COPE FIELD

Years after his mother abandoned their family, a teen baseball star struggles with his feelings toward his abusive father in this contemporary novel set in small-town Arkansas.

After Crawford Cope hits his father with a baseball bat, he’s sentenced to 300 hours of community service—working to revamp a baseball diamond that will be named Cope Field after his famous pops, a hometown hero who played in the major leagues. Craw, who’s white, is paired with Hannah Flores, a brown-skinned, bisexual punk rocker with bright blue, pink-tipped hair. They go to the same school, but he doesn’t know her; Craw’s reputation as the son of a wealthy local legend precedes him. Hannah has no interest in baseball, and Craw is initially annoyed by her constant talking, but as they learn more about each other and their respective difficult home lives, Craw falls for Hannah. His understandable anger toward his mercurial father fills him with shame, even when it’s provoked by his protective feelings toward his funny, precocious younger brother, Sutton, who doesn’t even remember their momma. Though he’s also tempted to play the hero for Hannah, who faces bullying at school and at home, Craw’s developing understanding that his well-intentioned barging in isn’t helping her, plus his willingness to listen to what she really wants from him, are refreshing. This heartbreaking, finely drawn story will keep readers engaged.

A wise, emotionally rich tale of a young man finding his way through family trauma.