Description: "Emily Nemens's magnificent debut is a masterwork of great empathy and detail, uncovering the realms of incredible pain and beauty enmeshed within every level of America's pastime. If you love baseball, you won't put it down, and if you don't love baseball, you might by the end." -- J. Ryan Stradal , author of The Lager Queen of Minnesota and Kitchens of the Great Midwest "A debut? You've got to be kidding. The Cactus League reads like the work of a seasoned novelist. The way the story's tension ramps, the richly drawn characters, the indelible imagery--you'll never see a ball park the same--not to mention Emily Nemens's knowledge of America's pastime is downright encyclopedic. And while all those things are true, absolutely true, the heart of this amazing novel is Emily's understanding of the crucibles faced by those both in the limelight and out of it. Goodyear and the rest of the gang are a cast for the ages. Hip hip hooray for this achievement." -- Mitchell S. Jackson, author of Survival Math: Notes on an All-American Family " The Cactus League is not just another baseball novel. I can't think of another book that so carefully examines the complex ecosystem of professional sport. With both compassion and objectivity, Emily Nemens deftly depicts the rich lives and stories that swirl beneath the 'meaningless' innings of spring training." -- Chris Bachelder , author of The Throwback Special

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