SUZANNE KAMATA

---

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Suzanne Kamata is an American, but she has lived in Japan for over half of her life. During that time, she has modeled for a textbook cover, done the voiceover for a TV commercial, and planted trees with the Emperor. She has also written many books and won many awards. Besides reading and writing, she loves chocolate, cats, and figure skating.

Website: www.suzannekamata.com
Amazon link: www.amazon.com/Baseball-Widow-Suzanne-Kamata

---

BOOK BY SUZANNE KAMATA

Gold Medal -- IPPY Awards 
Official 2022 Pick of the International Pulpwood Queens and Timber Guys Book Club 
NYC Big Book Award - Winner -- Multicultural Fiction
The IAN Book of the Year Awards -- Winner -- Literary FIction
Shelf Unbound 2021 Top Notable Book
Shortlisted for the 2021 CIBA Somerset Book Awards
William Faulkner--William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition -- FInalist
American Book Fest 2022 Best Book Awards -- Finalist -- Multicultural Fiction

When Christine, an idealistic young American teacher, meets and marries Hideki Yamada, an aspiring Japanese high school baseball coach, she believes that their love with be enough to sustain them as they deal with cultural differences. However, Hideki's duties, and the team of fit, obedient boys whom he begins to think of as a surrogate family, take up more and more of his time, just as Christine is struggling to manage the needs of their multiply-disabled daughter and their sensitive son. Things come to a head when their son is the victim of bullies. Christine begins to think that she and her children would be safer - and happier - in her native country. On a trip back to the States, she reconnects with a dangerously attractive friend from high school who, after serving and becoming wounded in Iraq, seems to understand her like no one else.

Meanwhile, Daisuke Uchida, a slugger with pro potential who has returned to Japan after living abroad, may be able to help propel Hideki's team to the national baseball tournament at Koshien. Not only would this be a dream come true for Hideki, but also it would secure the futures of his players, some of whom come from precarious homes. While Daisuke looks to Hideki for guidance, he is also distracted by Nana, a talented but troubled girl, whom he is trying to rescue from a life as a bar hostess (or worse). Hideki must ultimately choose between his team and his family.

The Baseball Widow explores issues of duty, disability, discrimination, violence, and forgiveness through a cross-cultural lens. Although flawed, these characters strive to advocate for fairness, goodness, and safety, while considering how their decisions have been shaped by their backgrounds.