{"product_id":"box-socials-9780345382535","title":"Box Socials","description":"\u003cb\u003e\"A whimsical portrait of 1940s-era small-town life, crowded with everything from owl-calling contests to raucous, five-day Ukrainian weddings. It's a delightful comic ramble, written in quirky, digressive style. . . . Richly textured.\"--\u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eHere's the story of how Truckbox Al McClintock, a small-town greaser whose claim to fame was hitting a baseball clean across the Pembina River, almost got a tryout with the genuine St. Louis Cardinals--but instead ended up batting against Bob Feller of Cleveland Indian Fame in Renfrew Park, Edmonton, Alberta. Along the way to Al's moment of truth at the plate, we learn about the bizarre, touchingly hilarious lives and loves of just about anyone who ever passed through New Oslo, Fark, or Venusberg. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFull of the crackle of down-home folk tales, by turn randy, riveting, and heart-breaking, \u003ci\u003eBox Socials \u003c\/i\u003eis the triumph of Kinsella's career. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eBox Socials\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Wonderful . . . Charming and funny . . . If you've never been to a box social, go to this one.\"\u003cb\u003e--Fannie Flagg, \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"A sweeping comic work . . . Welcome to the seductively poetic fictional world of W.P. Kinsella.\"\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003ePeople\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A story filled with nostalgia about a time when the game was played on real grass and was called on account of darkness. . . . A down-home style that resembles the humorous voice of Garrison Keillor.\"\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eW. P. (Bill) Kinsella\u003c\/b\u003e was the author of some 24 books and more than 200 stories. He was best known for his baseball fiction: \u003ci\u003eThe Thrill of the Grass; Go the Distance; The Iowa Baseball Confederacy; The Dixon Cornbelt League; Box Socials;\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eShoeless Joe, \u003c\/i\u003e his multi-award-winning novel that became the classic movie \u003ci\u003eField of Dreams, \u003c\/i\u003e nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Kinsella's other books include \u003ci\u003eDance Me Outside\u003c\/i\u003e (also made into a feature film); \u003ci\u003eScars; Born Indian; The Moccasin Telegraph; The Fencepost Chronicles; The Miss Hobbema Pageant; \u003c\/i\u003eand\u003ci\u003e Red Wolf, Red Wolf, \u003c\/i\u003efrom which the story \"Lieberman in Love\" was adapted for the screen and went on to win an Academy Award for Best Short Feature. He died in 2016.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Ballantine Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50844359229714,"sku":"9780345382535","price":11.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_5c9e769c-d21f-46e3-ad2e-54ae1a00244f.jpg?v=1737317964","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/box-socials-9780345382535","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}