Effa Manley is a hidden figure that this author has brought to the forefront in this well written and spell bounding novel. I was captivated from the very beginning of this story right up until the very end. It was very hard for me to put this book. This author is one of the best when it comes to historical fiction stories. Not only is this the only woman ever to be inducted into the baseball hall of fame, she was a staunch champion of civil right for her community. Also in many ways, she was not like a lot of women during that time period. I loved how the author presented her character and life. I loved how this author brought her story to light and I can't wait for the author's next book.

I received a copy of the book via NetGalley via the Publisher and am voluntarily leaving an honest review of my own thoughts and opinions.

Thanks to William Morrow for an advanced copy of In a League of Her Own by Kaia Alderson.

I found Effa so fascinating but this book was so boring.

I was a bit confused by this book and had to DNF. The entire book is supposed to be about a woman who is a powerhouse in the baseball industry - but the first chapter opens up and she is saying how much she doesn't care about baseball. She then catches a ball and is *in love* with it. Fast forward a few years, and she is nowhere near obsessed with the sport and needs to be coerced into going to a game? I DNF'd when she decides to get married. I didn't have the patience to see where it was going. This just wasn't for me. I will not be posting this review on social media platforms.

This story was about the life of Effa Manley. The story takes place in the 1930s. Effa was a black woman "passing" as a white woman in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She started out with a successful hat making business before getting involved in the Civil Rights movement. Her husband, Abe Manley eventually bought the Newark Eagles, a team in the Negro league. In addition to co-owner, she became the team business manager, managing the day to day operations. Her work was commemorated with an induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006, the only woman to have this honor.

While I can appreciate Effa and the work she did in baseball, this book fell a little flat for me. I was expecting more baseball, especially with a title and cover like this. The way the story was told also seemed to drag on. I normally really enjoy stories about sports, but this one never really had my interest once I realized how little baseball was in it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

"Based on the incredible life of Effa Manley, an unforgettable and inspiring story about a woman with a dream who wound up with a baseball team."

This sums up the book perfectly. It encompasses the hope, the joy, the heartache, the dreams, the goals, the changes, everything that Effa Manley went through in her incredible life. After a divorce, Effa is struggling to make her way in the world. She is pale skinned but is African American in a world that doesn't accept that. She is doing better than most because she can pass for white but she loves her people. Her dream is to open up her own millinery shop and is working hard toward that goal. Her goals and dreams are changed when she marries again.

Effa begins the social ladder climbing that having money allows. Then her husband suddenly decides to buy a Negro League baseball team, the Newark Eagles, and her dreams have to shift once again. She becomes the office manager of the team, handling all of the office work, planning, contracts, and more. She pushes the team hard and finds she really enjoys baseball. In 1946, the team wins the league title. But the end is coming as Major League Baseball starts to take note.

This was an incredible read about an incredible lady. It is based on fact but it not strictly a biography, as noted by the author at the end. It was intriguing and I found myself looking up more information about Effa Manley. She was quite the woman and this story brought her to life for me. I truly enjoyed reading and didn't want to put her story down. She has guts and hope and charisma and all those things that we admire in people who change the world. And Effa definitely did that in her own sphere and all the shadow of her sphere touched. She was an inspiration.

When a book causes you to take note and to desire to learn more, it is a book not to be missed. In A League of Her Own is very much worth taking the time to read. You will not regret the change in perspective this will bring. And you will enjoy getting to know Effa Manley.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author through NetGalley. All views expressed are my honest opinion.

I'm a huge baseball fan but had never heard of Effa Manley, the only woman inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. I enjoyed learning about her inspiring life. Thank you, Kaia Alderson, for bringing this inspiring woman to my attention.

This was a pretty good read, not as deep or extensive as I like my historical novels but gives you a good brush of the history and work of Effie Manley. I am not a sports fan at all so once the story line pivoted to heavy baseball, I started to fade. I was much more interested in Manley's civil rights work, which continued through her and her husband's ownership of a Negro Leagues baseball team.
A couple of things:
1. I never figured out what was up with her husband??? They were married all that time and... ???? I kept going back over the book but did not find any explanation for Abe.
2. Effie was light skinned- light enough to pass. If you didn't know that, it was obvious in the book. In every chapter her skin was turning red or pink. I feel like this was a bit of a crutch and frequent use was obvious.
I listened to this in audio and it was very well performed.

*[I voluntarily received a complimentary e-copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts below are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.]
I really enjoyed this book. I like baseball and I thought this was a fun read of something I actually didn't know much about.
However, I wish more of the book had been about baseball. I get that the book was focusing on her life, but the baseball team didn't come into the story till about halfway through the book. A good percentage of the book was about her personal relationships, and I felt the author kept reiterating the same points multiple times. For example, her marriage to Abe wasn't traditional, and while she reworded it a few times, the fact that she mentioned it so many times felt a little redundant to me.
That being said, I did enjoy this read. You really got behind Effa and her fight for racism and sexism despite the her obstacles as both a woman and being light skinned.

This was such a brilliant historical fiction of the first African American woman inducted into the hall of fame.

As the story opens, Effa is trying to get her feet on the ground after a divorce in 1930s Harlem. Anxious to start her own business, she also loves baseball. She eventually remarries to a gentleman who buys a Negro Leagues team. She deals with the business side of baseball amidst an all boys club that wants no part of a woman in baseball. One of the many subplots deals with her support of civil rights, especially for African American women. At the end of the novel, I was reading the acknowledgments and came to learn that the title character is based on the real life Effa Manley, a black businesswoman in the male dominated baseball industry, and, currently, the only woman inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. From the author's bio, "Kaia Alderson is a historical women’s fiction author with a passion for discovering “hidden figures” in African-American women’s history." That passion and her thorough research produces an incredible tale of the life of Effa Manley. Don't miss this one -it's an excellent read.

This story begins in 1930’s Harlem, and is based on the life of Effa Manley, a woman who had a passion for baseball, and whose husband buys a Negro Leagues baseball team, and Effa Manley ends up their team’s business manager. However, more than that Effa is a Negro that passes for a white person. It weighs heavily on her, as she stands ready and able to help her Harlem community get hired by those businesses that depended upon the Negro trade but refused to employ them. Along with her husband, Abe Manley, they bought Negro League baseball franchise. It was Effa who worked in the league office and ran the day-to-day operations of the team while at the same time advocating for better treatment of the players and scheduling promotional events that highlighted civil rights. . This book was quite interesting as I read about a world I had no knowledge of. My thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel while expressing my opinions.

First, thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Publishing for a digital ARC of this story.

I was so excited to receive a copy of In A League of Her Own conveniently after returning from a trip to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, MO. Overall, this book is not one to read if you are hoping for a story about the negro leagues, but it is a powerful story about one woman who bucked against society norms and through a marriage, ended up managing a professional baseball team.

The title could be considered... misleading? However, in the grand scheme of things, Effa was certainly in a league of her own in many aspects of her life. The first half of the book was about Effa's failed first marriage, her dreams to own a millinery, and her mingling in Harlem upper class social circles. I expected that the second half of the book would deep dive into baseball, but that didn't quite happen either.

I was somewhat familiar with Effa Manley, but wow, what an extraordinary life she lived. I was unaware that she participated in civil rights protests. She was complex and nuanced, especially considering the time period (1930's-1940's).

Overall, it was a good read. Given the title and synopsis, however, I would have loved more history and insight into the Negro Leagues.

I would like to thank NetGalley and William Morrow Paperbacks for providing me with an advance e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. Look for it in your local and online bookstores and libraries on August 6, 2024.

Historical fiction about strong, independent women always grabs me. After reading the synopsis of Kaia Alderson's In a League of Her Own, I couldn’t wait to get started learning more about Effa Manley, the first woman to manage a Negro baseball team. I found this book interesting and enjoyable but also a bit repetitious in describing Effa's obsession with recognition and acceptance.

Effa easily passed for white but identified as Negro. She lived in the Negro part of Harlem, working in New York City as a ‘white” woman. She dreamed of owning her own millenary shop where her hat designs would be sought after, making her famous. Instead, her marriage to Abe Manley provided her the entree into the social life and society pages of her community in Harlem and beyond. Reading about the social life of the wealthy Negroes of Harlem was amazing. I had no idea this world existed and enjoyed reading how social status impacted the politics of that time.

Abe and Effa purchased the Newark Eagles, a team in the Negro Baseball League. I knew nothing about the Negro Baseball League before reading this book and I wish more information about the League had been included in Effa’s story. She was successful on different levels - in the world of Negro baseball, as an activist, especially in her efforts to integrate the department stores in Harlem, and in the civil rights movement. Her focus on reaching the highest pinnacles of society often interfered with being honest and aboveboard, as well a good friend when that got in the way of business decisions.

The expectations of women in the 1930’s and after the war weren’t surprising; let the husband make the decisions, women should be seen and not heard, etc. That was a wall Effa hit over and over as she managed a successful baseball team. She persevered, though, fighting the rejections in order to realize her goals. Even today, the belief that women belong at home as a “happy homemaker” raising a family prevails in parts of America.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for an eArc of In a League of Her Own in exchange for my honest review.

I knew about the Negro baseball leagues in the 1920s to 1940s, but I never knew the drama behind the scenes with the owners, etc. Effa and her husband owned the Eagles in the Negro League. He took care of the players and was the face of the team. Effa took care of all the business items and the behind the scenes details. She had a passion for business, fashion, and hats, but never had the money to open her own shop. Once she married John Manley, he had the money to keep her well taken care of but bought a baseball team instead of putting money into Effa’s dreams. She was a smart, strong Black woman who did not want to sit on the sidelines at league meetings and pushed the other male owners to allow her a seat at the table.
I enjoyed the baseball half of the book more than the first half, but you needed the first half of the story to understand Effa’s background and skills. I love learning about women who broke boundaries and did the unexpected when they were supposed to be wives and mothers without their other ambitions.
If you want to read about an interesting woman who was successful in her business, I highly recommend this book.
#InaLeagueofHerOwn #NetGalley
Thank you Net Galley for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

I chose to read this knowing only what the title hinted at and am glad I did. What a strong woman Effa was and what great things she accomplished. Fantastic read for anyone that enjoys historical fiction.

This story begins in 1930’s Harlem, and is based on the life of Effa Manley, a woman who had a passion for baseball, and whose husband buys a Negro Leagues baseball team, and Effa Manley ends up their team’s business manager.

She struggles to be accepted by the members of the team, and she eventually is slowly accepted by a few, although there are several who seem to believe that she should be at home cleaning, or cooking in the kitchen. But Effa is not one to give in or give up.

While Effa appears on the surface to be white, when a store clerk asks what she can do to help her, at the same time ignoring another black woman who has been waiting for assistance, Effa lets it be known that she wants her to wait on the other woman, which doesn’t go over very well.

Meanwhile, in an era and sport which believed baseball was strictly a man’s world, Effa rules.

I enjoyed how Effa Manley’s story was shared, her internal strength in an era when women were largely diminished and dismissed by men was inspiring, and I enjoyed reading her story.


Pub Date: 06 Aug 2024

Many thanks for the ARC provided by William Morrow / William Morrow Paperbacks

In a League of Her Own by Kaia Alderson presents an intriguing premise but falls short in execution. The narrative, while ambitious, often feels disjointed, with some paragraphs containing superfluous details that might have been streamlined. The focus on the protagonist’s desire to own a hat shop, rather than her pivotal role in baseball, might not align with what readers expect from a story about Effa Manley. Additionally, the copy I received had several grammatical errors, which detracted from the overall reading experience. While Alderson's attempt to explore a unique angle is commendable, the book could benefit from further refinement and editing.

3 trailblazing woman in baseball stars

This book brings to life Effa Manley, a woman who pushed her way into the men’s world of 1930s baseball. The author tells us of Effa’s early days in Harlem as she dreams of opening her own hat store one day. She also does some civil rights work, demanding that a department store employ people of color as commissioned sales staff. She even is getting started in the world of politics.

She has to put all of this aside when her (second) husband buys a baseball team. He needs Effa to be the business manager, overseeing payroll, contracts, and all the office work. Effa loves baseball but had no idea what she was getting into!

Efffa’s passion for the league and its players it what makes her the only woman inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Now for my unpopular opinion time. It’s always tricky with historical fiction for an author. You have some sources, but you have to make some decisions about how you will bring a character to life. I feel like the author didn’t paint Effa in the best light in this particular book. I think she’s an amazing figure, and I’m glad to know more about her, but I think I like some of the facts I was able to find independently of the book.

I did enjoy the second half more as it was all about baseball management.

DNF at 15%. The premise is great, but it’s SO baseball heavy, that I couldn’t get into it, as someone who doesn’t give a toss about the sport. I like the idea, but there’s not enough engaging me to continue,