The House of Daniel by Harry Turtledove
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I have read many of Harry Turtledove’s books over the years, usually his multi volume sets. The House of Daniel is one of his stand alone titles. I find them enjoyable reads where the narrative doesn’t get slowed down like it can in his larger treatments. This one kept me reading for three reasons.
1. The first person POV. This was my first taste of Turtledove writing this way. I’ll look for more examples of this.
2. The detailed dynamics of depression-era baseball, both on the field and in the team bus. I suppose some readers could grow weary of repeated dimensions of ballparks from Oklahoma to California, but I’m enough of a baseball junkie to be engaged by his treatment of America’s game.
3. The reference to a world gone magical, shared from the view of a character who lived in it in a practical way. The magic did not drive the story, but Turtledove served up just enough of a taste to make it interesting.
I wondered where he was going with the story once the protagonist’s initial conflict seemed to be settled. He wrapped up the story in a way that seemed fitting and left you cheering for Jack Spivey off the field as well as on.
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