*[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,

I will not be finishing this book after reading about 20%. I will record it as DNF.

This book was supposed to be about Effa Manley, managing a Negro League Baseball team, and the only female in the Baseball Hall of Fame. At 20% of the book, I expect to hit the topic of baseball head-on (pun intended). So far, Effa has gone to a World Series Yankees game with a friend with only passing mentions of the Negro League.

I really enjoyed Effa at the start of this book. She is a strong character and I enjoyed getting to know her background, and passions. However, the baseball aspect of this book took forever to get to. Once we did get there the book seemed to fizzle out a bit. The strong Effa portrayed in the first half of the book got lost under all the pressure of helping run a team and her own personal desires, which took precedence to all the other things she was accomplishing. This book just fizzled for me which is sad. I love historical books with strong woman who I didn’t know about previously. This book just kind of left me wanting more.
Thank you to William Marrow and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.

In a League of Her Own by Kaia Alderson

Effa Louise Manley became the first and, at the time of this review, only woman elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, in 2006. This historical fiction highlights her high and low points, starting after she left her first husband until not long before her death at the age of 84. She was a very ambitious woman and she wanted to do things on her own, her way, but often didn't get what she wanted.

I'm afraid the story focuses on Effa's wants to her detriment. We know she never wanted kids, couldn't really see why others would want kids, and anytime a kid is seen or talked about in the story, that sight or mention is underlined by telling us Effa never wanted kids. She does have the hots for men, though, although much of the time she is actively trying to avoid seeing or talking to them since she seems to think she doesn't have it in herself to not fall into their arms and scutter all her ambitious plans for her successful future. Effa wants fame, fortune, notoriety, high social standing, and power and a man would hold her back from those things, according to Effa. Her first marriage was proof of that since her husband wanted her to be a traditional wife.

Still, it seems to me that her second husband, Abe, was the stepping stone to what she wanted. He had the money and power to get things done. Effa asked no questions since she was sure her husband's money was ill gotten and she didn't want to know its source. Early in her marriage to Abe, Effa was active in the Civil Rights Movement and fought for fair working conditions for the Black community. But when her husband bought a Negro Leagues baseball team he appointed Effa the team's business manager and she had no more time to focus on her social climbing goals or activist roles outside of baseball. Still, she accomplished much through baseball and what she could do for the players, fans, and employees connected to the business of baseball.

I was able to read this book with my friend, DeAnn, and there was much to discuss. I did venture out of the book to do some research on Effa and I think I like reading the facts about her more than the fictionalized version of her. In this story she seems like a sex starved teen at times, such as any time a man is around. She was a beautiful woman surrounded by healthy athletes and there may have been rumors of affairs but it's not clear whether they ever happened. Much of her background is shrouded in mystery and Effa may have even encouraged the mystery throughout her life. Overall, I wasn't satisfied with the way her story is told here, I don't know how to explain it exactly, but I would have rather the story stuck more to facts and less to conjecture.

Thank you to William Morrow | William Morrow Paperbacks and NetGalley for this ARC.

ffa Manley knew she was destined for more than working in someone else's store - she was meant to be the boss. After marrying her second husband, she began to climb Harlem's social ladder. She quickly makes her name as a civic leader and then her husband buys a baseball team in the Negro League. Effa quickly shows herself as a no-nonsense boss who always does right by her team. Thank to her hardwork, she becomes the first, and still only, woman inducted into the baseball hall of fame.

I'm starting to understand that some of the most interesting women in history are those who are never discussed. Effa was a firecracker for sure but she was also exceptionally bright. She was a born leader. That being said, I felt some of the story, if true, should have remained private. I just don't see how writing about her and her husband's bedroom arrangements mattered in the course of the story. I liked the story of her life and widh I'd learned of her soon.

I really have mixed feelings about “In a League of Her Own” by Kaia Alderson. On one hand, I strongly believe that more stories about the Negro Baseball League should be known, especially the unsung heroes and stories. On that point, this book fulfilled that hope. I also believe that there are many stories of the “unsung female heroes” of baseball - not only wives supporting husbands pursuing their passions but also, as the saying goes, “the women behind the men” who did the logistics especially during the early days of baseball. In that way, this book also fulfilled that hope. I knew a little bit about Effa Manley before reading this book, so I was hoping this book would give me more information. In some ways it did - I didn’t know about her pushing for rights for women (from creating jobs to just basic rights) or how passionately she believed about equal treatment for the players in the game of baseball (and, more accurately, the game of life). What I found disappointing was how - for lack of a better word - awkward parts of this book came across. Effa “falls in love with baseball” the moment she catches a home run ball — after complaining about the game, being at the game, etc. - but when all eyes were on her when she caught the ball, then she fell in love. Was it the attention? Also, there’s a play (Shuffle Along) mentioned a number of times - not a big deal, but every time the reader is reminded it was an all-Black Broadway play. Important for audiences to know - yes, of course as it was the first and inspired interest in all Black musicals - but it felt like Ms. Alderson couldn’t refrain from repeating those facts along with the name of the play. I also hoped this book would include a bit more baseball than it did - especially with that title - baseball does happen throughout the story, but it comes in small doses until about half-way through the book. There’s a lot of simplistic language and a lot of telling, not showing - could this possibly be for a YA audience? So, I’m on the fence about how I feel after reading this book. Yet I do feel that Effa Manley’s story should be one people know, so even a glimpse into her life is worth a read. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 because I do think this is a subject people should know about, even if they look at online sources for more information.

Reviewing Effa Manley's Narrative in 'In a League of Her Own

I was immediately drawn to In a League of Her Own as I recently came across the story of Effa Manley and her role in the Negro Leagues. It is promising to see a fictionalized version of her story is now being told to a broader audience. Alderson’s strength in her novel is her inclusion of various historical developments of the period, including civil rights protests in Harlem. I found several inconsistencies within the text, however. For example, in Effa’s conversation with Avis, her friend, their opinions swap on her role in baseball without adequate explanation of that progression. Additionally, the portrayal of financial instability during World War II is contradicted just a few sentences later with claims of high profits. The dialogue is straightforward and simplistic and so may lean towards a younger audience Despite this, the novel delves into mature themes that may surpass typical young adult expectations. Overall, there is a story here that should be told and this narrative opens that door.


I am grateful to NetGalley and William Morrow Paperbacks for providing me with an advanced reader copy of Kaia Alderson’s In a League of Her Own.

Thank you, NetGalley and William Morrow for the copy of In A League Of Her Own by Kaia Alderson. What a stunning book. I had never heard of Effa Manley and this book did a great job of introducing her to me. I’m not a baseball fan anymore and I was glad there wasn’t too much baseball, just some anecdotes about the players and the travails of owning a baseball team in the Negro Leagues. Effa was a force of nature and I loved how smart and independent she was. If you want a beautifully written book with a compelling story and great characters, this 5-star book is for you!