

Brian is skilled at writing about baseball. His short chapters keep you on the edge of your seat, while still giving you a clear picture of the scrappy minor league team. Baseball is a slow sport and can be boring at times. But the way Brian writes about it makes you feel as if you are really sitting in the stands.

I do not think the quotes at the beginning of each chapter added anything to the book. Maybe a few quotes at the beginning or end would be better but I think they could be removed completely. I also think the characters could be more developed. The reader is given little information about Parker's background, and even less information about Courtney's past. Delving deeper into character backstory could make these two more relatable. If the author wanted to make the book longer, I would suggest developing the relationship between Courtney and Parker. The author had his characters make many jokes comparing baseballs to a certain part of the male anatomy. I found these jokes to be tasteless and overused.

I recommend this book for ages 14 and above. There are some mild instances of profanity and sexual references. Because of this, I do not think this book would be enjoyed by a younger audience.

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The Fat Lady's Low, Sad Song
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