When Kat Miller makes All-American Girls Professional Softball League, she struggles with long road trips, grueling practices, and the challenge of making time for God. Not only that, but older teammates are jealous of her success and an irritating reporter, Jack Raymond, has a knack for getting under Kat’s skin. Events in Jack’s career have left him cynical and distanced from God. That is, … and distanced from God. That is, until Kat walks into his life. Will the flames of disappointment forge bitterness in his heart, or can the promises Kat reminds him of restore joy to Jack’s life?
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There is a lot packed within the pages of A Promise Forged. The story is well written and very well researched. As I was reading, I felt transported back in time to America in 1943. USO dances, war bonds, and girl ball players — I was reminded time and time again of A League of Their Own, but loved how Cara Putman made this a story all her own.
Kat, the protagonist, is a 17-year old softball/baseball prodigy. What I enjoyed so much about her character is her genuine, unflappable faith in Jesus. Her faith reminded me a little of Daniel from the Bible in that Kat never wavered even though there were quite a few frustrating, discouraging, and exhausting moments where she could have easily given up. But she never does! One moment in the novel, Kat becomes anxious about something. She begins to pray and realizes that “ultimately, [praying] remained the best thing she could do. Much better than continued fretting.” What a great reminder to me to not allow my fears, worries, and doubts get the better of me and get me off track. Nothing should be stronger than my relationship with God.
Jack is a suave hero. He is worldly, educated, and cynical. He’s exactly what you think of when you think 1940s newspaperman. Because of a past mistake, Jack is stuck covering girl’s baseball, which makes him rather annoyed and frustrated. But he sticks with it, and forms a quick friendship of sorts with Kat. He’s drawn to her beauty and her natural skills as a ball player, but he is also drawn to her innocence, wholesomeness, and strong faith. Jack, at the start of this story, does not have a personal relationship with Jesus, but over the course of the story changes his perspective, which makes him even more likable a hero in my estimation. While reading this novel, I was definitely rooting for Jack!
Overall, A Promise Forged is a sweet, well-written historical novel that I enjoyed quite a bit. The friendship and romance between Jack and Kat grew very well and realistically — no insta-love in this story. I very much enjoyed the baseball games and the antics of the various ball players. And, I loved being transported to 1940s America even for just a little while. If you are looking for a fast-paced, engaging historical novel to escape into then I highly recommend A Promise Forged by Cara Putman.
I received a review copy of this novel in eBook form from the author via Celebrate Lit. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
With a husband who loves baseball, I am exposed to sometimes several games a day during the summer months, even when his beloved Cardinals aren’t playing. If I’m not busy with something else, I am usually in the same room reading so I do find my attention drawn to the screen frequently. Besides, my sisters and I played a lot of games in our front yard with friends and neighbors. I still don’t know how we managed not to break a window or three. For years my poor parents had to put up with a permanent diamond worn into their grass. For these reasons, I very much enjoyed A Promise Forged, Cara Putman’s novel about the All-American Girls Professional Softball League.
It was fun reading about Kat Miller and her experiences trying out for and playing in the league. Her interactions with her teammates, both positive and negative, made the story come alive. The grueling work and the expectations the girls had to follow were far more difficult than most readers might imagine. The author gave a realistic view of life behind the scenes that showed that professional ball is not all fun and games and glamour as one might expect.
Of course there has to be a bit of romance involved and the one that developed between Kat and Jack Raymond was definitely not the usual one, particularly due to their age difference. Nevertheless, despite the fact that neither of them wanted to be attracted to the other, the sparks were definitely there. I was impressed by the way the author handled the situation and kept it innocent as a young girl such as Kat deserved.
A Promise Forged is a quick and enjoyable read, perfect for a summer evening. As a fan of Putman’s legall suspense novels, I found it fun to read one of her earlier works.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by Celebrate Lit. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.