If You Read It, They Will Talk

Ok, the Red Sox lost. There’s always next year.

However, now it’s October and what could be better than October baseball? Yes, I know, October baseball with the Red Sox.

What are you going to do?

Read about baseball, love, and connecting with your family, that’s what!

In our house the rule was book first, then the movie would be allowed.

So, what better book and movie combo (actually, there are several) than Shoeless Joe by W. P. Kinsella and Field of Dreams?

I’m sure you have seen Field of Dreams. Shoeless Joe is the book that Field of Dreams was based on. The movie is quite similar to the book, which is not always the case, though there are a few changes.

An Iowa farmer hears a voice telling him, “If you build it, he will come,” so he plows under part of his cornfield (and livelihood) to build a baseball field. Then Shoeless Joe Jackson shows up.

Thomas and I read this book because he wanted to watch the movie. This is another one that I cheated on – when the movie came out, I saw it without reading the book first. I was a college student. I didn’t follow rules. Plus, Kevin Costner. So, I did want to see how good the book was because I really enjoyed the movie.

We have friends who grew up in Iowa, and they are always saying how much they loved it. I have never been, but in my head, Iowa meant farms and tractors. This book made me want to move to Iowa. Kinsella’s descriptions of sunsets, cornfields, autumn light, summer sunrises, hay bales—they’re breathtaking. It’s a love letter to Iowa. But it’s also about baseball, the bond between a father and son, and connecting with your family through a common love.

What more could you ask for in a book?

Do yourself a favor and read Shoeless Joe, then watch Field of Dreams. If your child likes baseball or softball – even if they don’t - this is an excellent read aloud, or you could both read it and discuss it as you are reading. (It’s a good book for teens, but if your child is younger I would give it a quick scan just to make sure there is nothing that you don’t find acceptable for your family.)

While Thomas and I were reading this book, my husband and I went away for about 4 days. Thomas stayed with Sean, his old swim coach – a nice break for us, and an easy, lucrative weekend for Sean. Normally, on the rare occasions I wasn’t with my kids, whoever was taking care of them would read to them, or they would read to each other. But, our daughter, Anastasia, was away at college, and I think Thomas thought, “I’m 16, I don’t want Sean to read to me.” So, I brought Shoeless Joe with me, and I read to him each night over the phone. One night, I left my husband and friends and went to call Thomas and read to him.

When I called, Thomas went upstairs to his room. We read for about 15 minutes and then I asked him about his day. We ended up talking for about 30 minutes. To a 16-year-old!