"Nothing could stop Toni "Tomboy" Stone from playing baseball--not even her parents. The only girl on a church team, she persevered as insults were hurled her way from the boy players. She caught the attention of former major leaguer Gabby Street, who gave her a chance at his summer baseball school. With Coach Street's training--and the cleats he gifted her--Toni managed to earn a spot in the minor leagues. Though teams were hesitant to sign a woman,...

Collects the author's recent essays exploring motherhood as an older mom, her life as a reader, her relationships with her parents, her newspaper career, and her experiences as a novelist.

Led by a hot-shot young "natural," nine young women defy the male-dominated tradition of Japanese sports when they come together in the heat of athletic competition to become the Princess Nine. The hallowed stadiums of Japanese baseball become the battlefield as sizzling sports action and gripping drama intertwine.