An unpretentious story of community and finding one’s purpose.
In Paik’s literary debut, an aimless man’s life is changed when he coaches a softball team.
Brad doesn’t have a ton going on in his life since he quit his job in biotech, taking the fall for something he didn’t do. Now he mostly gardens and tries to figure out what the future holds. While raking leaves, he gets a call from his ex-wife, Stephanie, with a strange request: Her boyfriend backed out of a commitment to coach a Little League softball team, so can Brad do it? Brad’s coaching experience extends only to a single season of his nephew’s hockey team—and he was only the assistant coach. Yet for reasons he can’t explain, he says yes. As the new coach of the Marlins, he’s responsible for a dozen tween girls of various skill levels, each looking for something different from the season. He soon finds himself invested in their success, both on and off the field. He’s forced to contend with rival coaches—including his frenemy, Mike—helicopter parents, and volunteer assistant coach Diane, the mother of Kelli, one of the players. To help his players win, Brad will have to master something he’s never been very good at: playing ball. Paik’s prose is elegantly understated, succinctly capturing not only Brad’s point of view, but those of the players, as well. Here, for example, young Meghan identifies what she likes about softball: “Nobody has been mean to her in softball. There are no bad grades. When she bats, she can hear other girls—even popular girls—yelling ‘you can do it, Meghan, let’s go Meghan, you can do it!’ ” The premise that kicks off the narrative is somewhat trite; however, the novel features rich character work as well as the earnest questions about trivial pursuits that maybe aren’t so trivial, after all. The story also manages to be moving without delving too much into the sentimental, and as a result, readers may be forgiven if their first instinct after reading it is to volunteer for a local youth softball league.
An unpretentious story of community and finding one’s purpose.Pub Date: Feb. 28, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-63988-240-3
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Atmosphere Press
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.
A lifetime’s worth of letters combine to portray a singular character.
Sybil Van Antwerp, a cantankerous but exceedingly well-mannered septuagenarian, is the titular correspondent in Evans’ debut novel. Sybil has retired from a beloved job as chief clerk to a judge with whom she had previously been in private legal practice. She is the divorced mother of two living adult children and one who died when he was 8. She is a reader of novels, a gardener, and a keen observer of human nature. But the most distinguishing thing about Sybil is her lifelong practice of letter writing. As advancing vision problems threaten Sybil’s carefully constructed way of life—in which letters take the place of personal contact and engagement—she must reckon with unaddressed issues from her past that threaten the house of cards (letters, really) she has built around herself. Sybil’s relationships are gradually revealed in the series of letters sent to and received from, among others, her brother, sister-in-law, children, former work associates, and, intriguingly, literary icons including Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry. Perhaps most affecting is the series of missives Sybil writes but never mails to a shadowy figure from her past. Thoughtful musings on the value and immortal quality of letters and the written word populate one of Sybil’s notes to a young correspondent while other messages are laugh-out-loud funny, tinged with her characteristic blunt tartness. Evans has created a brusque and quirky yet endearing main character with no shortage of opinions and advice for others but who fails to excavate the knotty difficulties of her own life. As Sybil grows into a delayed self-awareness, her letters serve as a chronicle of fitful growth.
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780593798430
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
A warm and winning "When Harry Met Sally…" update that hits all the perfect notes.
A travel writer has one last shot at reconnecting with the best friend she just might be in love with.
Poppy and Alex couldn't be more different. She loves wearing bright colors while he prefers khakis and a T-shirt. She likes just about everything while he’s a bit more discerning. And yet, their opposites-attract friendship works because they love each other…in a totally platonic way. Probably. Even though they have their own separate lives (Poppy lives in New York City and is a travel writer with a popular Instagram account; Alex is a high school teacher in their tiny Ohio hometown), they still manage to get together each summer for one fabulous vacation. They grow closer every year, but Poppy doesn’t let herself linger on her feelings for Alex—she doesn’t want to ruin their friendship or the way she can be fully herself with him. They continue to date other people, even bringing their serious partners on their summer vacations…but then, after a falling-out, they stop speaking. When Poppy finds herself facing a serious bout of ennui, unhappy with her glamorous job and the life she’s been dreaming of forever, she thinks back to the last time she was truly happy: her last vacation with Alex. And so, though they haven’t spoken in two years, she asks him to take another vacation with her. She’s determined to bridge the gap that’s formed between them and become best friends again, but to do that, she’ll have to be honest with Alex—and herself—about her true feelings. In chapters that jump around in time, Henry shows readers the progression (and dissolution) of Poppy and Alex’s friendship. Their slow-burn love story hits on beloved romance tropes (such as there unexpectedly being only one bed on the reconciliation trip Poppy plans) while still feeling entirely fresh. Henry’s biggest strength is in the sparkling, often laugh-out-loud-funny dialogue, particularly the banter-filled conversations between Poppy and Alex. But there’s depth to the story, too—Poppy’s feeling of dissatisfaction with a life that should be making her happy as well as her unresolved feelings toward the difficult parts of her childhood make her a sympathetic and relatable character. The end result is a story that pays homage to classic romantic comedies while having a point of view all its own.
A warm and winning "When Harry Met Sally…" update that hits all the perfect notes.Pub Date: May 11, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-9848-0675-8
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: March 2, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
PERSPECTIVES
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
