When a father gives to his son, both laugh; when a son gives to his father, both cry.
- Jewish Proverb
Mikey Wright is a normal 13-year-old. With normal problems. Until the day he finds out his dad has cancer. Getaway Day chronicles Mikey's journey to save his father's life and learn the meaning of his own. His journey to help his father takes him from the safety and security of his home town to Anaheim, Chicago, and back down Route 66. Along the way, he's helped by some ordinary and extraordinary folks. Each one has something to teach Mikey about fathers and sons, growing up, family, and home.
His efforts are thwarted at every turn, until Mother Nature steps up to the plate. When a freak storm deluges the Bay Area and forces postponement of the 1962 World Series and makes it impossible to practice in nearby San Francisco, the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants make arrangements to work out in nearby Modesto. Mikey is inches from making his father's dream come true when an encounter with his high school arch-nemesis threatens to ruin all of his work. Join Mikey as he learns selflessness and the power of believing. He discovers that expectations aren't real, loneliness is absolute, change is inevitable, and laughter is essential. Ultimately, he learns that growing up means letting go.
What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others is, and remains, immortal.
- Albert Pike
About the Author :
Ken retired from the worlds of advertising, corporate communications, and interactive entertainment to concentrate on writing and community service. He received his A.A. degree at Modesto Junior College, his B.A. and teaching credential at UC Davis, and his M.A. at San Francisco State University. He has taught mass communications and film appreciation at Modesto Junior College. Born in Lathrop and raised in Modesto, California, he continues to live in his home town. He is married to Robin and has two adult step-sons, Tyler and Eric. He has written novels, screenplays, short stories, stage plays, children's and non-fiction books. Most of his stories are about his home town and the Central Valley heartland.
Review :
Coming of Age Classic
"One would be utterly heartless to not find this book charming. Ken White has created a fine read which comfortably takes its place amidst that most honored of American genres: Baseball as Metaphor for the Meaning of Life. Well done." - San Francisco Book Review
"I really enjoyed this story. Although written as a piece of fiction geared toward a younger reading audience, the author's many references to historical landmark events kept the story line realistic without dragging down the action." - Readers' Favorite
"Even if you're not a baseball fan (and I'm not), Getaway Day will move you and enrich you. Set against the backdrop of preparations for the 1962 World Series, it's a rich historical novel that tells a moving story of a boy's coming of age. Mikey Wright learns a lot on his journey and emerges a changed person. A very enjoyable read." - Steve Alcorn, Writing Young Adult Fiction
"Nobody who grew up in Modesto ever forgets the day the Yankees and Giants came to town during the 1962 World Series. It is an iconic Central Valley memory and Ken White puts this to great use in creating a wonderful young adult story about growing up in a simpler time and fulfilling dreams. A wonderful read, bittersweet all the same, in the relationship between the dying father and son. A nice blend of fact and fiction gets it just right." - Dennis Snelling, Johnny Evers: A Baseball Life, The Greatest Minor League: A History of the Pacific Coast League
Charming Young Adult Story
"It may be classified as a Young Adult novel, but it's rather better written than 90% of the books in that genre. Getaway Day has charm without becoming maudlin, and adventure without becoming frantic." - San Francisco Book Review
"The heart of the story is baseball, which earned Getaway Day a place in the library at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York." - Lori Gilbert, Stockton Record
"Getaway Day will appeal to Baby Boomers, young adults, and anyone who loves baseball and remembers the joy and sorrow of adolescence." - GoodReads
The Getaway Day You'll Never Forget
"I was taken by this book about baseball and life. Getaway Day is a story about a 13-year-old named Mikey Wright. When he finds out his father has cancer, he begins his true journey to save his father's life and, along the way, learning about his own. Mikey has to learn about selflessness and the power of believing. It's a truly wonderful story you need to read because it's a story that many families will feel are about them at one point or another. It's touching, it's sweet, and it's the best book I've read this year." - Robert Casey, Bleeding Yankee Blue
