First published 2023
Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier and became America's most influential athlete. Kostya Kennedy takes an unconventional approach to Robinson's story, focusing on four transformative years rather than a traditional cradle-to-grave narrative. Kennedy examines 1946, when Robinson played for the Montreal Royals in the minor leagues. He explores 1949, Robinson's MVP season with the Brooklyn Dodgers. The book covers 1956, Robinson's final season as health problems mounted. Kennedy concludes with 1972, the year Robinson died. The author draws on previously unreported details and interviews with family members, teammates, and fans who witnessed Robinson's impact. Kennedy shows how Robinson opened doors beyond baseball, enabling Black Americans to enter other sports while becoming a national voice against inequality. Letters still arrive at Rachel Robinson's home decades after her husband's death. Kennedy reveals Robinson as athlete, family man, and civil rights leader through these four crucial periods.
Genres: biography, 20th-century, african-american, sports, american-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: biographical, historical-fiction
Setting: Montreal, Brooklyn, America
Period: 1946, 1949, 1956, 1972
288 pages · Paperback · Griffin