Frank Nappi

Frank Nappi


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Frank Nappi, the author of "The Legend of Mickey Tussler," has taught high school English and Creative Writing for twenty years. His first novel, "Echoes From the Infantry," received national attention, including the Military Writer's Silver Medal for Outstanding Fiction for 2006. Frank lives on Long Island with his wife Julia and thier two sons, Nicholas and Anthony. He is currently working as a consultant with Eye in the Sky Entertainment on a screenplay for "Mickey Tussler" and on his next novel as well.

The Legend of Mickey Tussler

AFrank Nappi
St. Martin’s Press (2008)
ISBN 9780312381097
Reviewed by Rachael Stein (age 15) for Reader Views (7/08)

Synopsis: An utterly heartbreaking and moving baseball novel that is being celebrated as "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time" meets "The Natural."

Seventeen-year-old Mickey Tussler is recruited to play for a minor league affiliate of the Boston Braves in the 1940s. Arthur Murphy, a scout and coach for the minor league Milwaukee Brewers, swears that Mickey is a phenom- one who has the greatest arm Murph has ever seen, that anybody has ever seen. And it might be true. But Mickey is also autistic, before autism was given a name, and his Aspergers keeps him sealed off from a world he scarcely understands. But Arthur wants to take the chance. The minor league Brewers have had one of the worst records in baseball history, and he needs to do something to shake the team up.

But can Mickey survive? Tormented by the memories of an abusive father and heckled by fans and teammates alike, the odds are stacked against him. But his inimitable talent -- one of the most gifted arms in the history of baseball - just might give him a chance. Can he survive a real life dream? Or are the harsh realities of life too much for him? This is the powerful underdog story of how a young man with an extraordinary gift comes of age in a harsh and competitive world that may not be ready for him.