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Hope Ramsay | Baseball and Jane Austen
April 6, 2013
It's early April. The boys of summer have returned to their diamond-shaped
playing fields. Across America, the National Pastime has returned like the
swallows to Capistrano. But wait, someone in Britain says the American pastime was invented by them.
And as proof we have this short excerpt from the beginning of Jane Austen's
Northanger Abbey, which was published decades before any written account
of baseball being played in the new world: "...it was not very wonderful that Catherine, who had by nature nothing
heroic about her, should prefer cricket, baseball, riding on horseback, and
running about the country ..." Uh - oh. I know a few die-hard baseball fans, good ol' boys all of them, who
are not going to take this news well. But I think it's cool -- probably because
I'm a huge fan of baseball and Austen. I even combined these two
unlikely subjects in my latest book, Last Chance Book Club. You see, the book club in the itty-bitty town of Last Chance, South Carolina has
decided to read Pride and Prejudice. And that only happens because
Savannah White stands up to Nita Wills and insists that the club read something
fun and happy instead of something serious and depressing. Savannah has
recently returned to Last Chance after a messy divorce. She's determined to
make a home for herself there and she's planning to renovate the old movie
theater in town. But she's got a big problem - in the form of one cute, studly,
irascible, loud-mouthed, opinionated, ex-major-leaguer named Dash Randall. Savannah knew Dash when they were kids. They hated each other then, and not
much has changed. You might say that Savannah is prejudiced about Dash and Dash
is pretty darn proud. And while the story isn't exactly the same as Pride
and Prejudice Austen fans will find plenty of trivia and a few scenes that
are vaguely familiar. Only substitute the sexy southern baseball player for Mr.
Darcy and you get the picture. But then, hey, if the quote from Northanger Abbey is historically
accurate, maybe Mr. Darcy played baseball too. Oh my. That's an interesting
thought. What if those Regency-era boys had baseball uniforms with breeches as
tight as the ones they wore to go riding? Hmmm. That would be fun. So what
about you? Are you a fan of contemporary sports heroes or those proud,
overbearing Regency Dukes? Or maybe you're like me and have a weakness for
both. To celebrate the April release of LAST CHANCE BOOK CLUB, I'm
giving away an autographed
copy of the book, and a nice hard bound version of
Pride and Prejudice. Leave a comment and you'll be entered to win!
Comments
24 comments posted.
Re: Hope Ramsay | Baseball and Jane Austen
Athletes and dukes do have a lot in common.
(Kathy Sullivan 11:06am April 6, 2013)
Regency Dukes spoke well, dressed well and had unique manners
and bearing. Athletes are athletes and need lessons.
(Sharon Berger 12:29pm April 6, 2013)
In the Girl Guides in Ireland we played a game called rounders, similar to Baseball. This might have been the fore-runner of the American game you mention. Mainly in the Regency the wealthy men showed off on horseback or driving curricles. And a lot of them went to sea and learned to be officers on board ship from the time they were seven.
(Clare O'Beara 2:00pm April 6, 2013)
I like both! I love historical romances but I love my hockey players too! :)
(May Pau 6:45pm April 6, 2013)
I enjoy reading both - each has a different appeal.
(Mary C 8:14pm April 6, 2013)
I can't say that I've ever read a book about sports heroes before, so I'd have to root for the Dukes on this one. That means that when I read your book, I have something to compare to, and I'm really looking forward to it. I love the ideas that you have for the story line, and besides the cover, I love the story in general. I think it's going to be a very enjoyable, cozy read that I'll be able to start on a weekend, all curled up with my "don't bug me" sign handy!! :-) This is the type of book that I'm in the mood for at the moment, and I'm glad that you came to Fresh Fiction this weekend to share your thoughts with us. Congratulations on your book!!
(Peggy Roberson 9:21pm April 6, 2013)
I would love to win and read this book. I love books of all types.
(Jane Squires 11:20pm April 6, 2013)
I just finished reading a book where the hero played first base on a baseball team. I guess it is an appropriate subject at this time of the year. Your book sounds more interesting.
(Gladys Paradowski 11:35pm April 6, 2013)
I do love an aristocratic Regency gentleman.
(Mary Preston 11:55pm April 6, 2013)
i love me some boys in the red, white, and blue - the Chicago
Cubs that is!! Hopefully, I'll get to see them play in person
this year - it's been 5 years since I last did...
Your Last Chance series sounds like fun!
(Kelli Jo Calvert 12:33pm April 7, 2013)
I grew up with a Mom who loved her St. Louis Cardinals, so in her memory (she died at 64 to Alzheimers) I have to say I'm prejudice toward ball players. As a kid, I use to make her mad by rooting for the other team, but secretly for hers. I would love to see how Savannah and Dash work out their differences. Sounds very interesting and fun!
(Annetta Sweetko 8:37am April 7, 2013)
I grew up and still love The Dodgers - baseball is in our family's blood. When the Dodgers (Brooklyn Dodgers) finally won the World Series in 1955, my mom cut out the picture of the bum (as they were called) from the front of the newspaper and put it in the front window) - My sister drew a picture of Sandy Koufax, their wonderful southpaw and my mom still has it hanging in the basement - and it is a wonderful likeness of him and likeness is a bad word as it looks just like him. Go Dodgers and hope this year brings you another World Serie win - your new owners spent a lot of money picking up talent - it has been a long time since 1988 and Orel Hershiers wonderful season and Kirk Gibson's memorial home run.
(Pat Lieberman 10:11am April 7, 2013)
I agree with Savannah---I like to read things that are fun and happy. Of course, I like baseball, too.
(Sue Farrell 11:00am April 7, 2013)
It would be interesting to find out how Jane Austen would view our baseball culture. Who knew baseball would have a life of its own? That is something that the Regency era wouldn't even thought possible.
Yes, I am planning to watch 42, the Movie. What more can I asked for: Jackie Robinson and the Brooklyn Dodgers (now the L.A. Dodgers).
(Kai Wong 5:57pm April 7, 2013)
I'm from Boston, and we take baseball very seriously here - oh woe to those who hate baseball, as it is discussed all year round, second only to the weather as a conversation topic! Wouldn't it be fun to have those Regency heroines playing in a girls vs. guys game???
(Beth Fuller 6:20pm April 7, 2013)
I usually root for a player rather than a team. As for reading, I just love a good book, be it contemporary or historical.
(Carol Woodruff 7:12pm April 7, 2013)
I read both. However, my real love is historicals.
(Betty Hamilton 7:42pm April 7, 2013)
Pride and Prejudice is a book I've read probably 10 times. Thanks for the
giveaway!
(MaryAnne Banks 9:18pm April 7, 2013)
Instant classic!
(Roxana Perez 9:59am April 8, 2013)
Who doesn't love a ball player, I think many women have one or two in their past, for some reason they are irresistible.
(Carla Carlson 12:23pm April 8, 2013)
Hope,
Your book sounds like a hit! I love baseball, and this sounds like a very fun, home-run of a book!
(Linda Luinstra 7:18pm April 8, 2013)
Hi Hope!
It's tough to not fall in love with a baseball hero and I must admit I did when I was 12 years old. The baseball field was just 2 blocks from my home and the boys playing look so handsome running around the bases and wow when they looked up in the stands and smiled at you your young heart melted just a little, at least mine did.
Of course as I matured and grew up I had forgotten about those handsome baseball heros but that changed when I got married and ended up with an all male household. You learn to love sports and since we live in New England then it's the Red Sox all the way - at least that's what all the men in my family think anyway.
I on the other hand would rather travel back to the Regency era and go to a house party and watch the men in their tight clothing go off on a hunt or better yet pulling back the string on a bow to fire an arrow at the target - then you can really see their muscles flexing (as well as those nice thighs with the tight pants they're wearing).
If you're lucky you might want to position yourself near the stables when they come back from a brisk ride around the manor and decide to "cool off" (while you'll heat up) and take their shirts off and pour glistening water over themselves! Yes, hiding in the loft of behind a stall door is a good idea to keep your reputation in tack - that is if you want to!
You'll note that I like a little humor in my reading and that's exactly what Last Chance Book Club sounds like as well! Ah, good friends, good books, handsome gentleman - what more could a girl want?
(Jeanne Miro 12:12pm April 9, 2013)
I'd have to say I'm a fan of the contemporary. I used to like
historical when I was a teenager but just can't seem to get
into it anymore.
(Ashley Montgomery 11:28pm April 11, 2013)
Just learned of you and wonderful stories got on amazon and ordered ALL Last Chance stories. Thank You
(JaneAnn Railey-Clear 2:21pm July 26, 2013)
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