Review of Road to Delano
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Heidi Sims
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Review of Road to Delano
[Following is a volunteer review of "Road to Delano" by John DeSimone.]
Normally, I would start my review with a summary. For John DeSimone’s The Road to Delano, I am starting instead with a rating: 4 out of 4 stars. It is a wonderful work. I was struck not only by DeSimone’s excellent writing and careful editing but also by his theme of social injustice which resonates as loudly today as it did in the late 1960s.
The Road to Delano documents the senior year of two lifelong friends, Jack and Adrian. Both are baseball players rife with potential, hoping for a “scholly” (scholarship) from UCLA to take them out of their hometown of Delano, CA. Their season coincides and ultimately collides with the strike of grape workers in the San Joaquin Valley. The Delano team consists of sons from both sides of the picket lines -- grape growers and grape pickers. The high school squad encounters dissent from the outside and the inside. They face police roadblocks on their way to games and union demonstrators once they arrive at them. As the team grinds toward a championship season, they individually grapple with conflicting loyalties. With whom should they align -- town or team, family or friend? They wonder, ultimately, is that “scholly” really the prize in this struggle?
DeSimone’s play-by-play of the games -- baseball, poker, and others -- reads like a Sports Illustrated piece. Readers feel the action spread out before them in breath-taking, vibrant strokes. DeSimone presents his main characters with the same emotion, breadth, and depth as well. His skill with dialogue is notable. Jack, Adrian and those in their orbit are fully-formed. Much like his game descriptions, these characters, too, are portraits in vivid color. Their physical, emotional, and mental portrayals encompass all the hues, shades, and tints of the spectrum.
Some of DeSimone’s minor characters, like police officers, poker players and field workers, are less developed, however. They take on a stereotypical, “stock” feel at times. Plus, a few of the situations where Jack and Adrian find themselves and how they get out of those situations stretch the plot’s believability.
In the most basic sense, The Road to Delano is a bildungsroman : a story of the mental and emotional growth of the main character. So, it would be a perfect read for young adults. Yet, the novel is ageless. Great for a summer-reading assignment, independent work, or for a book club, The Road to Delano recounts history with living beings in relatable circumstances. Timeless and timely, this novel is a fit for anyone. It presents history not just with dates and facts but also with the facets and the faces of the people affected by it.
******
Road to Delano
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Normally, I would start my review with a summary. For John DeSimone’s The Road to Delano, I am starting instead with a rating: 4 out of 4 stars. It is a wonderful work. I was struck not only by DeSimone’s excellent writing and careful editing but also by his theme of social injustice which resonates as loudly today as it did in the late 1960s.
The Road to Delano documents the senior year of two lifelong friends, Jack and Adrian. Both are baseball players rife with potential, hoping for a “scholly” (scholarship) from UCLA to take them out of their hometown of Delano, CA. Their season coincides and ultimately collides with the strike of grape workers in the San Joaquin Valley. The Delano team consists of sons from both sides of the picket lines -- grape growers and grape pickers. The high school squad encounters dissent from the outside and the inside. They face police roadblocks on their way to games and union demonstrators once they arrive at them. As the team grinds toward a championship season, they individually grapple with conflicting loyalties. With whom should they align -- town or team, family or friend? They wonder, ultimately, is that “scholly” really the prize in this struggle?
DeSimone’s play-by-play of the games -- baseball, poker, and others -- reads like a Sports Illustrated piece. Readers feel the action spread out before them in breath-taking, vibrant strokes. DeSimone presents his main characters with the same emotion, breadth, and depth as well. His skill with dialogue is notable. Jack, Adrian and those in their orbit are fully-formed. Much like his game descriptions, these characters, too, are portraits in vivid color. Their physical, emotional, and mental portrayals encompass all the hues, shades, and tints of the spectrum.
Some of DeSimone’s minor characters, like police officers, poker players and field workers, are less developed, however. They take on a stereotypical, “stock” feel at times. Plus, a few of the situations where Jack and Adrian find themselves and how they get out of those situations stretch the plot’s believability.
In the most basic sense, The Road to Delano is a bildungsroman : a story of the mental and emotional growth of the main character. So, it would be a perfect read for young adults. Yet, the novel is ageless. Great for a summer-reading assignment, independent work, or for a book club, The Road to Delano recounts history with living beings in relatable circumstances. Timeless and timely, this novel is a fit for anyone. It presents history not just with dates and facts but also with the facets and the faces of the people affected by it.
******
Road to Delano
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Randy the Irresistible by S M Goodier
