Hard to Grip epitomizes why I love sport; the passion, the camaraderie, the highs of a win and overcoming the lows.
Emil DeAndreis writes brilliantly, and you feel him age and mature through his writing as he works his was through high school to college and beyond.
Sometimes memoirs feel forced and unnecessary, but this has an honesty and depth. The intertwining stories of Charlie's pro career emphasize just what could have been. However with no regret, Emil's story is inspirational. Without putting his illness on a pedestal, it undoubtedly changed his life's trajectory, but has only strengthened the man he's become.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic disease that cause swelling and eventually deterioration of the joints. The people who are most likely to suffer from this condition are elderly women. So imagine what it was like when a 23 year old young man who just completed a college baseball career in Hawaii and was about to sign a contract to play professional baseball in Belgium finds out he has this condition. That is exactly what happened to Emil DeAndreis. His memoir about this situation after dreaming of a baseball career is one that will tug at every emotion in a reader.

The stories he shares from his experiences are funny, sad, thoughtful and honest. It is clear while reading the book that DeAndreis is pulling no punches and fully describing his emotions when he finds out the news about important events in his life – not just the diagnosis of the disease. His story about the offer of a Division I baseball scholarship from the University of Hawaii-Hilo was one in which I was pumping my fist to cheer for him. His subsequent description of some of the wacky happenings on the campus with his teammates, the struggles of the team as they compiled losing records in each of his four seasons, and the joy of earning a win against a major conference school (the University of Kansas) are fun to read and make the reader feel like he or she is living the college life with him.

DeAndreis, who studied writing in college, saves his best for his battle with RA. His internal thoughts of denial that he has the disease, the alternative treatments he tried before medication and the support of his then-girlfriend (now wife) Kendall makes for compelling reading. Between the description of what his body was going through, his wish to disassociate from anything associated with baseball because the memories are too painful, and his life afterward which included coaching the high school baseball team for which was a star pitcher, will inform and entertain the reader.

This book is not one in which is meant to draw pity or sympathy for the author, nor is it one that is written with a greater message or cause in mind. It is simply an honest story of a young man who was diagnosed with a disease that caused him to give up his lifelong dream and adjust to living life with different goals. It is one that readers of many different genres will like – one does not have to be a baseball fan to cheer for Emil in his road to life after baseball.

I wish to thank the author and Schaffner Press for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

As a sufferer of a chronic illness, being into weightlifting in my case and sport in general, my life can be hindered in enjoying my passion.

Emil's story is alike mine, only he plays baseball and has rheumatoid arthritis.

He talks of his passion being his dream from an early age, practising with his dad his pitches and the hardships his family faced and for him, wanting to be good enough to qualify for a scholarship. The persistent training for the sport is damn hard and so we can see from reading through the book game after game.

However, persistent left shoulder and arm issues, aggravated a lot by long periods of rest started to alert Emil that something was up and here's where we get into depth about his challenges faced. From starting out, going through college and being set up in a baseball playing position with his girlfriend by his side, things took a turn as his doctor referred Emil on to rheumatology to be tested for rheumatoid arthritis.

I truly thank Emil for writing such an eye opening book here. Me having Fibromyalgia and Reynaud's I often feel a lack of chronic illness is written about in any form of book unless on the set subject. Here Emil has captured every stage I think we go through, from healthy to unsure of of futures, changing career and losing some abilities with areas of our bodies we took for granted previously. It's also shown how important it is to find the right support and a doctor who is auiteds to you and able to help you as much as possible.

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!