CARDBOARD GODS An All-American Tale Told through Baseball Cards

Using the unlikely device of his childhood collection of baseball cards as a series of metaphors, Josh Wilker recounts his life growing up in a changing America. Narrator Jim Meskimen lends a likable credibility to the story, which began as a blog on the joys of baseball and its players. Wilker particularly delights in talking about little-known facts relating to lesser-known players from the 1970s and 1980s. The skillful part comes when he blends the world of baseball cards with his own successes and failures in coming-of-age, including his growing estrangement from his family. Meskimen’s breezy, conversational style makes listeners feel Wilker’s enthusiasms—from the heady delights of opening up a new packet of baseball cards in childhood to the delightful memories associated with them decades later. M.S. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2011]