The Powers: A Novel
It’s the summer of 1941, and America is engulfed by the drama of WWII. A constant flow of distressing news is filtering in from Europe, and the impending military draft is about to change the lives of nearly everyone. On the home front, 18-year-old friends Joe D’Ambrosio and Bernie Keller are vying for the affections of Agnes O’Leary. In addition to navigating the tricky waters of romance, Joe is trying to maintain his pacifist ideals, while Bernie struggles to come to terms with his German heritage. Agnes relies on her developing passion for photography to help her manage her uncertain love life. Also on everyone’s minds is baseball. Joe DiMaggio is in the middle of his record-breaking hitting streak, and he is feeling the pressure. A fascinating mix of baseball novel, love story, and history lesson, The Powers is a trip back in time to an America on the edge of great change. Highly inventive and richly detailed, it is the story of people struggling to face an uncertain future with the help of a young ballplayer named Joe. --Carol Gladstein