Summerland

Here is a book I wish that I had as a young adult. Michael Chabon blends baseball, Northwest Tribal lore, American tall tales, a scattering of Norse mythology, planar travel and the end of the world into a very good "coming of age" story.

Ethan's team plays on a fictional island in Puget Sound and his team is 0 for the season so far (they haven't won a game). Despite the prevailing weather in the rest of their island (and the Sound), it *never* rains at their little league ball park. This is because the ballpark is connected to other lands, which Ethan ends up traveling over the course of this 500 page tale.

Other characters include Ethan's teammates Jennifer T. (not quite Tatum O'Neal) and Thor Wignutt, various Fey (I mean Ferrishers), Giants, Sasquatch, and a star major league outfielder relegated to the DH role in Anaheim. (Any book that describes the DH as the evil idea that destroyed an entire tribe gets a thumbs up from me). Ethan's dad also plays a key role.

The descriptive language in this book is wonderful. Sometimes his baseball is a little off, and sometimes the story seems to miss a beat, but those are minor quibbles. This is the first Michael Chabon book I've read, and I definitely look forward to more of his work.