Susan Petrone hits a grand slam with this fast, real and fascinating novel. Baseball provides the background as she tells the tale of Brenda Haversham, a single mom struggling to raise two boys after separating from her disaffected husband Ed. Oh, did I mention she can pitch a baseball from the mound at 82 MPH? This novel is a treat for baseball lovers and newbies alike. "Discovered" by baseball pros when a YouTube videos surfaces of her practice pitching as a lark in the baseball cage at a Cleveland Indians game, playing baseball becomes a driving force for change in her life. Before she can blink, Brenda lands an agent, endorsement deals and quits her dreary data-entry clerk job for financially security for her and her boys as the first female major league baseball player. But, all the good stuff doesn't come without its challenges, including absentee parenting, anger towards the ex, possible romantic entanglements, media scrutiny, fan backlash, team mate harassment, homesickness, sexism, and self-esteem issues. The author has written a novel rich in its characterizations from Brenda's struggles as a working mom through her older sons struggles as a teenager. The relationships and events in this novel are carefully crafted and multi-dimensional, even the philandering ex-husband. Brenda is a strong and smart women with a sense of humor and everything going for her, but she still doubts her abilities to deliver in baseball and have a fulfilling relationships with a man. I couldn't put this book down. This novel makes me want to see a woman in major leagues baseball, but in the mean time, I'll settle for a movie and a sequel to see what happens next to Brenda and family.