Praise for Praying for Gil Hodges

 

“In Praying for Gil Hodges, Tom Oliphant has created a small masterpiece—a splendid re-creation of life in the 1950s, a poignant tribute to his parents, and a fabulous story about the central role the Brooklyn Dodgers played in the lives of his and countless other families. Moving effortlessly from an adults perspective to a child’s recollection, shifting seamlessly between the present and the past, he captures the reader’s interest at every step along the way. I found myself happily transported back in time, following a warm-hearted young boy as he comes of age in a memorable era.”

—Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of the bestselling Wait Till Next Year

“A family saga that is universal in appeal, even for readers too young to recall the long-gone world of the 1950s.”

—USA Today Sports Weekly

“For the way it recaptures a special time and place, Praying for Gil Hodges is worthwhile reading for summer’s bittersweet last days.”

—The Providence Journal

“Oliphant has written a significant book that recalls nicely how the Dodgers at last became masters of all they surveyed.”

—The Washington Times

“The book is a trip to the time of Alan Freed’s Rock ’n’ Roll Show at the Brooklyn Paramount, Coney Island summers, and, of course, an enchanting team and its bandbox ballpark on Bedford Avenue. Top that for magic, Harry Potter.”

—Newsday (Long Island, New York)

“Oliphant’s timely and stylishly written memoir will warm the hearts and rekindle memories of those who were there. And for those who weren’t, it offers a glimpse of America and a team from Brooklyn’s history.”

—The Hartford Courant

“Oliphant has an endearing way of mixing history and biography and, especially for someone who grew up in Brooklyn and spent many Sundays in church hoping to spot number fourteen in a pew, this book is like going home.”

—CBSNews.com, Beach Book Bag