One-Handed Catch is an enjoyable read on the popular theme of overcoming adversity.
While the rosy worldview may be slightly exaggerated, there's a small-town interconnectedness between the episodic chapters that will keep the pages turning. His mother's fierce attempts to keep her son independent and his father's silent guilt round out the family picture that feels immediate in many ways, even though the story is set in 1946. Norm's inner voice is generally calm, and his jocular exchanges with his friend Leon provide comic relief. The gruesome accident is the only jarring note in this otherwise light, humorous tale. The climax is, of course, the big game and Norm's chance to prove himself to his peers and community. He then faces the challenges of one-handed shoe tying, band practice, and his dream of being a baseball player. On the Fourth of July, while helping his dad in the store, he gets his hand caught in the meat grinder and loses it.
Set just after World War II, Auch's novel tells of 11-year-old Norm, whose family owns a meat market. now lives on a small farm in upstate NY with her husband and co-illustrator, Herm, and their two dogs, Sophie and Zeke. Books were a part of M.J.’s life from an early age her mother was a second grade teacher who always made sure there were plenty of books in the house. Auch is the award-winning author of Guitar Boy, Wing Nut and numerous other books for young readers.
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