Books with title No Joy in Mudville

"'A fast-moving and entertaining romp across country and through time." - Los Angeles Times"An absolutely joyful novel . . . wonderfully funny and uplifting. A mixture of fact and fantasy, fiction and frolic, this novel skips, jumps, and ultimately flies." - West Coast Review of Books"McAlpine is a gifted stylist, with clean, clear and muscular prose." - Publisher's WeeklyIt’s 1932 and a new star has risen from the east, arching toward Los Angeles. A man, woman and child set off by rail from Chicago to follow the star.Along the way they’ll meet figures from the pantheon of the American imagination – figures who make us the people we are today: Woody Guthrie, Clark Kent, Al Capone, Babe Ruth, the Wizard of Oz and the ghost of Abner Doubleday.And when the three find their fates, the stars that guide us all will be forever changed.

It had been only twenty-four hours since Mighty Casey struck out, plunging fans of the Mudville team into gloom and despair. But a new game day dawned, and Casey once again proved his might with a homer in the eighth. The Mudville nine took a one-run lead, but in the bottom of the ninth, their hurler walked three straight.Bases loaded and the starting pitcher spent, the Mudville manager was not bullish about his bullpen. With the game on the line, he called for rookie Joy Armstrong to take the mound. Could she bring joy to Mudville again—and prove that a girl can play ball as well as any boy?

It had been only twenty-four hours since Mighty Casey struck out, plunging fans of the Mudville team into gloom and despair. But a new game day dawned, and Casey once again proved his might with a homer in the eighth. The Mudville nine took a one-run lead, but in the bottom of the ninth, their hurler walked three straight. Bases loaded and the starting pitcher spent, the Mudville manager was not bullish about his bullpen. With the game on the line, he called for rookie Joy Armstrong to take the mound. Could she bring joy to Mudville again―and prove that a girl can play ball as well as any boy?

JOY / / It's 1932 and a new star has risen from the east, arching toward Los Angeles. / / A man, woman and child set off by rail from Chicago to follow the star. / / Along the way they'll meet figures from the pantheon of the American imagination -- figures who make us the people we are today: Woody Guthrie, Clark Kent, Al Capone, Babe Ruth, the Wizard of Oz and the ghost of Abner Doubleday. / / And when the three find their fates, the stars that guide us all will be forever changed. / / / 'An absolutely joyful novel . . . wonderfully funny and uplifting. A mixture of fact and fantasy, fiction and frolic, this novel skips, jumps, and ultimately flies.' / -- West Coast Review of Books / / 'A fast-moving and entertaining romp across country and through time.' / -- Los Angeles Times / / 'McAlpine is a gifted stylist, with clean, clear and muscular prose.' / -- Publisher's Weekly / / 'A quirky, quixotic tale . . . Unusual and entertaining.' / -- Library Journal

JOY / / It's 1932 and a new star has risen from the east, arching toward Los Angeles. / / A man, woman and child set off by rail from Chicago to follow the star. / / Along the way they'll meet figures from the pantheon of the American imagination -- figures who make us the people we are today: Woody Guthrie, Clark Kent, Al Capone, Babe Ruth, the Wizard of Oz and the ghost of Abner Doubleday. / / And when the three find their fates, the stars that guide us all will be forever changed. / / / 'An absolutely joyful novel . . . wonderfully funny and uplifting. A mixture of fact and fantasy, fiction and frolic, this novel skips, jumps, and ultimately flies.' / -- West Coast Review of Books / / 'A fast-moving and entertaining romp across country and through time.' / -- Los Angeles Times / / 'McAlpine is a gifted stylist, with clean, clear and muscular prose.' / -- Publisher's Weekly / / 'A quirky, quixotic tale . . . Unusual and entertaining.' / -- Library Journal