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Book Review of Last Days of Summer

Last Days of Summer
Last Days of Summer
Author: Steve Kluger
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Book Type: Paperback
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Last Days of Summer by Steve Kruger has been recommended to me several times over the years so I'm glad I finally read it. Now I understand its appeal to so many readers.

Set in Brooklyn between 1940 and 1942, it features Joey Margolis, a precocious 12-year-old boy, and Charlie Banks, a 22-year-old all-star third baseman for the New York Giants. It's very much of its setting so the plot includes lots of references to key figures in MLB, politics, and world events (World War II) of the times.

Joey is a prolific letter-writer and develops relationships with a surprising array of fictional and actual people, including Charlie Banks and President Theodore Roosevelt, through his correspondence.

This delightful story is told entirely in letters, newspaper articles, interview transcripts, telegrams, event programs, secret notes, etc. It's laugh-out-loud funny in many places, and touching and emotional in others. It's the perfect blend of baseball for sports fans and personal relationships for readers of character-driven novels.

I listened to the audiobook expertly narrated by Mike Chamberlain while following along in the print book and thoroughly enjoyed the tandem reading experience. This title celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, but its themes continue to be relevant today.