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Calico Joe: A Novel Mass Market Paperback – March 26, 2013

by John Grisham (Author)

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#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A surprising and moving novel of fathers and sons, forgiveness and redemption, set in the world of Major League Baseball…

“Grisham knocks it out of the park.”—The Washington Post

It’s the summer of 1973, and Joe Castle is the boy wonder of baseball, the greatest rookie anyone has ever seen. The kid from Calico Rock, Arkansas, dazzles Chicago Cubs fans as he hits home run after home run, politely tipping his hat to the crowd as he shatters all rookie records. Calico Joe quickly becomes the idol of every baseball fan in America, including Paul Tracey, the young son of a hard-partying and hard-throwing New York Mets pitcher. On the day that Warren Tracey finally faces Calico Joe, Paul is in the stands, rooting for his idol but also for his dad. Then Warren throws a fastball that will change their lives forever.

Don’t miss John Grisham’s new book, THE EXCHANGE: AFTER THE FIRM!

Print length

240 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Vintage
Publication date

March 26, 2013
Dimensions

4.2 x 0.58 x 7.5 inches
ISBN-10

0345541332
ISBN-13

978-0345541338
Lexile measure

900L
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Popular Highlights in this book

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What did Yogi Berra say? “Always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise they won’t go to yours.”
Highlighted by 246 Kindle readers
His entire life has been lived in his own little self-absorbed, narcissistic world where he is a cut above the rest.
Highlighted by 219 Kindle readers
“It’s known as the restorative powers of forgiveness.”
Highlighted by 152 Kindle readers

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for Calico Joe

“Grisham knocks it out of the park.”—The Washington Post

“An enjoyable, heartwarming read that’s not just for baseball fans.”—USA Today

“Grisham has hit a home run.... Calico Joe is a great read, a lyrical ode to baseball, small-town America, youthful innocence and a young boy’s search for heroes.”—The Buffalo News

“[A] pleasure . . . Suffice to say [Grisham] knows his way around the ballpark as well as he does a courtroom.”—The Washington Times

Praise for John Grisham

“Never let it be said this man doesn’t know how to spin a good yarn.”—Entertainment Weekly

“Grisham may well be the best American storyteller writing today.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer

About the Author

John Grisham is the author of forty-seven consecutive #1 bestsellers, which have been translated into nearly fifty languages. His recent books include The Judge's List, Sooley, and his third Jake Brigance novel, A Time for Mercy, which is being developed by HBO as a limited series.

Grisham is a two-time winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and was honored with the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction.

When he's not writing, Grisham serves on the board of directors of the Innocence Project and of Centurion Ministries, two national organizations dedicated to exonerating those who have been wrongfully convicted. Much of his fiction explores deep-seated problems in our criminal justice system.

John lives on a farm in central Virginia.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

1

The tumor in my father's pancreas was removed last week in an operation that lasted five hours and was more difficult than his surgeons had expected. Afterward, they delivered the grim news that most people in his condition could not expect to live for more than ninety days. Since I knew nothing of the surgery, or the tumor, I was not there when he was given his death sentence. Communication is not a priority with my father. Ten years ago he divorced one wife and had found another before word filtered down to me.

His current wife--she's either number five or number six--eventually called and, after reintroducing herself, passed along the barest of details about the tumor and its related issues. Agnes explained that my father was not feeling well and didn't want to talk. I replied that he had never wanted to talk, regardless of how he felt. She asked me to spread the news to the rest of the family. I almost asked "Why?" but didn't want to bicker with this poor woman.

The rest of the family consists of my younger sister, Jill, and my mother. Jill lives in Seattle and, as far as I know, has not spoken to our father in at least ten years. She has two small children who have never met him, and never will. My mother, after surviving twelve years of marriage, got lucky and got out, taking Jill and me with her, and I have a hunch that the news of his impending death will have zero impact on her.

Needless to say, we do not get together at Christmas and exchange gifts by the fire.

After the phone call from Agnes, I sit at my desk and ponder life without Warren, my father. I started calling him Warren when I was in college because he was more of a person, a stranger, than a father. He did not object. He has never cared what I call him, and I have always assumed he prefers that I don't call him at all. At least I make the occasional effort; he never has.

After a few minutes, I admit the truth--life without Warren will be the same as life with him.

I call Jill and break the news. Her first question is whether I plan to attend the funeral, which is somewhat premature. She wants to know if she should try to visit him, to say hello and good-bye and go through the phony motions of acting as though she cares, when in fact she does not. Nor do I, and we both admit this. We have no love for Warren because he never cared for us. He abandoned the family when we were kids and has spent the past thirty years acting as though we do not exist. Jill and I are both parents now, and we find it inconceivable that a father can have no use for his own children.

"I'm not going," she finally declares. "Now, or later. How about you?"

"I don't know," I reply. "I'll have to think about it."

The truth is that I know I will go see him. He has burned most of the bridges in his life, but there is one rather substantial piece of unfinished business that he has to deal with before he dies.

My mother lives in Tulsa with her second husband. In high school, Warren was the superjock, and she was the homecoming queen, the most popular girl. Their wedding thrilled their small town, but after a couple of years with Warren all thrills were gone. I know they have not spoken to each other in decades, and why should they?

"Mom, I have some bad news," I say into the phone, trying to seem sufficiently somber.

"What is it?" she asks quickly, probably afraid it is one of her grandchildren.

"Warren's sick. Pancreatic cancer, he has less than three months to live."

A pause, relief, then, "I was assuming he was already dead."

And there you have it. His memorial service will not be packed with grieving family members.

"I'm sorry," she says, but she is not. "I guess you'll have to deal with it."

"I suppose."

"I don't want to be bothered with it, Paul, just call me when it's over. Or don't. I don't care what happens to Warren."

"I understand, Mom."

I know he hit her a few times, probably a lot more than I realized. And he drank and chased women and lived the hard life of a professional baseball player. He was arrogant and cocky, and from the age of fifteen he was accustomed to getting whatever he wanted because he, Warren Tracey, could throw a baseball through a brick wall.

We manage to move the conversation to the kids and when she might see them again. Because of her beauty and brains, she landed on her feet after Warren. She married a slightly older man, an executive for a drilling company, and he provided a fine home for Jill and me. He loves my mom, and that's all that matters.

I doubt if Warren ever did.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vintage; Reprint edition (March 26, 2013)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0345541332
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0345541338
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 900L
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.2 x 0.58 x 7.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #51,962 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #315 in Sports Fiction (Books)
- #3,792 in Literary Fiction (Books)
- #5,167 in Suspense Thrillers

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John Grisham

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John Grisham is the author of forty-seven consecutive #1 bestsellers, which have been translated into nearly fifty languages. His recent books include The Boys From Biloxi, The Judge's List, Sooley, and his third Jake Brigance novel, A Time for Mercy, which is being developed by HBO as a limited series.

Grisham is a two-time winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and was honored with the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction.

When he's not writing, Grisham serves on the board of directors of the Innocence Project and of Centurion Ministries, two national organizations dedicated to exonerating those who have been wrongfully convicted. Much of his fiction explores deep-seated problems in our criminal justice system.

John lives on a farm in central Virginia.

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Dr. David P. Craig

Heart Warming Story of Forgiveness and Redemption

Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2020

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Two of my favorite subjects are addressed in this book: Baseball and Redemption. Two definitions for redemption are as follows: (1) the action of being saved from sin, error, or evil; and (2) the action of regaining possession of something in exchange for a payment, or clearing a debt.

In this well-written short story by Grisham (I read it from cover to cover in one sitting), tells a gut wrenching story of an abusive alcoholic father (who happens to be a professional pitcher for the New York Mets); the story of his eleven year old son; and a rookie phenom nicknamed Calico Joe who is setting records left and right coming up to the majors with the Chicago Cubs.

From the three perspectives: alcoholic abusive father; young impressionable son; and talented young phenom Graham develops the story over what happens to each of these key "players" over the next thirty years. Without giving away the plot - the story keeps you gripped as you hope for a great ending. Grisham delivers (as usual) on developing a great plot that does not disappoint.

The reader is drawn in to the story from the get go, and Grisham continues to draw the reader into the story. It's as if you are involved emotionally, spiritually, and at times, even physically with the characters of the story. The story is one of great lessons: the wasted or unexamined life isn't worth living; death is approaching fast - so make your life and relationships count; second chances are available; redemption and forgiveness are possible for everyone. I highly recommend this book as a terrific read that with an ending that is insightful, wise, and full of hope.

12 people found this helpful

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Hendricks Book Reviews

...wonderful fictional sports story by a great storyteller.

Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2021

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Book Review – Calico Joe – John Grisham
In preparation for John Grisham’s first ever basketball story coming out in late April entitled “Sooley” - about an African born (Sudan) basketball player – I decided to re-read his first baseball novel, “Calico Joe.” Grisham's story telling in this sports fiction novel is impeccable. Naturally he is good at crime and courtroom drama in his legal thrillers, but in this fictional sports story, he also ‘knocks it out of the park’! The character development is just where it needs to be, realistic and compelling. The story pacing is like a baseball game itself, no time clock forcing an end. Instead, the story of Calico Joe unfolds like life itself, full of cause and effect, decisions and consequences, uncertainties of outcomes. Grisham’s brilliance and versatility of using factual names and places in a fictional story are on display in this wonderful sports fiction written primarily for the nostalgic baseball fan. Although Calico Joe is a baseball story, it is mainly a ‘people’ story. It brings together very different individuals and tells a surprising and moving tale of fathers and sons, forgiveness and redemption, all set in the world of Major League Baseball. The baseball part of the story is thrilling, but it’s what happens off the field that makes Calico Joe a must read. I highly recommend it…

4 people found this helpful

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Clark Hallman

If you like baseball read this book!

Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2013

Verified Purchase

Calico Joe, by John Grisham, is a novel about two major league baseball players, their families, and their fans. Most of it is narrated by Paul Tracy, who is the son of Warren Tracey, a journeyman pitcher who finishes his career with the New York Mets in 1973, when Paul was eleven years old. The book jumps back and forth between 1973 and thirty years in the future. It is a wonderful story that immerses the reader in the professional baseball environment. Paul, like so many boys, loved baseball, pitched in little league; and followed his favorite major league players and teams closely, including creating scrapbooks about them and collecting baseball cards. In 1973, Joe Castle, from Calico Arkansas, was brought up from the minor leagues to play first base for the Chicago Cubs after two of their infielders were injured. Unlike most rookies, Joe Castle captured the hearts of all the Cubs’ fans, and most other baseball fans, with a fantastic beginning to his major league career. He broke many previous rookie records, including consecutive home runs, overall home runs, hits, batting average, and stolen bases. He became Paul Tracey’s hero in his first game when he hit three home runs. The story eventually brings the journeyman Mets’ pitcher (Warren Tracey) with his rigid belief in long-standing confrontational baseball traditions, into battle with the rookie savior of the Cubs (Calico Joe) on the field in New York, with Paul and his mother in the stands. The book reveals the continuing consequences of that 1973 battle on Warren Tracey and Joe Castle and both of their families. I really liked this book and found it hard to put down. As you would expect, Grisham crafted it in a compelling way with a great ending for the reader to enjoy. I also liked it because it reminded me of how much I loved baseball and how much I admired certain baseball players with I was a boy. If you like baseball read this book! However, you should also read it just because it is an excellent story about interesting human beings successfully struggling through the challenges that life presents for them.

3 people found this helpful

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Dawn

Gift

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 21, 2023

Verified Purchase

Bought for my dad he's been looking for this boom for years, he's a very happy man

Louise Beauchemin

Baseball I remember!

Reviewed in Canada on September 29, 2020

Verified Purchase

I really enjoyed this book on baseball, as I remembered the players that are mentioned throughout the book. I was going back to the years that the EXPOS were in Montreal, and some of the players mentioned in the book were part of the visiting teams. Thank you Mr. Grisham

Louise Beauchemin

2 people found this helpful

Cliente Amazon

John Grisham não decepciona.

Reviewed in Brazil on November 5, 2019

Verified Purchase

John Grisham é absurdamente genial. Poucos autores conseguem criar personagens que, mesmo com backgrounds completamente diferentes, os leitores se identificam.
Calico Joe é curto, mas na medida certa. Certamente irei revisitá-lo.
Recomendo fortemente.

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Patrick Howley

This is very good Grisham. -restrained and sympathetic to the individuals

Reviewed in Australia on September 3, 2017

Verified Purchase

This is very good Grisham.-restrained and sympathetic to the individuals. Baseball is not my thing and Grisham took care of that kin the first couple of chapters for which I was grateful.

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